A new study out of Groningen University has established a critical link between kidney disease patients and a deficiency in Vitamin K. The study actually found that one-in-three people were deficient in this vitamin, but that deficiency was approximately 50% greater in people with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. This deficiency can lead to a greater amount of bone fractures, arterial calcification and even heart-disease related mortality.

Vitamin K is not a single vitamin, but instead a group of related vitamins. Vitamin K1, typically found in leafy vegetables, aids the body with coagulation and deficiencies are rare. Vitamin K2, however primarily helps to navigate calcium into the skeleton and away from soft tissues, helping to build bone density and reduce cardiovascular complications.

Some Additional Benefits For People With Chronic Kidney Disease:
• Can help prevent organ stunning due to hemodialysis.
• Can help reduce arterial calcification.
• Prevent cardiovascular mortality.
• Can help buffer potential toxic load of Vitamin D on intestines.

Vitamin K2 is found in very few foods, and this makes supplementation of it that much more important, especially if you have chronic kidney disease and are at added risk of bone fractures and/or heart disease.