Vitamin K2 for removing calcium from arteries

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I thought this article might be of interest to everyone...

Has anyone tried Vit. K2 to see how it works?

Steve

> VITAMIN K2 CONTROLS REMOVAL OF CALCIUM FROM

> ARTERIES...

>

>

>

> By Dr. Howenstine, MD.

> June 5, 2007

> NewsWithViews.com

>

>

>

> ...And Deposition of Calcium Into Bones

>

> Detecting calcium deposits in arteries by computer

> tomography scanning studies has become a valuable clue

> that an individual has arteriosclerotic heart disease

> and has significant risk for heart attack and sudden

> death. Detected calcium arterial deposits thus permit

> life style changes to be instituted before sudden

> death or acute myocardial infarction has occurred.

> This increased risk of calcium deposition into

> arteries has recently been confirmed to bring

> increased risk of heart attack and heart disease

> deaths to blacks, Hispanics and Chinese[1] even though

> their risks are less than Caucasians.

>

> Western cultures (Europe, Canada, USA,) eat a high

> protein, high dairy, high phosphorus acidifying diet.

> This type food causes large amounts of calcium to be

> wasted in the urine as it is removed from bone tissue

> to try to preserve an alkaline cellular environment in

> the face of a very acidic dietary protein intake. To

> make matters even worse the ratio of calcium to

> magnesium in milk is 9 to 1 which exaggerates the lack

> of magnesium found in food grown on magnesium depleted

> U.S. soil. Low magnesium stores in bone cells prevents

> magnesium from being of any value in attempts to

> preserve an alkaline body pH. Naturally the Western

> diet leads to profound loss of calcium and magnesium

> from bone thus ensuring osteoporosis and fractured

> bones in the elderly. The nation of Thailand which

> eats almost no dairy products and obtains calcium

> primarily from vegetables has much less osteoporosis

> than western nations on their high protein high dairy

> product diets.

>

> Calcification in cellular tissues is a sign of tissue

> damage, cellular aging and impending cell death. When

> cells are unable to regulate calcium and keep the

> calcium content of cells down cellular function

> degenerates. Calcified arteries, calcium in soft

> tissues and high levels of calcium within cells are

> all signs of aging. At age 80 the average calcium

> content in the aorta is 140 times greater[2] than the

> levels of aortic calcification noted at age 40. This

> may relate to a long period of unrecognized Vitamin K2

> deficiency.

>

> Vitamin K1 is found in plants and Vitamin K2 is found

> in animals and bacteria(healthy colon bacteria,

> Japanese natto, low fat Dutch gouda and edam cheese).

> Bacteria in the colon are able to produce and store

> about one month of Vitamin K. Antibiotics kill many of

> these good intestinal bacteria thus impairing

> production of Vitamin K. The non-steroidal

> anti-inflammatory drugs have similar adverse effects

> on these valuable bacteria. Vitamin K absorption is

> improved by dietary fat which stimulates bile

> secretion.

>

> Studies have shown that subclinical Vitamin K

> deficiency[3] [4], is present in most healthy adults.

> The first symptoms of this deficiency can be heart

> attack or a fractured osteoporotic bone. In the

> Framingham study subjects in the highest quartile for

> Vitamin K intake had a significantly lower risk of[5]

> hip fracture.

>

> In 1984 scientists reported that patients with

> osteoporotic fractures had circulating Vitamin K1

> levels that were 70%[6] lower than age and sex matched

> controls. These findings were confirmed and it was

> noted that low levels of Vitamin K were associated

> with loss of bone mineral density creating an

> independent risk factor for bone fracture. Further

> studies have disclosed that Vitamin K1 was less

> effective than Vitamin K2 in preventing bone loss.

>

> The absorption of synthetic Vitamin K1 has recently

> been compared to the absorption of Vitamin

> K2(menaquinone-7) in healthy subjects. Vitamin K1 has

> been widely used in food supplements. Recently natural

> Vitamin K2 has become available for use in

> supplements. Both Vitamin K1 and Vitamin K2 were well

> absorbed with peak blood levels reached at 4 hours.

> Unlike Vitamin K1, Vitamin K2 was found to have a very

> long half life which results in stable blood levels.

> During prolonged intake the long half life permits

> accumulation Of K2 to levels 7-8 fold higher than that

> seen after one dose. Vitamin K2(MK-7) is 6 times more

> potent than Vitamin K1.

>

> Use Of Vitamin K2(Menaquinone-7) To Prevent Calcium

> Plaques From Appearing In Arteries

>

> The commonly used anticoagulant drug coumadin

> interferes with the metabolism and function of Vitamin

> K by inhibiting the enzymes needed to produce Vitamin

> K This drug can produce excessive bleeding and does

> produce progressive widespread calcification of

> arteries and the aorta.

>

> A clinical study from Rotterdam, Holland revealed a

> correlation between long term adequate Vitamin K2

> intake and a lower incidence of calcification of the

> wall of the aorta. Arteries with no plaques have a 20

> to 50 fold increase in Vitamin K2 concentration when

> compared to arteries with arterial plaques. The high

> K2(menaquinone-7) content arteries were noted to be

> more flexible[7] and elastic than arteries lacking K2.

>

> Lack of Vitamin K2 causes calcium to fail to be

> deposited in bones where it belongs and to be

> deposited instead in arteries, aorta, soft tissues

> including muscle, breast, kidneys and in heel spurs.

>

> A protein called osteocalcin transports calcium to

> bone. Vitamin K2(menaquinone-7) is used to solidify

> this calcium into the bone matrix. When Vitamin K2 is

> lacking the calcium remains in the blood and ends up

> getting deposited in the walls of arteries and other

> sites which is very undesirable. Thus Vitamin K2

> becomes a critical nutrient for both bone and

> arteries.

>

> Dr. Leon Schurgers and Dr. Cees Vermeer of Maastricht

> University in Holland studied 4800 elderly Dutch men

> and women to ascertain whether Vitamin K2 could help

> prevent artery calcium deposits. They learned that

> persons with the highest dietary intake of K2

> (primarily originating in low fat Dutch cheeses Gouda

> and Edam) had the least evidence of calcification of

> the aorta[8] when compared to persons with low Vitamin

> K2 intakes. The higher the intake of these cheeses the

> lower the mortality from cardiovascular disease.

>

> The fermented soy Japanese food natto contains Vitamin

> K2 in large amounts but Americans are likely to find

> it's taste and smell objectionable unless it is

> covered by sauces. All of the Vitamin K2 produced in

> making the enzyme nattokinase has now become available

> to be sold for use in food supplements.

>

> The drug coumadin is widely used by conventional

> medicine in cardiovascular disease to prevent

> clotting. Numerous natural health experts have been

> concerned for years that coumadin was not effective in

> preventing vascular deaths but also has problems with

> occasional serious internal bleeding episodes. German

> researchers[9] found out in 2005 that long term use of

> coumadin produced increased calcium in the aortic

> valve and coronary arteries when compared to patients

> not taking coumadin. Dr. Gordon states that

> " every patient on coumadin is increasing the

> calcium[10] content of all vascular tissues. The

> calcium content of arteries is now proven to be more

> dangerous than diabetes, elevated cholesterol or

> hypertension, we must now try to educate patients. "

> Patients taking coumadin can be easily moved to safer

> anticoagulant therapy.

>

> This information proves that Vitamin K2 is a critical

> nutrient for patients with arteriosclerosis as it has

> the potential to prevent and remove calcium from

> arteriosclerotic plaques thus making plaques easier to

> dissolve and less dangerous..

>

> Vitamin K2 is now available as Synergy K. One capsule

> of Synergy K contains 45 mcg of Vitamin

> K2(Menaquinone-7) and 1 mg of (Menaquinone-4 less well

> absorbed than K2). Natural Health Team 1-800-416-2806

> can supply Synergy K. The dose should be one capsule

> daily (45 mcg.).

>

> How To Safely Stop Coumadin Therapy

>

> Persons taking coumadin therapy who have become

> alerted to the danger of this therapy can be easily

> withdrawn from this drug. Since coumadin is clearly

> inadequate to fully protect against clotting

> disorders, causes bleeding problems and accelerates

> arteriosclerosis many persons will choose to take

> other therapies. There are several safe natural

> substances that have value in replacing coumadin.

>

> *

> Enzymes High doses of enzymes(nattokinase,

> lumbrokinase(boluoke), vitalzyme, wobenzyme N) stop

> the initiating process in clot formation (fibrin

> formation).

> *

> Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids Fish oils (Artic

> Omega) are valuable therapies because they make blood

> more fluid thus inhibiting the formation of clots

> *

> Gingko Biloba taken twice daily also prevents

> clotting in a safe manner.

> *

> Essential Daily Defense EDD taken two capsules

> with each meal provides EDTA and Carrageenan(red

> algae) which create a safe heparin like anticoagulant

> status that aids in preventing clotting .without

> danger of bleeding.

> *

> Vitamin K2 All persons who have taken coumadin

> therapy would be wise to consider taking Vitamin K2

> therapy which will mobilize the calcium out of the

> arteries and aorta and begin to restore normal

> flexibility and elasticity to these vessels. This also

> will restore density to bones which prevents and heals

> osteoporosis.

>

> Dr. . Jay Rowen relates that using EDD,

> nattokinase or lumbrokinase(one twice daily), gingko,

> and Unique E(1200IU) to treat several hundred patients

> with thrombophlebitis has never been complicated by

> pulmonary embolism.[11]

>

> Dr. Gordon has frequently stated that patients

> following his recommendations for healing

> arteriosclerosis with wobenzyme or

> boluoke(lumbrokinase), which appears to be the most

> effective enzyme as it resembles the effects of very

> expensive Tissue Plasminogen Activator, and high doses

> of Essential Daily Defense do not develop heart attack

> or strokes..

>

> Osteoporosis

>

> High doses of Vitamin K2(45 mcg to 90 mcg. daily) were

> used to successfully to treat osteoporosis[12] in

> Japan. These doses are 1000 times the RDA dosage. No

> side effects were seen. This therapy for osteoporosis

> should work well and using Synergy K is simpler than

> other therapies for osteoporosis. The addition of

> Vitamin D-3, calcium, magnesium, boron, strontium and

> silica(horsetail) will supply additional key nutrients

> needed to construct bone.

>

> Alzheimer's Disease

>

> Approximately 25 percent of individuals appear to have

> genetic risk for developing Alzheimer's Disease as

> they carry the E4 form of the lipoprotein apoE. These

> persons all have low levels of Vitamin K.

> Calcification of arteries to the brain is felt to be a

> component of Alzheimer's Disease. Lack of the

> antioxidant benefits of K2 and exaggerated brain

> arterial calcification from lack of K2 might be

> contributing factors leading to Alzheimer's Disease.

> Therapy with Vitamin K2 might turn out to prevent

> Alzheimer's Disease or slow it's progression.

>

> Diabetes

>

> The second highest concentration of Vitamin K in the

> human body is found in the pancreas. Japanese

> researchers have learned that inducing Vitamin K

> deficiency in animals produces Type II diabetes. This

> raises the possibility that taking Vitamin K2 therapy

> may improve blood sugar control in known diabetics as

> well as possibly preventing the development of

> diabetes in other persons.

>

> Anti-oxidant Properties of Vitamin K

>

> Vitamin K has anti-oxidant properties comparable to

> CoQ 10 and Vitamin E. This provides another good

> reason to consider taking Vitamin K2.

>

> Preventing Liver Cancer(Hepatoma) With Vitamin K2

> Therapy

>

> Japanese researchers used this same dosage of Vitamin

> K2(45 mcg) to safely prevent women with viral

> hepatitis from developing liver cancer[13] (hepatoma).

> The use of Vitamin K2 reduced the incidence of

> hepatoma to 20% of that appearing in a control group

> of patients with viral hepatitis who were not taking

> Vitamin K2.

>

> Metastatic Calcification

>

> When the supply of Vitamin K2(menaquinone-7 is lacking

> in the body calcium deposits in arteries, aorta,

> muscle tissue, breast tissue and tendon sheaths

> causing bone spurs instead of in the bones where it

> belongs. This process of deposition of calcium in

> abnormal sites is known as metastatic calcification.

> Sites where these deposits may occur include muscles,

> breasts, kidneys and heel tendons. Provision of ample

> supplies of Vitamin K2 from one capsule of Synergy K

> should reverse this process by removing the deposits

> of abnormal calcium from soft tissues and placing them

> in bone where they belong.

>

> Patients with advanced uremia often have disordered

> calcium metabolism with extensive deposits of calcium

> in soft tissues. This recent information about Vitamin

> K2 suggests that 45 to 90 mcg. of Vitamin K2 might be

> helpful in reversing these large areas of

> calcification seen in some uremics. Knowing that

> uremic patients have often been eating poorly for long

> periods of time might convert a person with

> undiagnosed Vitamin K deficiency eating a protein

> restricted diet into a patient who has very extensive

> calcium deposition..

>

> Painful Calcaneal (heel) Spurs

>

> Heel spurs are a common clinical problem which has no

> satisfactory therapy. Surgical procedures do not solve

> the problem probably because they are unable to

> resolve Vitamin K2 deficiency. Injections of Xylocaine

> like drugs and cortisone compounds into the painful

> bone deposits also fail to prove rewarding. Also

> non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(Motrin,

> Clinoril, etc.) can produce gastric irritation,

> internal bleeding and intestinal dysbiosis by killing

> healthy intestinal bacteria without resolving Vitamin

> K2 lack. Restoration of Vitamin K2 stores could lead

> to resolution of heel spurs.

>

> Calcium Deposits In Breasts

>

> Non traumatic calcifications in breast tissue cause

> lots of mental anguish because of fear of cancer. Some

> of these depositions, possibly all, may be due to lack

> of Vitamin K2. Therefore several months of Synergy K

> could prove worthwhile if the deposits start to

> resolve.

>

> Summary

>

> Most healthy adults in the USA have undiagnosed

> Vitamin K deficiency. This has important health

> ramifications as it is a prime contributing cause for

> arteriosclerosis and osteoporosis with vertebral and

> other fractures(hip.wrist). The recent availability of

> Vitamin K2 as a food supplement can produce important

> health benefits. This nutrient can heal osteoporosis

> in a simple safe manner. This should result in many

> fewer hip, vertebral and wrist fractures.

>

>

>

> Regular intake of Vitamin K2 from supplements, natto,

> Edam and Gouda cheeses should prevent the development

> of arteriosclerotic plaques and thus be able to

> prevent disability and deaths from arteriosclerosis.

> Taking a slice of these cheeses daily is a pleasant

> good health habit.

>

> Use of Vitamin K2 now permits reversal of

> calcifications in arteries and the aorta which should

> lead to significant drops in cardiovascular mortality

> if intake of Vitamin K2 becomes adopted by many

> citizens.

>

>

>

> Other possible valuable uses for Vitamin K2 include

> decreasing the incidence of hepatoma following viral

> hepatitis, resolution of abnormal calcification(heel

> spurs, breast and kidney deposits), improving blood

> sugar control in diabetics and prevention of diabetes

> and possible protection against Alzheimer's Disease.

>

> Footnotes:

>

> 1, Bild, Diane M.D. M.P.H. et al Multi-Ethnic Study of

> Arteririosclerosis Mar. 26, 2007 Annual Scientific

> Session of American College of Cardiology Mar 26, 2007

> New Orleans

> 2, What you need to know about Aging Blood Vessels and

> Calcium April 13, 2007 pg 1

> 3, Knapen, MH, et al Vitamin K induced changes in

> markers of osteoblastic activity and urinary calcium

> loss Calcif Tissue Int. 1993 Aug; 53(2):81-85

> 4, Booth SL, et al Assessment of Dietary phylloquinone

> intake and Vitamin K status in postmenopausal women.

> Eur J Clin Nut. 1995;49(11):832-841

> 5, Booth , SL, et al Dietary Vitamin K intakes are

> associated with hip fracture but not with bone mineral

> densityin elderly men and women Am J Clin Nutr. 2000

> May; 71(5):1201-8

> 6, Hart, J.P. et al Lancet 283 (1984)

> 7, Cees Vermeer, Laviena Braam et al Vitamin K

> supplementation: A simple way to bone and

> cardiovascular health, AgroFOOD industry hi-tech,

> Nov/Dec 2003 17-20

> 8, Schurgers LJ et al Oral Anticoagulant treatment:

> friend or foe in cardiovascular disease?

> Blood.2004;104(10):3231-3232

> 9, Koos R et al Relation of oral anticoagulation to

> cardiac valvular and coronary calcium assessed by

> multiple spiral computer tomography. Amer J

> Cardiol.2005;96(6):747-749

> 10, Gordon, 1/1.2007

> 11, Mar 26, 2007 Coumadin Alternative Responses pg 1

> 12, Iwamoto, J. et al Effect of menatetrenone(Vit. K2)

> on bone mineral density and vertebral fractures in

> postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: a comparison

> with the effect of etidronate. J Orthop Sci.

> 2001;6(6):487-92

> 13, Habu, D. et al Role of Vitamin K2 in the

> development of hepatocellular carcinoma in women with

> viral cirrhosis of the liver. JAMA, 2004 July

> 21;292(3):358-61

>

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