Vitamin K2 180 mcg by Ortho Molecular Products

If you take vitamin D regularly and want bones that hold onto calcium without clogging arteries, vitamin K2 MK-7 is the companion to consider. It fits post‑menopausal women, adults with low vegetable intake, or anyone with a family history of osteoporosis. It’s also useful if your Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy is adequate yet your bone markers lag, or if you’re focused on healthy aging and tracking calcium on imaging over time. The 180 mcg dose is a clinically used, once-daily level for maintenance and long-horizon bone support.

MK-7 (the long-acting form of vitamin K2) activates proteins that handle calcium correctly. It carboxylates osteocalcin (a bone-building protein) so calcium gets anchored in the bone matrix, and it switches on matrix Gla protein, which helps keep calcium from depositing in arteries. Compared to K1 and MK-4, MK-7 stays in the blood much longer, so once-daily microgram doses keep these proteins activated. In studies, undercarboxylated osteocalcin drops within 4 to 12 weeks, while bone density shifts are assessed over 6 to 24 months.

Take one capsule daily with a meal that contains fat; vitamin K2 is fat-soluble and absorbs better this way. Pairing with vitamin D3 is common because D raises calcium absorption while K2 directs where it goes. If you’re repleting vitamin D, keep K2 steady rather than cycling. MK-7 at 180 mcg is a higher-end maintenance dose; MK-4 is an alternative but requires milligram doses several times per day to match MK-7’s steady activation.

Skip K2 if you use warfarin or other vitamin K–antagonist blood thinners; it counteracts their effect. Direct oral anticoagulants (apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran) are not vitamin K–dependent, but still clear any change with your clinician. Orlistat and bile acid binders can reduce absorption; take K2 at a different time. Broad-spectrum antibiotics can transiently lower gut-derived vitamin K—another reason to take K2 with food and monitor as needed.