Spokesperson: Lindsay Cole, Sales & Business Development Manager, North America, Kappa Bioscience AS, now a Balchem company

The appetite for active aging solutions is on the rise, with consumers of all ages looking for solutions that support them in maintaining an active lifestyle throughout life. One often underappreciated ingredient in this space is vitamin K2. Western diets are seriously lacking in this nutrient, but it provides vital support for bone and heart health that can keep us active for longer. Vitamin K2 presents many unique opportunities – and challenges – for formulators in this space. So, how can brands get the most out of it?

Unlock the Opportunity: Vitamin K2 for Bone and Heart Health

The key to vitamin K2’s active aging health benefits is the central role it plays in supporting calcium metabolism. Vitamin K2 activates K-dependent proteins that help to direct calcium to where it is needed. In particular, vitamin K2 activates osteocalcin, which supports the maintenance of healthy bones, and matrix Gla protein (MGP) which plays a role in arterial calcification, promoting arterial elasticity and maintaining healthy circulation .^1,2,3,4,5 

When used in combination with other minerals that also regulate or interact with calcium – such as vitamin D3 and magnesium bisglycinate – the power of vitamin K2 shines through. Vitamin D3 facilitates calcium absorption into the bloodstream and the synthesis of vitamin K dependent proteins. Vitamin K2 activates a protein that deposits calcium into the bone. And while vitamin D3 and K2 take center stage as the perfect pair to regulate calcium, magnesium plays a pivotal role as the indispensable enabler, ensuring that this wellness combination functions flawlessly. Magnesium and calcium work together to help support nerve conduction, muscle contraction and a normal heart rhythm.⁷ 

Combinations like this allow brands to provide consumers with optimal bone and heart health support. However, they also present formulators with significant challenges, particularly when it comes to vitamin K2 stability. 

The Challenge: Vitamin K2 Stability in Mineral Combinations  

Vitamin K2 is highly sensitive by nature. If left unprotected, it can degrade rapidly under certain conditions or when used in formulations with other minerals and vitamins. 

To highlight the scale of the issue, our recent analysis – conducted in collaboration with Alkemist labs – revealed that over two-thirds of vitamin K2 supplements purchased on one of the biggest e-commerce platforms in the United States fail to meet label claims due to low quality or purity. The problem lies at the ingredient level. A high proportion of vitamin K2 products did not meet their label claims due to excessive cis isomer content. These isomers are not as biologically effective as all-trans MK-7 vitamin K2 and result in products with low isomeric purity. This quality gap is even greater when considering products containing unprotected vitamin K2 in combination with other minerals. In fact, analysis has demonstrated only 8% of these products, met label claim for K2 levels after three months.⁸

To address these issues and deliver nutrition solutions that offer substantial bone and heart health benefits to consumers looking to support their active aging, manufacturers must choose the right vitamin K2 ingredient.

Doing Vitamin K2 Right: K2VITAL™ DELTA

K2VITAL™ DELTA is the only patented double-microencapsulated vitamin K2 MK-7, with high isomeric purity, typically 99.7% all-trans. It also offers superior stability, demonstrated by 100% of K2VITAL™ DELTA-plus-minerals products meeting label claim after three months.⁵ This means that manufacturers can develop blended supplements and explore new formulations that meet their label claim and deliver the desired health benefits.

K2VITAL™ DELTA is the right vitamin K2 for the Vital Trio. Together with Albion^® Mineral’s Magnesium bisglycinate chelate and vitamin D3, formulators can create products that provide key bone and heart health benefits to support active aging. 

Learn more:  K2VITAL® Vitamin K2 – pure and stable | Kappa (kappabio.com)

This content was paid for and provided by Balchem

These statements have not been evaluated by competent food authorities. The product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information is only for business-to-business use and not meant to be addressed to final consumers. 

Vitamin K2 presents many unique opportunities for active aging innovation. But it is highly sensitive by nature. So, choosing the right K2 is key. Balchem outlines key factors to look out for. 

¹ National Institutes of Health, Vitamin K. Available at: Vitamin K – Health Professional Fact Sheet (nih.gov)

² Hariri E. et al., Vitamin K2 —a neglected player in cardiovascular health: a narrative review, Open Heart. (2021).

³ Chatrou ML. et al., Intra-Section Analysis of Human Coronary Arteries Reveals a Potential Role for Micro-Calcifications in Macrophage Recruitment in the Early Stage of Atherosclerosis. PLoS One. 2015;10(11): e0142335.

⁴ Schurgers LJ. Vitamin K: key vitamin in controlling vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease. Kidney Int. 2013;83(5):782-784.

⁵ Westenfeld R, et al., Effect of vitamin K2 supplementation on functional vitamin K deficiency in hemodialysis patients: a randomized trial. Am J Kidney Dis. 2012;59(2):186-95

⁶ van Ballegooijen AJ, et al., The Synergistic Interplay between Vitamins D and K for Bone and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review. Int J Endocrinol. 2017:7454376.

⁷ National Institutes of Health, Magnesium. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/ 

⁸ Kappa Bioscience unpublished study. The Kappa method: USP43 NF38 analysis of microencapsulated MK-7.