Why We Put the Most Expensive Vitamin in Our Formulas (When Most Brands Skip It)
The uncomfortable conversation about supplement quality and the one ingredient we'll never compromise on.
When we were formulating our joint health supplements, we kept running into the same problem: every time we added Vitamin K2 to the formula, the cost went up significantly.
Here’s how expensive we’re talking: delivering 100% RDA of Vitamin K2 is roughly 40x more expensive than Vitamin D.
K2 is one of the hardest vitamins to source well, especially the high-quality MK-7 form that’s actually bioavailable and effective.1 We could have easily left it out. Most brands do. In fact, if you look at the majority of calcium and vitamin D supplements on the market, you’ll notice something missing: K2. And when brands do include “Vitamin K,” they often use K1 - a much cheaper form that most Indians already get enough of from leafy greens.
But here’s why we couldn’t skip K2 even though it would have made our products cheaper.
The Calcium Paradox
You’ve probably heard that calcium is essential for strong bones. You’ve probably also heard about vitamin D helping calcium absorption. Both true. But here’s what most people don’t know: without vitamin K2, that calcium might not end up where you need it.
Vitamin K2 activates specific proteins - osteocalcin and matrix GLA protein - that direct calcium to your bones and teeth while keeping it out of your arteries and soft tissues.2 Without K2, calcium can deposit in your arteries instead of your bones, contributing to arterial stiffness and cardiovascular issues.3
This is called the “calcium paradox”: people can have osteoporosis (weak bones) and arterial calcification (stiff arteries) at the same time. They’re getting calcium, but it’s going to the wrong places.4
Research shows that vitamin K2 supplementation significantly improves bone mineral density and reduces fracture risk, especially in postmenopausal women.5 One major study found that K2 reduced vertebral fractures by 60%, hip fractures by 77%, and non-vertebral fractures by 81%.6
The Indian Context
Here’s something most people don’t realize: most Indians are deficient in Vitamin K2, not K1.
K2 is primarily found in animal products like grass-fed dairy, goat cheese, and red meat - foods that aren’t staples in the typical Indian diet.7 Even if you eat dairy regularly, most commercially available milk and paneer in India comes from grain-fed animals, which contain far less K2 than grass-fed sources.
K1, on the other hand, is abundant in leafy greens - palak, methi, amaranth - foods we already eat regularly. We’re not deficient in K1. We’re deficient in K2.
So when brands add “Vitamin K” to their formulas, check which form they’re using. If it’s K1, it’s likely because it’s cheaper and easier to source, not because it’s what your body actually needs for bone health.
Why Most Brands Skip K2 (Or Use the Wrong Form)
The economics are simple: K2 is expensive. K1 is cheap.
If you’re a brand optimizing for profit margins and competitive pricing, you either skip K2 entirely or use K1 and call it “Vitamin K” on the label. Most consumers don’t know the difference. Most won’t even look.
But we know the science. And we know that if we’re asking you to trust us with your bone health, we can’t give you half the solution or the wrong solution.
Why We Use MenaquinGold
When we decided to include K2, we didn’t just want any K2. We wanted the best.
That’s why we use MenaquinGold - the world’s premium source of Vitamin K2 MK-7, naturally sourced from fermented chickpeas.8 It’s one of the most bioavailable, stable, and clinically studied forms of K2 available. Yes, it costs more. Significantly more. But it’s the form that works.
We included therapeutic doses of MenaquinGold K2 in Move Easy, Ever Balance, and Multi + Herbs alongside calcium and vitamin D because that’s how these nutrients actually work together in your body, not just how they look good on a label.
The Real Cost
Quality ingredients cost more. There’s no way around it. But the real cost isn’t the extra money per bottle, it’s what happens when you take supplements that are incomplete, use cheaper alternatives, or are designed around profit margins instead of science.
We built LightYears Health because we believe you deserve better. Vitamin K2 is non-negotiable for us because joint health isn’t just about calcium density, it’s about directing that calcium where your body actually needs it.
That’s why it’s in our formulas. And that’s why it always will be.
For the curious, here are the references behind the research mentioned above: