Vitamin E Family

1. This post was changed and is located here, Real Vitamin E

Vitamin Issues Covered

Setting the stage:

1. VITAMINS WORK! This is not really in question. For over 80 years, vitamins added to foods have been preventing diseases like beriberi and pellagra. Iodine has been added to salt to prevent goiters and thyroid problems. The human body will not survive without consuming vitamins from outside sources; food, bacteria, or supplements.
2. VITAMIN FORMS MATTER! Differences exist between vitamin and mineral forms that impact assimilation and absorption rates, plus ability to influence different degrees of body functions. Vitamins and minerals naturally form compounds with acids or other elements. Rarely are they found without a carrier attached. They can be toxic without a carrier. There are preferred vitamin and mineral forms. Usually these forms have the greater level of benefits with the least side effects. Most vitamin and mineral compounds break apart during digestion and get recombined with the proper body compounding nutrients when they leave the digestive system. The left behind carrier elements can either be beneficial, neutral, or possibly slightly adverse for other body functions.
3. Delivery methods impact stability and absorption channels. First, oral intake only. Mulit-Vitamins come in tablets, capsules, softgels,liquid, powder, and chewables. Liquids may seem like a good delivery method, but are mainly for those who cannot swallow pills or don't like the taste of powders. Each method has benefits and also detrimental possibilities. Here is the simplified version of sequence from best to least: Capsules (easier to swallow than tablets, but lower dosages), Softgels ( be sure to take with meal containing fats), coated capsules, Quick release tablets, regular release tablets (pressure puts more nutrients than in capsules, but also needs binders, flow agents, and disintegration factors) powders (tend to oxidize more with each jar opening, and moisture in air can damage), chewables (taste consideration, sugar potential), liquids (rapid oxidation and nutrient interactions while in bottle, and from oxygen exposure when bottle opened, time-release tablets  (tendency to not breakdown properly for processing and absorption).
4. New technologies are emerging for delivery systems that attempt to bypass natural controls and blocks of normal digestion and processing pathways. Nano-emulsion and Lipo-somes (fat wrapped) nutrients increase absorption. There are still some unanswered questions regarding which nutrients would benefit from these methods and where these forms go once inside the body. While these systems have been used for some time for drug targeting, using these methods for delivering nutrients is rather new and presents questions about nutrients going into body areas where they are not normally found. Certain nutrients that have a very low percentage of digestive absorption benefit from these systems like curcumin. Since these systems allow greater entrance into the brain, this brings up issues over possible brain toxicity. ref
5. Most VITAMINS exhibit the greatest benefits within certain dosage windows, easy to maintain with a good diet, but challenging with concentrated supplements. The proper dosages, not to low or too high, and forms of vitamins can deliver numerous benefits. One has to remember to add together dietary food vitamins to the amounts in supplements for daily totals.
6. VITAMINS AND MINERALS often have many different body functions to perform. Magnesium participates in over 300 enzyme functions. Science attempts to isolate and study just one or two at a time which often leads to results that jeopardize health in unevaluated organs or tissues. Plus, the same nutrient can have benefits in one situation and opposite reactions in another. While Calcium is a bone builder nutrient, it also participates in regulating pH of the blood and cellular health. Studies only looking at bone markers may miss vital adverse changes in artery and heart conditions, such as soft tissue calcification.
7. Vitamin supplement research is incomplete. There are numerous vitamin supplement functions and interactions that still need to be determined. Thus, for some of these missing areas, especially for proper dosage of synergistic nutrients, guesstimates will have to suffice based upon current available science. Also, quite a significant amount of research is conducted only on animals. Human studies can show a different scenario. Even between different Countries, results can vary due to genetic and cultural dietary patterns.
   
8. When properly used, VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS support health, but the opposite is also possible. Vitamin Supplements should have as their goal to maintain or enhance health without adversely interfering outside of normal body metabolism. While there are many positive vitamin responses, there is also potentially adverse activity. New Vitamin research has uncovered some flaws and cracks in current vitamin theories and products. article ref
9. Vitamin supplements should be complementary to dietary nutrients, not in place of them. Unfortunately, the half of the population that takes supplements are often not the ones with the greater need. Their vitamin issue is just as likely to be one of an excess or unbalance of some supplemented vitamins and minerals as it is to be a dietary deficiency.
10. Vitamin Deficiencies often found up to 50% of the population that does not consume supplements other than the ones added to fortified foods. This is based upon the percentages found in general Public dietary survey statistics. Averages are between 21-24%. Some minerals even exhibit deficiencies up to 95% of population, like potassium.
11. Nutrient deficiencies often exist in non-major vitamins and minerals. These are also rarely measured. Many have vital functions that have yet to be acknowledged as necessary. Included here would be bioflavonoids, rutin, the other 7 family members of vitamin E, 9-cis beta carotene, alpha carotene, lutein, and other carotenoid complex factors, CoQ10, Vitamin K2, and various fibers, insoluble and soluble, such as beta glucans. Many articles on this website give vital data about these nutrients.  
12. Vitamin supplements are Controversial. Similar research sometimes finds seemingly opposite conclusions. It is necessary to analyze comparison study results for differences in dosages, nutrient formats, delivery methods, and test subject criteria to control variables. People can be quite different between locations in genetics, dietary patterns, activity levels, plus influences from different environmental and occupational exposures. ref
13. This is critical. Nutrient on Nutrient Interference and Interactions. Many nutrients, such as the flavonoids, the carotenoids, and vitamin E members, work together as a team. One nutrient action may offset an opposite action in a related family nutrient. To only supplement one of these can upset harmony and balance. This is one reason why lower dosages may have advantages over larger dosages.
14. Polar opposite functions. One concept seldom factored in when determining proper supplement protocols is that some vitamins and other nutrients can have opposite behavior under different body conditions. Example 1. Folates prevent cell mutations during cell division which limits cancer development. But after cancer starts, this action of folates to help healthy cells divide safely gets hijacked by the cancer cells to help them divide faster and rapidly grow the tumor. article  2. Antioxidant vitamins stop free radicals from damaging cells, but some radicals have beneficial functions to perform before antioxidants control them. Like when white blood cells produce a free radical to destroy illness causing viruses before a cold develops. 3. Vitamin E usually helps protect heart with antioxidant functions, but some studies report vitamin E in higher dosages might exhibit opposite actions and function as a pro-oxidant. Needs more research. ref
15. Over 95% of current Multiple Vitamins exhibit one or more flaws in dosages, forms, or nutrient on nutrient interactions.
16. It needs to be pointed out that vitamin studies often use different methods of delivery to get vitamins into the body. One method (among oral tablets & caps, IV drip, muscle injection, liquid, chewable gummies, powders, sub dermal, etc) cannot be used as support for another method since there could be unique differences in results. But, this mixing of data and results is far too often used in vitamin literature, especially if IV drip study results are compared to oral supplements.
17. Subjects of vitamin studies often have different beginning dietary vitamin levels which hinders the analysis and results as to effectiveness. People are more likely to be influenced positively by supplements if they are deficient, rather than if they are already sufficient in the studied vitamin. ref  Beginning Selenium levels are critical to results. Low at start results are more likely to be positive while the opposite is found if beginning levels are already elevated and more is added.
18. Not just vitamin toxicity over certain high amounts is a factor, far more often it is amounts under toxic amounts that also can cause disruptive effects. High calcium intake has been associated with increased prostate cancer risk. ref Vitamin D increases calcium intake at amounts far below toxic amounts. ref 
19. A fundamental Age-ing Issue: Can vitamins influence the rate of aging, or the natural slowdown of numerous body processes, such as hormone generation, vision or hearing loss, and reduced muscle mass?
20. This issue is vital to Vitamin Functions. It should be near the top of this article. In order to work, Vitamins usually have to combine and interact with many other nutrients, such as other vitamins, minerals, and or proteins. EXAMPLE: Vitamin D process has to first start with the mineral magnesium. Then vitamin D has to change forms and attach to a form of vitamin A on cell walls. This new combination needs another element called a vitamin D receptor. At this point inside cells, this new compound triggers genes to build proteins, like osteocalcin. Osteocalcin goes on to another form through the action of vitamin K2. This activated osteocalin then combines with minerals like calcium and magnesium and becomes new bone tissue. 
21. Often vitamins form a part of an enzyme. The functions of these enzymes are sometimes attributed to the vitamin. 
22. Top Critical Issue: Current Vitamin data has some theory flaws. Most vitamin research up to now used some flawed vitamin forms and dosages without beneficial synergistic family members. The amount of recent research using the new corrected vitamin criteria revealed by this website articles and scientific links is not yet sufficient to give proper vitamin usage dosages, formats, and combination vitamin results. Continued research is vitally needed. Thus, this undercurrent limits presented materials that stretch beyond the linked research, even though this research does present a rather favorable picture of future health trends. That the past vitamin studies used flawed forms and dosages is no longer an issue, just a reality that more Scientists will have to embrace in the near future. 

These flaws are not always due to sinister deviations in supplements like between some natural and synthetic vitamins, but are often just consequences of normal physiology, especially absorption, breakdown, elimination, plus body levels and functions of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin supplements differ from food sources since they are very concentrated and leave out buffer elements like fibers, proteins, and fats. Take lower dose vitamins and minerals with food to limit any potential adverse effects. While studies of vitamins in food exhibit many positive health associations, concentrated vitamin supplement research sometimes discovers adverse actions along with benefits. 

SAFE AND EFFECTIVE

Addressed in this section are some of the potential adverse vitamin supplement issues that need to be resolved so corrective vitamin solutions gain significance and become consumer main choices. The issues relating to vitamins for health involve around these aspects; Formulas, dosages, absorption, assimilation, synergistic actions, load impacts, participation levels, and interference. In certain situations, vitamins can block or crowd out other nutrients for docking assignments, hinder carrier attachments, or interfere in metabolic pathways. Many of these issues are responsible for food nutrients often exhibiting benefits while isolated supplements might show inconsistencies. The Scientific community appears split on many of these issues with Dieticians and Nutritionists completely ignoring vital research connections. Find out which ones in the articles on this website.

BASE ISSUE and QUESTION

The body uses many of the above mentioned aspects as protective mechanisms to maintain the normal state of homeostasis. This means the body has to balance and juggle the intake of nutrients, that often radically vary day to day and week to week, to meet the daily demands of body cells, tissues, and organs. And it usually does a pretty miraculous job since it has numerous coping abilities. But, these mechanisms were designed to work with the nutrients in foods. 

NOW! How do vitamin supplements impact these time tested body coping mechanisms?      

• Vitamins and minerals in food ride along with many other phyto-nutrients that can have benefits while supplements are largely isolated nutrients.
• The many fibers, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates plus phyto-nutrients in whole foods act as buffers to trickle vitamins and minerals into the blood stream, while supplements are highly concentrated and flood the system with larger amounts than the body is designed to handle at one time. 
• This novel concept of nature to control release of vitamins and minerals from food achieves a balance with other nutrients so body systems (Kidneys) do not have to overwork to accomplish this balanced regulation after digestion and assimilation.
• It is simply a matter of balancing body physiology with dietary nutrients.
• Concentrated Supplements of vitamins and minerals can either augment or interfere with absorption, assimilation, pH and mineral balance issues, metabolism pathways, and even hormone regulation.
• LOWER DOSAGES OF VITAMIN AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS are actually more likely to HARMONIZE WITH NATURE than mega-doses as well as reduce stress on many protective body mechanisms, such as demands on Kidneys and Liver for healthy metabolism.
• The many novel vitamin concepts explored here attempt to clarity emerging vitamin benefits and risks through linked scientific study references with simple explanations of related body functions. 
• These issues are not just limited to minor players, but involve major nutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamins B6, C, D, E, & K, folic acid, and selenium. See below.
• Over 90% of current Multiple Vitamins have old style formulas, faulty nutrient forms, and or dosage problems. article
• Staying Healthy is paramount for ageing BABY-BOOMERS undergoing a slowdown in metabolism and body functions, plus influence of wear and tear over time on structures, with added environmental concerns from increasing food bacterial contamination, decreasing soil fertility reducing food nutrient content, plus the build-up of environmental toxins, such as heavy metals, pesticides, and other potential hormone interrupters. GMOis another budding new challenge.
• As if this was not enough for the body to handle, new technological inventions such as cell phones and the internet are bombarding the brain with mental images at an accelerating rate. Plus, microwaves of energy and the effects of increasing blue light spectrum on brain activity are still getting unwrapped. Body coping mechanisms have not yet developed methods to properly process and protect the brain and body cycles from these assaults. article article  

Health Professional education and accepted vitamin "facts" are not set in stone. They are and should always have been a work in progress to verify. Too often vitamin advice is more of a band-aid than a cure, and suffers greatly from the tunnel vision concept. Science and Nature should work together rather than at odds. Anyway, NATURE usually wins out. See the Big picture of health (article) and especially read this article - Profound Health.  

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Vitamins: Fast or Slow Results

Can vitamins quickly impact body functions? Or are changes manifested slowly over time?

BOTH.  By their nature, water soluble vitamins have quick actions on body functions. But, usually there are no outward signs of these quick actions unless a deficiency is present. Correcting levels with supplemental vitamins can elicit a rather quick response to normalize functions, either preventative or recovery. Fat soluble vitamins are slower acting and build up over time. With Minerals, only some offer quick responses, like zinc and iron. But, care must be exercised since excessive or toxic amounts of minerals will manifest over time into a detrimental response. Elimination of intake allows the body to recover, but if enough time has elapsed, structural damage might be present. 

Examples:

• Folic acid decreases the risk for NTDs (Neural Tube Defects) to prevent brain, nerve, and spine damage in developing fetuses during first months after conception.
• Higher amounts of Zinc are given out at clinics in Africa to children that dramatically decreases infectious disease development risk between monthly clinic visits.
• Zinc consumed a few weeks before surgery can shorten healing time of incision wounds.**
• Vitamin C participates in collagen formation to also help heal wounds as well as for many internal structures. 
• Vitamin B1 quickly reduced the risk of BeriBeri when added to dietary white rice and white flours.
• Vitamin B3, niacin, (and/or tryptophan) increased intake also from the fortified food program reduces the risk of Pellagra. (Tryptophan can be converted in the body into niacin so both have to be low for pellagra to develop) 
• Iron deficiencies result in lower blood counts and while fatigue may be the only outward sign, the blood count can quickly respond upward after consuming iron with other blood builders.
• Vitamin B6 can have a quick response on water management. It eliminates holding excess water and can go too far initiating tissue dehydration.
• Different types of Fatty acids initiate changes to cell membranes over time. Transfats are very damaging to membrane function, especially in nerve cells. ref
• Fat soluble vitamins, A,D,E,K, can have some fast functions such as blood coagulation by K, or E anti-oxidant actions on ROS, but protecting cell memebranes or changing cholesterol takes time. Generally, look for slower changes to body functions and processes. ref
• Vitamin E family has functions on many disease fronts, including breast cancer. article 
• Vitamin D is often taken for a quick response action, like fighting a cold, but that is really not how vitamin D operates. 
  • Consumed vitamin D builds up the storage form in the blood. The body converts some of the storage form into the 1000 times more active hormone form if blood calcium levels fall. The level of production for the hormone form of vitamin D is not influenced by the level of storage form until that level is extremely low. It is the hormone form of vitamin D and not the blood storage form that is responsible for most of vitamin D known actions (2,000). Consuming vitamin D today only slowly builds up the measured storage form blood levels over about 3 months. This is a long time for most vitamin life-spans. Vitamin B12 is the one water soluble vitamin exception as it lasts a long time. Much of the storage from of Vitamin D binds with a protein in the blood (VDBP) that allows it to last months for use over the winter. And, like B12, Vitamin D gets stored in fat cells for future use. Whether or not this fat storage later gets used is still controversial. What is known is that people with more fat need to consume or generate more vitamin D since some will end up going into fat storage and they will exhibit lower blood levels.
• **
  • Zinc has just been discovered to help stop throat cancer. ref

Supplements in Crisis

A report on PBS and Frontline January 19, 2016 talks about adverse effects of supplements, especially diet and weight loss products often used and abused by young people (ref) and also dosage shortages of omega fish oils and possible rancidity. ref  Here is the Frontline article> ref  Copied below to prevent loss of article reference since NY Times now charging to see.

As readers of this website, you already would have known about these issues with the safety precautions to effectively negate. And you would have learned the proper Vitamin D dosage protocols to safeguard your health.

Vitamin supplements can be effectively and safely used only when the proper education is gained.

The fact that some vitamin manufactures cut corners on quality is nothing new. Overall, about 15% of particular nutrients in supplement form will exhibit some degree of dosage or form problem.

There are honest companies attempting to follow ethical standards as much as feasible given the current state of vitamin science, raw material standards, and worldwide pollution. Constant testing is mandated.

These attributes are not always reflected on labels. That is why this website exists. But it is just a beginning source limited by what science has tested and measured. Still far too many gaps in knowledge.

Marketing rhetoric, biased pseudo Professionals, and flat out faulty vitamin concepts still prevail and stand in the way of your Good Health.

OTHER CURRENT EXAMPLES

1.  CHIPOTLE restaurant is suffering numerous bacterial contamination situations, largely due to their admirable methods attempting to offer more natural foods using local smaller suppliers and not over cooking foods. But perhaps, one major aspect is the sanitation of workers. Generally, diversity of people from many cultures beings out different standards of cleanliness. Also, people form different parts of the World exhibit different bacteria stains in their bodies. While these might adjust to neutralize over time, these differences can introduce new bacteria into the situation requiring constant monitoring. We have already seen unique diseases start to surface from the influx of undocumented young people from Central America.

2.  Another current issue showing up is linked to the possible contamination of Garden of Life's Raw Meal powders. So far, 11 people are sick with salmonella, 10 of whom consumed GOL's Raw Meal the week before. Two states, Utah and Oregon, have tested the GOL products the sick people consumed and found salmonella bacteria. Time will tell if more find this same result and unfortunately, if more people will get sick. This website put GOL at the bottom of quality issues some time ago. They are more of a marketing company than a product quality company.

GOL started out promoting many SBO's standing for soil bacteria organisms. Today, only one SBO is still in their products. What happened to change this scenario if these organisms were so beneficial? And why is the remaining bacteria, Bacillus Subtilis, which is widely used for valuable industrial uses, found associated with infections in many parts of the body? This does not mean cause and effect, just an association that is problematic by itself. SBO's are not native to the human intestinal tract. While they may have some beneficial actions, these actions can be obtained from the bacteria named lactobacilus which are native to the human intestinal tract. SBO bacteria are known as spore-formers. Some spore-formers are quite famous and dangerous, like anthrax. While the SBO in GOL products are not part of this dangerous aspect and have valuable uses in raising farm animals, they exhibit some usual traits that warrant further study. In the spore form, they can enter the body from the intestinal tract. Once in the body, they can turn back into the active state. Not much is known yet about any possible results. Best not to consume. SBO are sometimes consumed with raw foods, but quickly pass through the intestinal tract.

NOTE: one Renew Life infant probiotic, Ultimate Flora Kid's Probiotic 1 billion, contains the SBO, Bacillus coagulens. Best to stay away until complete research validates safety. This strain is used because it is very stable in the spore form, but hardly a justifiable reason to add to formula or consume. Yes, the FDA has put it on the GRAS list, generally recognized as safe, but can the FDA be trusted since they also found GMO's safe, and artificial sweeteners, and hormones in meat, etc?

FRONTLINE on Fish Oil Safety

Below is COPY (July 2022) of Frontline article that is now in archive file and may soon be deleted. This is decription of what video contained about fish oil safety.  

"‘Supplements and Safety’ Explores What’s in Your Supplements

BY ANAHAD O'CONNOR

 JANUARY 19, 2016 12:16 PM January 19, 2016 12:16 pm

Is Fish Oil Helpful or Harmful?

The correspondent Gillian Findlay investigates the scientific claims about fish oil, a popular supplement, in an exclusive video by the PBS series “Frontline” in collaboration with The New York Times.

By FRONTLINE on  Publish Date January 19, 2016. Photo by PBS Frontline.

Americans spend an estimated $1.3 billion on fish oil products every year, making them one of the most commonly consumed dietary supplements in the country. 

But do you know what’s in your fish oil?

A new documentary, “Supplements and Safety,” pulls back the curtain on some of America’s most popular supplements, and it suggests that many people who buy them may not be getting what they are paying for. The program, airing on the PBS investigative series “Frontline” on Tuesday night, is a collaboration between “Frontline,” The New York Times and The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 

The program examines the widespread use of potent vitamins, herbs, fish oil and fat-burning supplements. Millions of Americans use these products safely every year. But researchers have found that in many cases they can cause unexpected side effects. And because dietary supplements are largely unregulated by the federal government, adulteration and contamination are common, experts say.

The Frontline documentary investigates large outbreaks of disease tied to tainted vitamins and fat-burning supplements, including one case in which a workout supplement was linked to more than 70 cases of liver damage. The company whose products were at the center of that outbreak, USPlabs, is among 117 companies and individuals that the Justice Department filed criminal and civil enforcement actions against last year.

The “Frontline” program follows doctors, patients, industry experts and regulators to uncover the root of these outbreaks. It looks at whether the widespread use of vitamin D and other popular vitamins that are commonly sold and taken in high doses can do more harm than good. One that it focuses on is fish oil, the third most popular supplement in America, which is used by at least one in 10 adults. 

Despite their popularity, some studies have found that roughly three-quarters of fish oil supplements on the market do not contain the amount of omega-3 fatty acids advertised on their labels. Some have also found that fish oil supplements are prone to becoming rancid. 

Fish oil supplements are widely marketed as beneficial to cardiovascular health. But the film points out that such claims are debatable at best. A majority of clinical trials have found no evidence that they protect against heart disease, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2014.

“I think for cardiovascular disease, one has to say that there is no compelling evidence that taking fish oils protects against a first heart attack or a second heart attack,” Andrew Grey, the author of the JAMA study and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Auckland, says in the “Frontline” report. “So people who are advised to do that or are doing it are wasting their time and their money.”

Proponents of fish oil supplements argue that omega-3 fatty acids are essential for heart function and promote overall health. Experts say there is no doubt about that. But there is no clinical evidence that taking high doses in supplement form is beneficial for most people.

To learn more about the debate over fish oil, vitamins and herbal supplements, watch “Supplements and Safety” at 10 p.m. Eastern on PBS stations on Tuesday, Jan. 19" (End of Frontline article)

Vitamin K illustrating Vitamin Issues

There is far too often a mentality to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire with vitamin dosages.

Vitamin K, as many vitamins can, represents an excellent example of this principle. First, vitamin K activates or builds proteins to participate in coagulating blood, especially when injured or cut. The body adapts this mechanism to deal with a wide variation in vitamin K levels. This issue will be discussed below with vitamin E influence. The issue here is with some other functions of vitamin K.

Vitamin K is involved in activating a vitamin D built protein called Osteocalcin. One of the functions of this protein is to bind calcium into bone mineral crystals. For this function to progress, vitamin K is needed to activate, or carboylate osteocalcin. ref At any one time in the blood, some osteocalcin is carboxylated by vitamin K and some is not. ref Doctors have for quite some time been measuring the amount of osteocalcin that is carboxylated to represent bone building activity, but never mentioned what they were really testing was vitamin K activity level.

Osteocalcin forms are also involved in blood sugar control, insulin production by beta cells, as well as immune system activation against certain cancers. Research found that in test tube studies, the different forms of osteocalcin showed opposite actions on prostate cancer growth. The proper balance is needed to limit cancer growth.

NOTE: Studies looking at the association between blood sugar control and vitamin K have to also check the ratio of cOC to ucOC in subjects since it is this balance that really regulates glucose insulin in blood and not vitamin K directly. Studies that do not could and have arrived at nil or opposite results.

Another important function for vitamin K is to activate proteins in the arteries called matrix GLA that function to limit calcium build up in the artery wall. Please read this Cardiologist blog on K2. ref

Seems logical to just load up on vitamin K if heart health or bone density are issues. But it is not that easy. Vitamin K comes in 3 forms, K1, K2 as MK4, and K2 as MK7. Plus, subforms of each also exist as cis and all-trans forms, just like beta carotene. All vitamin K forms function to build coagulation proteins, but only K2 appears to do the other functions. Since MK4 only has a short shelf life in the body, about 8 hours, large dosages are needed, while MK7 stays active in the body for 3 days, and thus very low dosages will suffice. Some vitamin K1 from dietary greens converts into K2 as MK4 in the body to help build bone, plus provide another vital function of carboxylated osteocalcin, directing, ref , the regulation of blood sugar levels controlling insulin resistance. ref The exact amount of vitamin K and the ideal form or forms to supplement that are most effective to maintain all functions optimally is still under study, and it should be a high priority. But, evidently, it is not judged by the lack of quality research. This new 2022 study has great insights about vitamin K and who should especially consume it. ref  Odd that so much research comes out of Europe rather than the USA.

CAUTION: Most research on Osteocalcin (OC) occurs with mice. Osteocalcin is involved in bone building and in preventing the bone building process occurring in soft tissues where it should not happen. Early results from these mouse studies provided theories for later human testing. BUT, the human testing revealed vast differences in how the involved elements functioned. Osteocalcin was found to form at least 12 different forms. The two major forms are the un-caboxylated (unOC, GluOC) and the vitamin K carboxylated (cOC, or GlaOC). In mouse studies, the unOC form regulated blood sugar while in humans it appears that the cOC may be the active form. Very confusing since most scientific articles talk about the mouse study results like they apply to humans. The human issue is not yet completely solved as disease states can also influence OC levels. ref

CRITICAL: Now another issue has surfaced. It was discovered that bone issues are involved with prostate cancer. Bone is more than just a structure for support. It is also a regulator of immune functions. OC appears to have hormone functions in these areas as well. A study found that a balance was needed between unOC and cOC. The OC form unOC inhibited prostate cancer cell growth while cOC promoted. ref While the two forms overlap some in these areas, the exact roles and ratios between the two forms that is needed to control and normalize prostate cell growth is still unknown. This is very new. While this finding is from a test tube study on prostate cancer cell lines, it highlights the balanced approach needed to optimize vitamin functions for maximum health maintenance. Even beneficial nutrients for one function, like vitamin K on bone, have to be evaluated for other functions like K on artery calcification inhibition and prostate cell growth regulation.

For more information on vitamin K, read this article. For a Doctor's take. <Caution, this Doctor is associated with selling products described.

Vitamin D presents another example of a nutrient with many of these vitamin issues.

The precautionary approach takes front seat for vitamin K as well as vitamin D. Better to error slightly on the low side rather than go too high. The new vitamin criteria mentions it might be prudent to take vitamin K2 as MK7 at 45 or 90 mcg every day for about 10 days, and then just every other day or even every third day for the 90 mcg size, unless under medical care. Since both forms of Osteocalcin, unOC and cOC, are involved in many functions, the exact ratio between the two for proper actions in all functions is still to be determined. Check foods consumed for dietary amounts to get an idea for supplement amounts or even if supplements are needed at all. Your intestinal bacteria make some vitamin K2. Another reason to feed these little bugs the right foods that they like. article

VITAMIN K METABOLITE on LOW BONE DENSITY

There are processes that can convert vitamin K into different forms. In foods that contain partially hydrogenated fats, another term for trans-fats, another form of vitamin K is often produced by the hydrogenation process. This form is called dihydrophylloquinone. Consuming foods with this vitamin K form increase dihydrophylloqinone levels in the body and have become associated with low bone density.  ref  ref 

FYI VITAL: New joint study out of USA and China found higher K2 as MK form was associated with slightly higher risk and mortality of breast cancers.  ref  This needs immediate verification. If MK was just from food, were the foods in any way a factor. MK form of vitamin K2 foods include cheeses, meats, butter, etc. Would using a low dose K2 as MK7 from natto or chickpeas bypas this risk and still give bone and blood sugar control???

About Trans Fats

It could be that this unique form of vitamin K interferes with the actions of the regular vitamin K form for building strong bones. Research indeed does reveal lower levels of regular vitamin K in tissues when dihydrophylloquione vitamin K form is present.

OF INTEREST: A remarkable aspect of this research is that there appears to be a lack of follow up studies to either verify or negate the findings, or expand on the significance and consequences of lower bone density related to this vitamin K metabolite presence. Here* is one many years later. This article simplifies the issue. Dihydrophylloquinone is ONLY found in foods with partially hydrogenated fats.There may be a another direction to look for related research following Trans Fat links to bone health.

* This study is rather interesting in comparing canola oil, to regular soy oil versus hydrogenated soy oil on a particular bone marker. This marker is found in greater amounts when vitamin K2 is deficient. Even though the results showed increased bone growth, the ectopic bone that is formed is not a desirable bone process and leads to increased cardiovascular disease. ref Ectopic bone formation after hip surgery is a result of lack of motion early enough to overcome the ectopic bone formation process. ref

NOTE on Trans versus Cis forms of MK7

Vitamin K2 exists in many forms throughout the animal kingdom. In Humans, vitamin K2 has two significant forms, MK4, and MK7. In the body, MK4 is the dominate K2 form found and it is naturally produced from K1 by intestinal bacteria. MK7 is found in fermented soy food called natto and in fermented cheeses. ref MK4 is also found in meats and dairy. Plus, these forms also exist in the Cis form and the Trans form. You will see mentioned that the Trans form is the only active form. This is simple not true. The Cis form of MK7 does has some activity, but not nealy as much as the Trans form. ref It is the opinion of this author that Mother Nature may have a special plan for putting some Cis in with a lot of Trans MK7 form in foods. The Cis form might serve a balancing effect to not let the Trans form overcook the carboxylation of certain proteins. This is similar to how the two forms of vitamin D behave.

VITAMIN K, Vitamin E, and Coagulation

Since Vitamin E and Vitamin K have similar compositions, with nearly identical side structures, they can block out one another for some processes that impact the side structures. Supplement protocols need to consider both nutrients when determining dosages to limit any interference. Consuming at separate meals will help eliminate this interference as well. Vitamin E as only alpha tocopherol is supplemented more than vitamin K

. Thus, the influence of vitamin E blocking out vitamin K absorption is well documented by research and deserves more study. New discoveries now know that vitamin E also can interfere with the vitamin K function of activating proteins to be used in the coagulation process.