Company insight
Manufacturing vitamin K2 supplements that meet label claims
Dominik Mattern, vice president of science, business development and marketing at Balchem, explains why most vitamin K2 products are not meeting the mark and how brands can identify the right K2 ingredient that ensures the integrity of their vitamin K2 products to provide consumers with all the health benefits of this vital vitamin.
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n the past few years, vitamin K2 has emerged as a powerhouse nutrient, garnering well-deserved recognition for its vital role in promoting heart health and in maintenance of bone mineral density. But it’s not all about science, with market value predicted to grow at an annual rate of 14.9% by 2030, vitamin K2 really is one to keep an eye on. However, vitamin K2 can be a tricky ingredient to work with, and recent testing by Balchem and Alkemist Labs has revealed that a staggering majority of vitamin K2 supplements fail to meet label claims.
Unlock the key to bioactive K2 One of the primary reasons 71% of vitamin K2 products tested by Balchem and Alkemist Labs fell short of their label claims is their isomeric purity. But what does this mean?
In nature, vitamin K2 is found in an all-trans MK-7 form, with each molecule containing seven double chemical bonds, set in a linear trans configuration. This linear shape allows the all-trans-isomers to better activate the K2-dependent proteins, like a key in a lock, activating them to deliver various health benefits. When producing vitamin K2, production and stability issues make it extremely difficult to create an all- trans MK-7 molecule, and depending on the production method, one or more molecular bonds can have a cis configuration. These cis isomers are not linear, so with a substantially different shape from that of the all-trans MK-7
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bioavailability, meaning that finished products may not deliver the desired health benefits. But what’s the solution? To make sure vitamin K2 stays intact for long enough to support consumers’ health, it needs to be protected, so it can remain stable from blending to processing and throughout the entire shelf life.
Vitamin K2 is gaining attention for heart and bone health, but purity and stability are essential in such supplements.
form, and lower capacity in activating Vitamin K-dependent proteins. This means the cis isomers are far less biologically effective than all-trans MK-7.
The stability hurdle
The other key cause of vitamin K2 supplements failing to meet label claims is the stability of the molecule. Vitamin K2 is highly sensitive to factors such as pH, light and oxygen exposure. If left unprotected under certain conditions, or even in combination with other minerals such as calcium or magnesium, it quickly degrades. This poses a challenge for manufacturers looking to develop multivitamins and blended supplements containing vitamin K2, because the degradation of K2 decreases its
Vitamin K2 you can trust At Balchem, we overcome these issues and ensure users get the most out of vitamin K2 with K2VITAL DELTA. It’s the world’s only patented double- microencapsulated, typically 99.97% all-trans, vitamin K2 MK-7. With high isomeric purity and a double layer of encapsulating beads shielding each molecule from the environment, K2VITAL DELTA offers superior bioavailability and stability, even in presence of other minerals. Analysis has demonstrated that after three months, 100% of all K2VITAL DELTA -plus-minerals products met label claim, compared to 8% of unprotected vitamin K2-plus-minerals products. This means manufacturers using K2VITAL DELTA can have confidence when developing blended supplements and explore new formulations that meet their label claim.
Looking to formulate with a stable vitamin K2 ingredient? Contact our experts today to learn how K2VITAL DELTA can support you. ● References available on request.
www.balchem.com/human-nutrition- health/contact
Ingredients Insight /
www.ingredients-insight.com
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