Rankings / Essentials — Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamin K2 (MK-7)
Essentials · Vitamin
Also known as: Menaquinone-7 ·MK-7
Tier B+
Bottom line
Read Off Label grades Vitamin K2 (MK-7) as B+ (7.1/10) based on moderate evidence, med benefit magnitude, and a low-risk safety profile.
Rotterdam Study: high dietary K2 associated with ~50% reduction in arterial calcification and CHD mortality.
Typical use: 90-180 mcg/day MK-7; pair with Vitamin D3 — OTC.
What this is
Rotterdam Study: high dietary K2 associated with ~50% reduction in arterial calcification and CHD mortality. RCT evidence for reversing arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women.
Mechanism
Activates matrix Gla protein (MGP) and osteocalcin — directs calcium to bones and away from arteries
Dose & route
90-180 mcg/day MK-7; pair with Vitamin D3
Citations
- https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/134/11/3100/4688391
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.057008
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7238900/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28698808/
- https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01638182
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-026-00767-z
- https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/8853075
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Common questions
- Does Vitamin K2 (MK-7) work?
- Read Off Label rates the evidence for Vitamin K2 (MK-7) as Moderate and the benefit magnitude as med, producing an overall grade of B+ (7.1/10). Rotterdam Study: high dietary K2 associated with ~50% reduction in arterial calcification and CHD mortality.
- Is Vitamin K2 (MK-7) safe?
- Vitamin K2 (MK-7) has a low risk profile in published human data. Legal status: OTC. This is not medical advice — see the disclaimer.
- What is the typical dose for Vitamin K2 (MK-7)?
- 90-180 mcg/day MK-7; pair with Vitamin D3
- How does Vitamin K2 (MK-7) work?
- Activates matrix Gla protein (MGP) and osteocalcin — directs calcium to bones and away from arteries
This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.