“We are excited for the addition of MenaQ7 Pure to our ingredients portfolio,” said Ram Nimmagudda, Director of Business Development for Glanbia Nutritionals. “Its ability to promote both bone and arterial health will help to diversify our proprietary ingredient portfolio further, providing our customers with additional ingredient solutions to meet their health platform needs.”
There are two main forms of vitamin K: phylloquinone, also known as phytonadione, (vitamin K1) which is found in green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and spinach, and makes up about 90% of the vitamin K in a typical Western diet; and menaquinones (vitamins K2), which make up about 10% of Western vitamin K consumption and can be synthesized in the gut by microflora.
Menaquinones (MK-n: with the n determined by the number of prenyl side chains) can also be found in the diet; MK-4 can be found in animal meat, MK-7, MK-8, and MK-9 are found in fermented food products like cheese, and natto is a rich source of MK-7.
NattoPharma's MenaQ7 Pure is produced in a European pharmaceutical manufacturing facility via a patent-pending synthesis process, which gives a pure vitamin K2 molecule that provides a much more desirable outcome for stability, efficacy, and safety, said the company.
The potential health benefits of the vitamin include cardiovascular and bone health, with some data also supporting a role for prostate health and cognitive benefits.