Question: I’ve been hearing how important vitamin K2 is for bone health. Is this something I can or should be giving to my children?
Dr. Know: Yes, vitamin K2 is great for kids and, in fact, highly recommended for optimal bone development. Childhood is the best period to build bone mass and density, which will be drawn upon decades later. The rate of bone turnover and production in kids is much greater than adults, so on a per weight basis, children actually need more vitamin K2 than adults do.
This is the reason Inno-Vite’s Liquid K2 Drops lists dosing instructions directly on the label for children as young as one year old (this should be seen as the minimum dose, and it’s very safe to take more). This is the only K2 product in Canada that gives parents a convenient solution for children who cannot yet swallow pills, and it’s also easy to adjust the dose according to their age. A study in children published in 2009 looked at a dose of 45 mcg/day (of MK-7, a specific form of vitamin K2) and found significant bone-related benefits. The great news is that the exact raw material used in that clinical trial is the one that Inno-Vite has sourced, so it has proven safety and effectiveness in children.
Keep in mind that K2 is also essential for the cardiovascular system, so giving this to children will help ensure that dietary calcium doesn’t wreck havoc on their developing circulatory system.
This K2 raw material is also the only one in the market that also doesn’t contain things you’ll never see on the label, like dimethyl polysiloxane, which is an anti-foaming agent common in MK-7 ingredients. Just about every other brand uses the cheaper generics that look the same on a label, but are cheaper versions (both in quality and cost).
You’ll be happy to know that it’s hypoallergenic, contains essentially no soy proteins (so safe for most with soy allergies), and is non-GMO.
If you’re looking to use this as an oral alternative to the vitamin K injection given to newborns, you can email me for more information.
Hope this helps.