Some vitamins and minerals get all of the attention. If you’re looking to improve your skin and boost collagen production, vitamin C is one of the most important nutrients that you can take, as well as use topically. Other well-known nutrients that contribute to glowing skin include vitamin E, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin A — aka retinol, perhaps the best known, gold-standard ingredient for younger-looking skin.
But there’s a lesser known skincare and health star — a vitamin that can help with skin elasticity and even lessen skin bruising: vitamin K-2.
“Could there be a single vitamin that’s killing your skin?” Dr. Anil Rajani asks in his informative video about vitamin K. As it turns out, this is the vitamin you may not be getting enough of that can make an impact on your skincare goals. Here’s what you need to know about vitamin K-2, including how it helps aging skin and the foods that contain an abundance of it.
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Why is Vitamin K-2 Supplementation Important?
Rajani says vitamin K is one of the few supplements he would recommend taking instead of getting from your food — the reason for this is because he says it is “found in rare foods” so if you’re not supplementing, you may not be getting enough of it. Rajani says many of his younger patients are noticing fine lines and wrinkles at a younger age, and one of the reasons could be because they aren’t getting enough of the right nutrients.
So, why is vitamin K-2 important? It helps put calcium where it is needed in your skin.
How Does Vitamin K-2 Work?
Researchers found that many women with extensive wrinkling between the ages of 40 and 50 were also found to have low bone mass. Their body mass index and weight weren’t even important in this case — it was the bone mass that mattered. Vitamin K-2 works by regulating the distribution of calcium in the bones, and this is important for keeping the skin looking young — strong bones provide structure to the face. Vitamin K-2 helps your body build bone.
You may have been advised not to take vitamin K — but Rajani says it’s important to distinguish between vitamins K-1 and K-2. Vitamin K-2 is different from vitamin K-1. The latter assists with blood clotting, while vitamin K-2 helps the entire body and bone strength and structure.
Where Can You Find Vitamin K-2?
Vitamin K-2 is an important nutrient that can help with aging bones and skin — but it’s difficult to find in foods, especially those that are typical of a Western diet. One example of a food that contains vitamin K-2 is Natto — a beloved Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans that contains an abundance of nutrients, including vitamin K-2. Natto helps with skin, teeth, cardiovascular disease, and anti-cancer uses. But, as Rajani reiterates, it isn’t one that is regularly consumed outside of Japan.
Other Sources of Vitamin K-2
Some other food sources that contain vitamin K-2 include aged cheeses, egg yolks, organ meats, fermented foods like kimchi, and nasal fermented soy products such as miso and tempeh.
If you sense your diet is probably lacking in K-2, speak with your doctor about starting a supplement that can help improve bone density and contribute to younger-looking skin.
