How Much Vitamin K2 Per Day? An Honest Answer
Short answer: There is no separate official daily requirement for vitamin K2. The public reference figures for vitamin K — commonly cited as around 75 mcg a day in Europe and 90 mcg a day for adult women in the US — cover total vitamin K, and they were set largely on the basis of K1 from leafy greens. K2 supplements typically supply somewhere between 45 and 180 mcg of MK-7 a day. No tolerable upper limit has been set for vitamin K from food or supplements. If you take warfarin or another vitamin K antagonist, do not add a K2 supplement without speaking to your prescriber first — vitamin K interacts directly with how that medication works.
Why there is no K2-specific number
Vitamin K is not one compound. K1 (phylloquinone) comes from green vegetables and dominates the typical diet. K2 (menaquinones) comes from fermented foods and some animal products, and is also made in small amounts by gut bacteria. When authorities set a reference intake for vitamin K, they set it for the vitamin as a family, using K1 intake as the practical basis. So a figure like 75 or 90 mcg a day is not a K2 target — it is a total-vitamin-K reference that most people meet through greens.
That is why supplement doses vary so much. Without a K2-specific requirement to anchor to, manufacturers pick a dose from the research range rather than from a regulatory number.
MK-7 versus MK-4 — what actually differs
The two forms you will see on labels are MK-4 and MK-7. The practical difference is how long each stays in circulation. MK-7 has a considerably longer half-life, which is why it is typically dosed once daily in the 45 to 180 mcg range, while MK-4 products are usually dosed much higher and more frequently. Neither of those facts is an outcome claim — it is pharmacokinetics, not a promise about results. MK-7 is the more common choice in daily formulas for that once-a-day practicality.
What vitamin K is recognised for
Vitamin K helps calcium reach bones. That is the recognised wording and it is the honest limit of what should be said. You will see K2 marketed well beyond that, particularly around arteries and heart health — the research there is developing and it is not settled, so we do not make those claims. If you are thinking about bone health more broadly, our guide to supplements for bone health after 50 sets out which nutrient carries which recognised wording, and why D3 and K2 are usually paired explains the rationale for taking them together.
The warfarin point, stated plainly
Warfarin works by blocking vitamin K. Adding vitamin K — in any form, from a supplement or from a sudden change in leafy green intake — can alter how that medication behaves. This is not a theoretical caution and it is not something to manage yourself. If you take warfarin, acenocoumarol, phenindione or any other vitamin K antagonist, talk to your prescriber or anticoagulant clinic before starting or stopping a K2 supplement. We are not going to reassure you around this one.
Is a daily K2 supplement safe otherwise?
For people not on those medications, vitamin K has no established tolerable upper limit and supplemental amounts in the usual range are generally regarded as well tolerated. As always, an absent upper limit reflects the state of the evidence rather than a licence for large doses. Staying within the typical supplement range is the sensible position, and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or on any prescription medication, ask your provider first.
Vitamin K2 in Vyelle
Vyelle Daily Renewal contains 90 mcg of vitamin K2 as MK-7 — squarely within the usual supplement range and disclosed on the label like every other dose. It sits alongside 2,000 IU of vitamin D3, which helps your body take in calcium, and 300 mg of magnesium. Read more on what vitamin K2 does, see how much vitamin D a woman over 50 needs, or view the full ingredient list.
Related questions
Can you take too much vitamin K2?
No tolerable upper limit has been established for vitamin K, and supplemental amounts in the typical range are generally well tolerated. The important exception is anyone taking warfarin or another vitamin K antagonist, where any change in vitamin K intake needs to go through the prescriber.
Do you need K2 if you eat leafy greens?
Leafy greens supply K1, not K2. They are different menaquinone and phylloquinone forms with different food sources — K2 comes mainly from fermented foods and some animal products, which are less common in a typical Western diet. That is the usual argument for including K2 in a formula, and it is a reasonable one.
Should K2 be taken with food?
Yes, ideally. Vitamin K is fat-soluble, so taking it with a meal that contains some fat is the practical approach. There is no strict time of day. Our guide to the best time to take supplements covers the fat-soluble and water-soluble split.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This page is general information, not medical advice; consult your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement, especially if you take prescription medication.
