NattoPharma

MenaQ7 - The most bioactive vitamin K2 on the market

Human studies have shown the superior bioavailability and bio effect of MenaQ7TM compared to lower menaquinones and vitamin K1. Even if K-vitamins have a similar function, their pharmacokinetic behaviour and tissue distributions following absorption vary greatly.

Like other fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin K is taken up from the food in the intestine by the bile-salt mediated pathway. After solubilisation into lipid droplets, vitamin K is incorporated in lipoprotein particles, and released in the blood stream. All tissues are capable of taking up vitamin K from the blood stream, but it has been demonstrated that the efficacy of vitamin K uptake is much larger for the liver than for the other tissues. Therefore, the dietary vitamin K requirement for complete osteocalcin (in bone), and MGP (in vasculature and cartilage) activation is much higher than that for complete clotting factor activation (in liver).

It has been reported that the uptake of K1 from green vegetables (which form the main dietary source of K1) varies between 5 and 15%. Although K2 vitamins comprise only some 10% of our total dietary vitamin K intake, they may form half of the total vitamin K absorbed; this because of the much better, nearly complete absorption and also significantly longer biological half-life of the long-chain menaquinones.

It seems, therefore, that the long-chain menaquinones - as MenaQ7TM - are the main contributors to the vitamin K status in humans! Consequently it is obvious that adequate supply to different tissues not only depends on the amount of vitamin K taken, but also on which type of vitamin K which was ingested.


 MenaQ7/MK-7 MK-4 K1 (phylloquinone)
Commercial form Natural Synthetic Synthetic
Molecular weight 649 D 444 D 450 D
Transport in the body

Absorbed in intestines,
reaches all tissues

 Absorbed in intestines, must have a 1000x dose of MK-7 to reach tissues. Quickly excreted by the liver. Absorbed in intestines, quickly excreted by the liver; no effect in cardiovascular bed
Serum half-life 3 days 1 hour 15 hours
Dose recommended 45 micrograms/day 45 micrograms/day 120 micrograms/day men,
90 micrograms/day women
Main in vivo biological target proteins Osteocalcin
Matrix Gla protein		 Osteocalcin Coagulation factors
osteocalcin
Documented biological effect Cardiovascular & Bones Mainly bones Coagulation & Bones

Advantages of MK-7