Let’s discuss just one reason why regular consumption of animal fats is important for health. Animal fat contains a metabolism-boosting and heart-protective nutrient not found in plants: vitamin K2.
Sorry Harvard, but your ‘Heart Healthy’ fats and oils like olive, canola, soybean, corn, sunflower and peanut oils do not contain this important nutrient.
There are 2 types of vitamin K, each supporting different aspects of health and playing specific roles in the body. Both are important to eat every day!
• Vitamin K1 – It is mainly found in plant foods and is abundant in leafy greens and vegetables. (My favorite sources are collard greens, Brussels sprouts, parsley, and green beans.)
• Vitamin K2 – They are only found in animal foods and bread products. The term ‘vitamin K2’ refers to a group of forms known as ‘menaquinones’, abbreviated ‘MK’, with a number indicating the chain length/structure size. For example: MK-4 and MK-7.
One of the biggest health benefits of vitamin K2 is the restoration of metabolic health because when cells are under stress (electron build-up), it helps restore proper electron flow and metabolism. Most people are not metabolically healthy, and are experiencing weight loss.
“Mitochondrial Dysfunction Helps Maintain Normal ATP Production by Serving as a Mitochondrial Selective Carrier of Vitamin K(2).”1 Because K2 fights stress, it helps reverse insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction.2,3
Another health benefit of vitamin K2 is that it regulates calcium – K2 prevents calcium from going to the wrong places (like the kidneys and arteries) and ensures that it goes to the right places (like the bones and teeth).
Osteocalcin is a vitamin K2-based protein that our body needs to remove calcium from the blood and put it where we need it: in our bones and teeth. In addition, osteocalcin stimulates the growth of new dentin, the calcified tissue under the tooth enamel, reducing the risk of cavities and tooth decay.
“The relative risk (RR) of cardiovascular mortality was reduced among dietary menaquinone (K2) and in upper versus lower turtles … menaquinone intake was also inversely associated with all-cause mortality and severe aortic calcification. Phylloquinone (K1) intake was not associated with any of these outcomes.”4
Vitamin K2 can be synthesized by bacteria in the large intestine. However, this bacterially produced K2 has limited bioavailability and absorption for several reasons:
• Site of Production – The large intestine is not the primary site of nutrient absorption in our digestive system5
• K2 produced by gut bacteria binds to bacterial cell membranes, making them less accessible for absorption.6
• An unhealthy gut can further reduce the already inefficient production and absorption of K2.7
Because bacterially synthesized K2 is generally poor, food sources are the primary source of active K2.
Fat from pastured animals will be one of your best sources, and they contain more K2 than farmed animals, because they eat grass, rich in vitamin K1, which is converted to K2 by some bacteria in the animal’s gut. example –
• Pasture-raised chicken gizzards – 30 to 40 and K2 / yolk
• Poached chicken breast – 10 and K2/yolk
Animal fat is rich in K2 (especially from pasture-raised animal products), so you don’t have to go overboard on your fat intake to get enough. K2 research and understanding is still in its infancy. But taking 100 to 200 ug daily may be beneficial (Reference: Chris Masterjohn, PhD). Here are three examples of other food sources for the day!
- 1 to 2 ounces aged cheese, 2 pastured eggs, 3 ounces dark chicken
- 1 to 2 ounces aged cheese, 2 pasture-raised eggs, 1 ounce beef liver
- 1 oz aged cheese, 2 pasture-raised eggs, 3.5 oz ground pork
Aged cheeses and pasture-raised eggs will be some of your best sources – and it’s important to eat them every day! (Or at least every other day.)
Summary
Here are some takeaways about vitamin K2
- Vitamin K2 is important for metabolic health, bone and tooth health, heart and kidney health, hormone production, and cancer prevention.
- Animal products and natto are the best sources of vitamin K2, but one form (MK-4) is only found in animal products.
- Eating animal fat is a practical way to utilize this important nutrient (plus, animal fat is low in PUFA and high in SFA, which further supports metabolic health).
- You don’t have to go too crazy in your daily fat intake to get enough K2, but consuming the most nutrient-dense sources will ensure you’re consuming this important micronutrient on a regular basis.
Aged cheese and egg sources
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About the author
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