When the mineral “calcium” goes missing from the bones that need it and accumulates in the arteries that don’t. For decades, post-menopausal care treated bone loss as a simple supply problem of low calcium, so you just add more. Newer evidence suggests more complicated question isn’t how much calcium a woman takes, but where that calcium ends up.
According to a recent study in Nutrients involving 13 randomized controlled studies conducted in 2021, there was a 15% increase in the incidence of cardiovascular disease among otherwise healthy post-menopausal women using calcium supplements. Notably, the same problem is less likely to occur in calcium obtained from food sources. The body will have to find a way of disposing of the excessive amount of calcium absorbed from the supplements.
Here’s the part most prescriptions miss.
Calcium doesn’t navigate the body on its own, it needs a traffic system and there are two proteins that do the directing.
One is osteocalcin, which helps lock calcium into the bone matrix, and the second is matrix Gla protein (MGP), which prevents calcium build up in artery walls. Both are useless until they’re switched on, and the switch is Vitamin K2. Without enough K2, MGP stays inactive and calcium drifts toward the places you least want it.
The long-term human data backs this up.
In the Rotterdam study involving 4,799 subjects, participants who ingested the largest amounts of Vitamin K2 were observed to have 57% less risk of heart disease deaths and a rate of aortic calcification that was half that of other subjects. No correlation between the consumption of Vitamin K1, found in vegetables, and heart diseases was discovered. On another occasion, in a three-year-long trial, women who took 180 micrograms of Vitamin K2 as MK-7 on a daily basis improved their arterial elasticity.
That reframes the whole strategy.
Instead of a high dose of calcium taken on its own, the smarter approach is a highly bioavailable dose of calcium with enough K2-7 to steer that calcium into bone and away from arterial walls. For millions of women told simply to “take more calcium,” that single distinction could be the difference between a stronger skeleton and a stiffer heart.
Where TerraQuino fits in
TerraQuino offers an advanced Vitamin K2-7 (MK-7) which is free from any kind of allergens. It is manufactured using fermentation technology and is developed to achieve maximum bioavailability and stability.
It’s the long-chain MK-7 that forward-thinking brands formulate into the next generation of bone-and-heart-smart supplements, the K2 that helps calcium reach the bone matrix while supporting healthy arterial flexibility.
Frequently asked questions
Is calcium supplementation bad for post-menopausal women?
Not inherently, calcium remains essential for bone health. The problem is high-dose calcium supplementation, without the necessary cofactors needed for proper utilization. Studies have found that high doses of calcium increase cardiovascular disease risk in healthy, post-menopausal women, leading to the importance of using an appropriate dose of biologically available calcium along with Vitamin K2-7.
What exactly is the “calcium paradox”?
This occurs in cases where there is insufficient calcium in the bones, where calcium belongs, but excessive accumulation of calcium takes place in the arteries, where calcium does damage. This condition may indicate an inadequate supply of the Vitamin K2 proteins required for proper calcium transportation.
How does Vitamin K2-7 (MK-7) help?
K2-7 activates matrix Gla protein and osteocalcin, the proteins that keep calcium out of artery walls and help bind it into bone. MK-7 is the long-chain form prized for its bioavailability and for how long it stays active in the body.
