alpslover
tales from the guangzhou schizo asylum
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People seem to be confused on which K2 (Mk-4 or Mk-7) they should use to promote bone growth (facially and height-wise) thru puberty.
Vitamin K2 is crucial for bone health , and it comes in two main forms: MK-4 and MK-7. I will be explaining which is more benefitial in puberty to maximize growth and gains.
MK-4 vs MK-7
MK-4 (Menaquinone-4)
Source: Found in animal products like meat, eggs, and dairy (chad asf) Vitamin K2 is crucial for bone health , and it comes in two main forms: MK-4 and MK-7. I will be explaining which is more benefitial in puberty to maximize growth and gains.
MK-4 vs MK-7
MK-4 (Menaquinone-4)
Absorption and half-life: Has a shorter half-life in the body than Mk-7, acts quicker??
Effects: Supports bone density/growth by regulating calcium in the bones (will need higher doses than mk7 and more frequent)
MK-7 (Menaquinone-7)
Source: Found in fermented foods, mainly natto (soy product )Absorption and half-life: Longer half-life than Mk-4
Effects: Superior in activating extrahepatic VKDPs, enhancing bone mineral density, and improving bone over time
Effectiveness
After reading through a study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3502319/) comparing the effectiveness of Mk-4 vs Mk-7 (tested on healthy women), heres what I found:
After reading through a study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3502319/) comparing the effectiveness of Mk-4 vs Mk-7 (tested on healthy women), heres what I found:
MK-7 is seemingly more effective than MK-4 for increasing vitamin K levels in the body. The study showed that MK-7 is better absorbed and detectable in the blood, while MK-4 is poorly absorbed at a (nutritional dose) and does not increase serum levels at typical nutritional doses COMPARED to Mk-7. Not only this, Mk-4 does not stay in the body for long at all, only a few hours, compared to mk-7 having a half-life of up to 2 days (possibly even more).
Single Dose Administration:
MK-7: When given a 420 μg dose, MK-7 was shown to be well absorbed. Serum levels peaked at 6 hours and remained detectable for up to 48 hours.
MK-4: The same dose of MK-4 (420 μg) was not detectable in the serum at any time.
Daily Administration for 7 Days:
MK-4: Daily doses of 60 μg did not increase serum MK-4 levels.
MK-7: Daily doses of 60 μg significantly increased serum MK-7 levels, aswell as mk-4 levels in extrahepatic tissue. (outside the liver)
Mk-7 legit increases mk-4 in the body more than mk-4 itself (jfl
) Personally, I combine the two as I have nothing to lose (zygoless at 16) but these studies show mk-4 to be kinda dogshit comparatively, I highly recommend combining K2 with D3 and calcium, as d3 ensures that k2 activates the protein, osteocalcin, which integrates calcium into bone. If taking Mk-4 (maybe preferrable to mk-7 due to being animal-based and not soy-based), you'd have to be dosing it several times a day (maybe 3?) as I mentioned the half-life is short, whereas mk-7 can be done daily or every other day.
IMO, based off of all the evidence from studies and research, MK-7 is king with better bioavailability and also being cheaper. However, taking both is ideal, mk7 for bones and arteries and mk4 for organs and hormones.
TL;DR
K2 Mk-7 is superior in price and bioavailability, but is unsafe to megadose (Mk-4 is superior in that way if combined with calcium, but is giga expensive to megadose)
Overall, Mk-7 wins.
K2 Mk-7 is superior in price and bioavailability, but is unsafe to megadose (Mk-4 is superior in that way if combined with calcium, but is giga expensive to megadose)
Overall, Mk-7 wins.
