Vitamin K-2 supplementation

[Marnica]

I want to supplement Vitamin K2 (mk-4). I know butter oil would be the best way to supplement this but it is wayyyyyyy too $$$. The thorne drops are very pricey as well. I just can't swing it right now. The drops are 1mg/drop. That leaves me with the carlson caps, which I am fine using, but each cap is 5mg. I would be supplementing myself and my 2 yr old DS.

So my question is how much k2 is appropriate for a 2 yr old and for myself? 5mg seems high compared to the 1mg drops from thorne. Anyone who has experience in supplementing with k2 please chime in.

Thanks in advance

[Chakra]

Is there a reason you want to supplement this? It could be dangerous if you over supplement. My son has liver disease and does not absorb his vitamin K well and he supplements it. His doctor monitors this very careful and I have done a lot of research on it and I don't see a reason why a healthy person with normal absorption would need to supplement. It's found in a lot of greens and veggies. Eating that should be plenty. Some childrens multi vitamins have vit. k-2 in them. I read a blog with a lot of vitamin k research done by a doctor and he says that only his liver patients need to supplement with k vitamins. So eat up those greens!

[Koalamom]

We use butter all the time and calculated that with me buying organic butter and butter oil or using the more expensive kerry gold butter, it is cheaper to buy Kerry Gold. That is what we use for K2 and we do eat a ton of greens too.
Wish I could help about supplementing.

[tanyalynn]

The Carlson capsules are the same as other capsules, should be easy to open and re-close. I take them whole, for DS too, so I don't know what they taste like, but worse comes to worst, it's a small amount of powder that could be hidden between two layers of applesauce or something similar.

Reading the Files in the vitamin k yahoo group is one place to start reading about dosing, the WAPF article on K2 is another, obviously a different slant, but they've got a list of food sources. I don't feel like I can rely on food sources right now, maybe someday I'll find a good source of goose liver and decide that it's tasty, but it's a reference point it's helpful.

DS and I take amounts that are far higher than most people would need, I give DD 1 drop of Thorne per day, I think that's plenty for her.

I think it's the GFCFNN yahoo group that has had discussion (that I've only heard of secondhand, I'm not a member anymore) that some people find butter oil more effective than Thorne or Carlson supps, but a) I'm not confident that that will fit our situation, which is atypical, and b) the cost.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by Chakra

Is there a reason you want to supplement this? It could be dangerous if you over supplement. My son has liver disease and does not absorb his vitamin K well and he supplements it. His doctor monitors this very careful and I have done a lot of research on it and I don't see a reason why a healthy person with normal absorption would need to supplement. It's found in a lot of greens and veggies. Eating that should be plenty. Some childrens multi vitamins have vit. k-2 in them. I read a blog with a lot of vitamin k research done by a doctor and he says that only his liver patients need to supplement with k vitamins. So eat up those greens!

I think you are referring to k1. Vitamin k2 is not found on greens. Mostly just in japanese natto (which my child cannot eat having a soy allergy). Vit k2 is the far more beneficial form of vit k being that most of it is absorbed vs only 5-10% of k1. Since there is no established upper limit for Vit k1 or k2 Im not sure why you think it is dangerous to supplement. Only the synthetic form k3 has been demonstrated to have toxic effects at high doses. The amount of k2in the kids multi is negligible IMO.

Tanya...I will check out the yahoo group thanks