You’ve probably heard of vitamin A, vitamin B, B12, C and even K; however, there is one vitamin that you may have never heard of before, but that is just as important as all the other vitamins – vitamin K12.

If you haven’t heard of K12, you aren’t alone. It’s widely unheard of in the United States and it has definitely not received a whole lot of attention-grabbing news.

Well, it’s about time you find out about this super important vitamin, as it is a vital to so many aspects of your health. It’s so important to health, in fact, that many researchers say that it is the ‘missing link’ between diet and disease.

What is Vitamin K2?

So, why is vitamin K so important? Well, to understand, you first have to understand what vitamin K is and why it is important.

Vitamin K was first discovered in 1929. It was given the name Koagulationsvitamin (hence the ‘K’) and it was found to be an essential nutrient in the blood. Weston Price, a famous dentist, also discovered vitamin K when he travelled around the world to study how the diet of different cultures played a role in the diseases of these populations.

Mr Price found that the cultures of non-industrial cultures were very high in a nutrient that had never been seen before, and these cultures had a significantly lower incidence of chronic disease and tooth decay. He called it Activator X. Today, and today, it is believed that Activator X was actually vitamin K2.

Why is Vitamin K2 So Beneficial?

It was once believed that vitamin K was only beneficial to the body because of its ability to clot blood, and it was also believed that K2 was just a derivative of vitamin K; however, recent evidence has determined that vitamin K2 is actually vital for the body, and that its benefits are far more than just helping blood to clot.

Vitamin K2 plays a key role in so many important functions of the body, including:

• Warding off heart disease
• Promoting healthy skin
• Helps to form strong bones
• Promotes healthier brain function
• Supports the growth and the development of new cells
• Prevents cancer from developing

How to Increase Your Vitamin K2 Intake

So, since vitamin K2 is so good for you, how can you get more of it in your diet? There is one easy way, and that is through your diet. Vitamin K2 is found in foods that are animal-based, particularly meat and poultry, which is quite different than vitamin K1, which is found primarily in leafy green vegetables. K2 naturally develops in meat-based foods, and thus eating more meat and poultry will up your vitamin K2 intake. So, in other words, eat more chicken and steak.

If you don’t eat meat, that doesn’t mean you can’t increase the amount of vitamin K2 you intake. There are supplements available that are non-meat based and that will help you increase your level of this extremely important vitamin.

Sources:
http://www.lifeextension.com/Magazine/2008/3/Protecting-Bone-And-Arterial-Health-With-Vitamin-K2/Page-01
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/16/vitamin-k2.aspx
http://authoritynutrition.com/vitamin-k2/
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