With American Heart Month 2026 focused on vascular aging, prevention, and long-term cardiovascular resilience, emerging cardiovascular science highlights the importance of addressing nutritional deficiencies and the potential of combining complementary nutrients through supplementation.
For many, cardiovascular conditions can begin in their 20s and progress with age, and this is often linked to nutritional deficiencies, including vitamins such as K and B9 (folate), which have been shown to support heart health and function.
Clinicians from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation have stated: “There is an alarmingly high prevalence of vitamin K deficiency and suboptimal recommended intake among the general population in the US.” [1]
Emerging research suggests that higher intakes of vitamin K (particularly vitamin K2) may be needed to help protect arteries and bones.
In addition, approximately 54% of the world’s population does not consume enough folate from food. [2] According to a 2025 study, nearly three out of four women of reproductive age (approximately 73%) have folate levels below levels considered necessary to help combat neural tube defects. [3] This means they are also not receiving the lesser-known cardio-protective benefits of folate.
While many people have insufficient intake of these vitamins due to nutrient-depleted Western diets, which can leave them vulnerable to heart issues in the future, science continues to confirm the potential of simultaneously addressing both.
The impact of nutritional deficiencies
Vitamin K2 and folate (vitamin B9) have been repeatedly identified as essential for healthy outcomes; not just for heart health, but for bone health and fertility, respectively. Yet, both remain elusive for most to obtain through diet alone, observed Lacey Hall, MS, RD, Head of Medical Affairs with Gnosis by Lesaffre. “It is difficult for most consumers to overhaul their current diets as the convenience of preparation (and increasingly of procuring) is the top priority, resulting in low levels of key nutrients. Now more than ever, supplementation to fill the gaps is easy and attractive.”
In fact, the Council for Responsible Nutrition estimated that vitamin K2 use could reduce coronary artery disease events by 15.7% and save the US healthcare system $9.48B (2022–2030). [4]
Vitamin K2 has been shown to protect heart health by helping the body manage calcium deposition, inhibiting it from settling into arteries and soft tissues. Meanwhile, folate supports vascular function via homocysteine metabolism, and pregnancy outcomes increasingly serve as an early warning signal for a woman’s future cardiovascular risk. [5]
“But if we look at the potential dangers associated with suboptimal vitamin K and folate intakes, these deficiencies may contribute to increased cardiovascular risk by increasing arterial calcification, vascular stiffness, impaired homocysteine metabolism, and endothelial dysfunction,” said Hall.
Proven heart-health solutions
While calcium is essential for bone health, its precipitation in blood vessels is harmful to the cardiovascular system. Vitamin K2 controls soft-tissue calcification by activating the K-dependent protein matrix Gla protein (MGP), a key inhibitor of vascular calcification. Low vitamin K status is determined by inactive MGP, and is therefore strongly associated with arterial stiffness, vascular and valvular calcification, and resulting heart failure, and eventual cardiovascular mortality.
The good news: higher vitamin K2 intake has been linked to improved arterial health and reduced cardiovascular risk. [6] In fact, each additional 10 mcg of vitamin K2 (MK-7, MK-8, MK-9) is associated with a 9% lower risk of coronary heart disease and reduced cardiovascular mortality. [7]
MenaQ7® K2 as MK-7 is the most clinically validated vitamin K2 ingredient on the market, supported by nearly two decades of research. Human intervention studies show that long-term MK-7 supplementation improves vascular elasticity [8,9] and, in subpopulations with elevated arterial stiffness, supports healthy blood pressure — particularly among postmenopausal women. [10]
The results of the new VitaK CAC trial further support these vascular benefits. [11] “Preliminary results show that two years of MenaQ7 supplementation significantly slowed coronary artery calcification compared with placebo,” commented vitamin K expert Professor Leon Schurgers, Chairman of the K2SAC. Additional clinical studies are ongoing to evaluate different dosages and patient populations, he reported.
Meanwhile, folate’s cardiovascular relevance is largely driven by its role in homocysteine metabolism and endothelial function. Large cohort studies and meta-analyses published between 2022 and 2025 consistently associate higher folate intake with lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, especially in metabolically vulnerable populations. [12,13] Each increase in folate intake was associated with a 5% lower risk of total CVD events and a 10% lower risk of CVD mortality, highlighting its potential benefit for cardiovascular health. [14]
However, these positive results do not reflect folic acid, the more commonly consumed vitamin B9, which requires an important in vivo conversion to the active form 5-MTHF (folate). Further, approximately 40% of the population has an enzyme deficiency, rendering their bodies incapable of fully converting to 5-MTHF. Quatrefolic® active folate is a well-studied active folate, with research substantiating and quantifying its benefits in several health contexts for women’s health, including overall folate metabolism [15,16], cardiovascular health [17], and fertility [18].
Next-gen heart health blend
Together, vitamin K2 (MenaQ7®) and active folate (Quatrefolic®) address two complementary cardiovascular pathways:
Calcium regulation: Vitamin K2 facilitates the activation of Matrix Gla-protein, helping to inhibit arterial calcium deposition while supporting bone mineralization.
Methylation and endothelial support: active folate supports healthy homocysteine metabolism and vascular health.
Both ingredients are clinically validated, with numerous human studies demonstrating positive effects on heart health. As heart health conversations evolve beyond cholesterol alone, the combination of fat-soluble K2 and water-soluble active folate offers a compelling, science-driven narrative for American Heart Month 2026 — focused on vascular aging, prevention, and long-term cardiovascular resilience.
“With a large portion of the population likely sub-clinically deficient in both K2 and folate, the opportunities for closing those gaps and providing heart health and other wellness attributes with MenaQ7® and Quatrefolic® are extraordinary,” Hall concluded.
References:
Hariri et al Vitamin K2-a neglected player in cardiovascular health: a narrative review. Open Heart. 2021 Nov;8(2):e001715.
Passarelli, Simone et al. Global estimation of dietary micronutrient inadequacies: a modelling analysis. The Lancet Global Health, Volume 12, Issue 10, e1590 – e1599
Koulman et al. Folate status shows no relationship with vitamin B12 but reiterates the urgency for folate fortification in the UK. Eur J Nutr. 2025 Sep 6;64(6):272.
[https://www.crnusa.org/sites/default/files/HCCS/00-CRN-Supplements-to-Savings-2022-FullReport.pdf](https://www.crnusa.org/sites/default/files/HCCS/00-CRN-Supplements-to-Savings-2022-FullReport.pdf)
Chen. et al. Gestational diabetes mellitus and development of intergenerational overall and subtypes of cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cardiovasc Diabetol 23, 320 (2024).
Hariri et al Vitamin K2-a neglected player in cardiovascular health: a narrative review. Open Heart. 2021 Nov;8(2):e001715.
Gast et al. A high menaquinone intake reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2009;19(7):504–510.
Knapen MHJ, et al. “Menaquinone-7 supplementation improves arterial stiffness in healthy postmenopausal women. A double-blind randomized clinical trial.” Thromb Haemost. 2015 May;113(5):1135-44.
Vermeer C and Vik H. “Effect of Menaquinone-7 (vitamin K2) on vascular elasticity in healthy subjects: results from a one-year study.” 2020 Vascul Dis Ther, 5: doi: 10.15761/VDT.1000179.
de Vries F, Bittner R, Maresz K, Machuron F, Gaserod O, Jeanne J-F, Schurgers LJ. Effects on One-Year Menaquinione-7 Supplementation on Vascular Stiffness and Blood Pressure in Post-Menopausal Women. Nutrients 2025;17(5):815.
Vossen, et al. “Menaquinone-7 Slows Down Progression of Coronary Artery Calcification: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial” J Hypertension 2025 May 43(Suppl 1):p e18.
Melika Fallah et al. “Folate Biomarkers, Folate Intake, and Risk of Death From All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies.” Nutrition Reviews, Volume 83, Issue 3, March 2025, Pages e801–e813.
Su et al. “Associations of folate intake with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals with diabetes.” Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022.
Zhang et al. “Associations of dietary folate, vitamin B6 and B12 intake with cardiovascular outcomes in 115,664 participants: a large UK population-based cohort.” Eur J Clin Nutr. 2023.
Weiss D, et al. Scottsdale Magnesium Study: Absorption, Cellular Uptake, and Clinical Effectiveness of a Timed-Release Magnesium Supplement in a Standard Adult Clinical Population. J Am Coll Nutr. 2018 May-Jun;37(4):316-327.
Osburn SC, et al. Effects of 12-Week Multivitamin and Omega-3 Supplementation on Micronutrient Levels and Red Blood Cell Fatty Acids in Pre-menopausal Women. Front Nutr. 2021 Jul 13;8:610382.
Mazza A, et al. Nutraceutical approaches to homocysteine lowering in hypertensive subjects at low cardiovascular risk: a multicenter, randomized clinical trial. J Biol Regul Homeost Agents 2016;30:921–7.
Cirillo M et al. 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate and Vitamin B12 Supplementation Is Associated with Clinical Pregnancy and Live Birth in Women Undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(23):12280.
