Preview of the Book

Get ready everyone, a sleeping giant is emerging from the mounting science and its rumblings are shaking up the pharmaceutical and natural products industries. Vitamin K-2 and especially one of its chief compounds called Menaquinone 7 has begun impacting global therapies for heart disease and bone loss. Japan was the first country to approve a Vitamin K-2 compound for the treatment of osteoporosis. Many pharmaceutical and natural products companies are preparing for a major impact coming from the extraordinary health and healing benefits of a compound found in vitamin K-2 called MK-7. Many believe this product will be the biggest thing to hit both the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries in the past 50 years!

The sheer size of the mounting research and ramifications of a natural compound that appears to eradicate some forms of heart disease and, at the same time, prevents and even reverses bone loss without side effects is astonishing. As both the pharmaceutical and natural industries struggle to find better and safer ways promote health, treat or cure disease, especially in light the Vioxx and Celebrex tragedies, along comes a sleeping giant that offers multiple benefits. Vitamin K-2 alone appears even be more effective than vitamin K-1 in treating blood clotting ailments; it is also a more powerful antioxidant than vitamin E. Here we go.!

If vitamin K-2 sounds too good to be true, take a look at the mounting research and discover for yourself that it is indeed good and true! In fact, as more pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies initiate their own vitamin K-2 research, it is obvious we are at just the tip of the K-2 iceberg!

Research has already confirmed that Vitamin K-2, especially Menaquinone 7 (one of the compounds of K-2), appears to have profound impact on human health. Menaquinone 7 has been shown in numerous studies to actually extract calcium out of our blood and arteries and, get this everyone, deposit it right into our growing and aging bones! And that is certainly not all; other new studies are illuminating even more benefits, to include lowering Cholesterol, preventing and treating Alzheimer's, preventing and treating cancer and more. Let's take a look at how it all started:

In 1929, a Danish scientist by the name of Dr. Henrik Dam, discovered that when chicks were fed a diet void of fat, their blood began leaking out from various blood vessels. In addition, he observed that their blood clotting abilities were seriously impaired. Closer scrutiny manifested that the restricted diet also caused the reduction of a unique compound typically found in fat. He deduced that this compound appeared to inhibit the blood.s ability to coagulating during a normal blood-clotting response. Dr. Dam dubbed this blood-clotting promoting compound as the "koagulation vitamin" which later became known as K for "koagulation". Years of follow-up research verified its integral role in coagulation (Among other things).

Although there are technically five vitamin K's, the term generally refers to three basic substances: K1, known as phylloquinone; K2, which consists of a group of compounds called the menaquinones (also menatetrenone); and a synthetic version of the vitamin known as K3 or menadione. These K compounds are found in the fatty part of foods. For example, green vegetables such as broccoli, as well as soybean, canola, sunflower and other plant oils are good sources of vitamin K1. Butter, some cheeses, chicken, liver, egg yolks, and fermented soybean foods contains K2.

Unfortunately, the human body can only store a small amount of vitamin K with the primary storage found in the liver. Consequently, Vitamin K-rich foods must be regularly consumed and produced in our bodies to insure optimal health.

Since recent studies express the importance of vitamin K on health and healing, it is all the more important that we understand the need to maintain optimal levels. A proper diet with foods rich in vitamin K and dietary supplements are certainly front-runners. Nevertheless, make no mistake, the primary source for all forms of vitamin K comes from our good bacteria found in our colons and intestinal tract. This good bacterium is paramount to our health and especially to our immune system. Good bacteria attacks and kills the bad bacteria in our bodies. Bad bacteria, like any living entity aggressively wants to live and proliferate but at our expense. There is a constant war going on in our colon and intestines between good and evil bacteria. As long as the good keeps winning (and making vitamin K), we should remain healthy.

When we fail to get enough nutrients because of poor diets or we are on prescription drugs that deplete and inhibit nutrient synthesis, our good bacteria begins to lose its muscle and thus weakens our immune system. For this reason it is essential for people on heavy dosages of antibiotics, especially for extended periods time, to take counter measures to increase healthy bacteria. Some of these counter measures are getting acidophilus through eating yogurt and drinking milk are helpful. Taking probiotic nutritional supplements are also helpful.