Vitamin K2 is increasingly acknowledged as a health essential for its known benefits of putting calcium in balance in the body, promoting bone and heart health, and preventing the onset of conditions such as osteoarthritis, heart attacks and strokes. Vitamin K2 is required at all stages of life, targeting evolving areas as a human ages from childhood to adulthood, right through to old age. There are approximately 20 clinical trials that support the bone health and heart health benefits of K2, and the science is continually investigating K2 for other health areas, including cognition, kidney function, sport performance and beauty. As the K2 market almost doubles in revenue every year, mass market brands and also smaller players are looking to commercialise on the K2 opportunity.

Charlotte Bastiaanse, associate editor at Vitafoods Insights, explores K2 as an ingredient and market opportunity with Jörg Buttinghaus, vice president of sales and marketing at Kappa Bioscience, in this deep-dive podcast.

Podcast breakdown: 

01:05 – K2 Critical quad, fast-growing success and current cost

02:45 – Overview of vitamin K2: How does it work in the body, what health areas does it target, and who benefits.

10:45 – Clinical and scientific evidence supporting K2 health claims

17:25 – How K2 is activated in the body and puts calcium in balance

21:15 – K2 as a requisite through all stages of life, from childhood to old age

26:23 – Gaps in the market and the long-term K2 potential

32:57 – Commercial opportunities for businesses looking to capitalise on vitamin K2

39:40 – Optimal ingredient combinations and other typical applications

42:28 – Kappa Bioscience at Vitafoods Asia 2019 and the newly launched Look Book

48:50 – Kappa Bioscience offers free-of-charge K2 testing for finished products

54:31 – Final overview of the global K2 market and Kappa Bioscience’s offering at Vitafoods Asia 2019