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Vitamin K2 and nocturnal cramps

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

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Vitamin K can be divided into vitamins K1, K2, K3, K4 and K5 (1):

  • the two major subtypes are vitamin K1 and K2, whereas vitamin K3 is a synthetic form which can be converted to vitamin K2 in vivo

A pilot trial demonstrated that vitamin K2 supplementation could decrease the frequency, duration, and severity of muscle cramps in haemodialysis patients (2).

A randomized clinical trial involving 199 participants 65 years and older with nocturnal leg cramps, those who received vitamin K2 experienced a significant reduction in the mean frequency of cramps per week compared with the placebo group (3).

Reference:

  1. Khalil Z et al. The Medical Benefits of Vitamin K2 on Calcium-Related Disorders. Nutrients. 2021 Feb 21;13(2):691
  2. Xu D et al. Vitamin K2 as a potential therapeutic candidate for the prevention of muscle cramps in hemodialysis patients: A prospective multicenter, randomized, controlled, crossover pilot trial. Nutrition. 2022 May;97:111608.
  3. Tan J, Zhu R, Li Y, et al. Vitamin K2 in Managing Nocturnal Leg Cramps: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. Published online October 28, 2024.

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