Is Cheese A Great Source Of Vitamin K2?

Have you heard that cheeses are a great source of vitamin K2? Did you know some are stronger than others?

A new study looks at the effect on bone anabolic markers of daily cheese intake with and without vitamin K2 in a randomized clinical trial. Researchers wanted to find out if Jarlsberg cheese, which has been widely touted as containing vitamin K2, increases the total serum osteocalcin (tOC) better compared to other types of cheeses.

The study was conducted on 66 healthy female volunteers. Forty-one volunteers were allocated a daily intake of 57g Jarlsberg cheese and 25 volunteers were given 50g Camembert for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks the Camembert group was switched to Jarlsberg. The study duration was 12 weeks with clinical investigations every 6 weeks.

The results show that carboxylated osteocalcin (cOC) and the osteocalcin ratio (RO) defined as the ratio between cOC and undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) increased in the Jarlsberg group after six weeks compared to the Camembert group.

Therefore, this study suggests that the effect of daily Jarlsberg intake on increased osteocalcin levels is not a general cheese effect and that the effects reflect increased bone anabolism.

While gratifying to qualify as a strong dietary source of vitamin K2, this study shows a person would need to consume a minimum of 57g of Jarlsberg cheeses a day to get any health benefits, and, in truth, they would likely have to consume much more to get all the benefits of vitamin K2 for bone health.

While cheese is the most accessible source of dietary K2 in Western diets, it is not practical to consume enough of it daily to enjoy bone and cardiovascular benefits. Therefore, supplementation presents a viable alternative.

We recommend 180 micrograms daily of vitamin K2 as MK-7 for adults and 45 micrograms daily for children.