Vitamin K2 Foods: The Best Sources and How Much You Really Get

If you have been reading about calcium, bones and arteries, you have probably seen vitamin K2 come up again and again. The natural next question is where to get it. The answer is a little surprising: the list of vitamin K2 foods is short, and the amounts in most everyday foods are small. One fermented soybean dish towers over everything else, while meat, eggs and cheese deliver only a few micrograms per serving.

Here is a practical breakdown of the best food sources of K2, how much you realistically get from a normal diet, why the form matters, and when a supplement makes sense.

K1 vs K2: Why the Food Source Matters

Vitamin K is not one compound. It is a family. Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) comes mainly from leafy green vegetables and some plant oils. Vitamin K2 is a group of compounds called menaquinones, abbreviated MK-4 through MK-13 depending on the length of their side chains. Most menaquinones are made by bacteria, which is why fermented foods are the best sources. MK-4 is a bit different: animals can make it from K1, so it shows up in meat and eggs.

Both forms act as cofactors that switch on vitamin K-dependent proteins, including clotting factors, osteocalcin in bone and matrix Gla protein in blood vessel walls. The difference is in how long they stick around. In a study published in Blood, healthy volunteers absorbed both synthetic K1 and natto-derived MK-7 well, with blood levels peaking around four hours after intake. But MK-7 had a much longer half-life, producing steadier blood levels, and with prolonged daily intake, MK-7 accumulated to seven- to eight-fold higher levels. MK-7 also produced more complete activation of osteocalcin.

So when people talk about getting more K2, they usually mean the longer-chain menaquinones, especially MK-7. For a deeper comparison of the two most common supplement forms, see our guide to vitamin K2 MK-7 vs MK-4.

The Best Vitamin K2 Foods, Ranked

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements lists vitamin K content for common foods. The values below are the ones it identifies as menaquinones (K2). Leafy greens are left out because their vitamin K is almost entirely K1.

Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin K Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. The NIH notes that cheeses and other fermented foods also contain longer-chain menaquinones, but it does not list values for them because amounts depend on the bacteria and fermentation conditions.

Natto: in a league of its own

Natto is soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis var. natto. The fermentation produces large amounts of MK-7, which is why a single 3-ounce serving delivers around 850 mcg. To put that in perspective, you would need more than 200 hard-boiled eggs to match it on K2 alone. The catch: its strong smell and sticky texture put many people off, and it can be hard to find.

Cheese and full-fat dairy

Dairy is a quieter but more common source. A 2017 analysis in Current Developments in Nutrition by researchers at Tufts University and the USDA measured vitamin K forms in 198 dairy samples, including milks, yogurts, kefirs, creams and cheeses. Full-fat products contained appreciable menaquinones, mostly the long-chain forms MK-9, MK-10 and MK-11, which made up about 90% of the total vitamin K in the foods tested. Full-fat milk had significantly more menaquinones than 2% milk, and no vitamin K was detected in fat-free yogurt. Among cheeses, soft cheeses had the highest totals, followed by blue, semi-soft and hard cheeses. The study was funded by the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the National Dairy Council.

The lesson: fat content and cheese type both matter.

Meat and eggs

Chicken, beef, ham and eggs supply MK-4. The amounts are modest, typically 4 to 13 mcg per serving in the NIH data.

How Much Vitamin K2 Do You Get From Food?

There is no official intake target for K2 on its own. The NIH sets an adequate intake for total vitamin K of 120 mcg per day for adult men and 90 mcg per day for adult women, and most of that typically comes from K1 in vegetables. European estimates cited in the 2017 dairy study suggest menaquinones make up roughly 10% to 25% of total vitamin K intake, mostly from dairy.

Here is what a fairly K2-friendly day might look like without natto, using the NIH values: two eggs (8 mcg), 3 ounces of rotisserie chicken (13 mcg) and 1.5 ounces of cheddar (4 mcg). That adds up to about 25 mcg. It is a real contribution, but it is a small fraction of the 850 mcg in a single serving of natto, or the 200 mcg of MK-7 in one serving of a K2-containing supplement like PureBlood™.

Simple ways to eat more K2

• Try natto in small amounts. It is traditionally eaten over rice with soy sauce and mustard, and even a small portion adds a meaningful dose.
• Choose full-fat dairy when it fits your calories. Fat-free versions may contain little or none.
• Rotate cheeses. Soft and blue cheeses tended to rank higher than hard cheeses in the 2017 analysis.
• Keep whole eggs and poultry in rotation. They are steady, if small, MK-4 sources.

What the Research on K2 Does and Does Not Show

K2 acts as a cofactor that activates vitamin K-dependent proteins, such as osteocalcin in bone and matrix Gla protein. That role in calcium handling is what has driven a lot of the interest. But the NIH is clear that clinical trial results on vascular outcomes have been inconclusive, and findings on bone outcomes are mixed, with some trials showing improvements in bone mineral density and others showing no effect. We cover the trial data in more detail in Vitamin D and K2: Should You Take Them Together?

The fair summary: getting enough vitamin K is important, K2 from food is hard to get in large amounts unless you eat natto, and supplementation is a practical way to get a consistent amount, as long as you keep expectations grounded in what the research actually supports.

When a K2 Supplement Makes Sense

If you do not eat natto and you mostly choose lean meats and low-fat dairy, your K2 intake is probably on the low side. A supplement gives you a consistent, measured dose of MK-7 without relying on a food you may never enjoy.

That is where PureBlood™ fits. Each four-capsule serving provides 200 mcg of vitamin K2 as K2VITAL® MK-7, along with 2,000 mg of Citrus Bergamot and 10,800 FU of Nattiase® Nattokinase, a formula CleanForm designed to support healthy blood flow and circulation.* Take it with a meal, since vitamin K is fat-soluble. PureBlood is non-GMO and comes in vegetarian capsules, and it is soy-derived, so it contains soy.

Safety note: vitamin K directly affects how warfarin and similar anticoagulants work. The NIH advises people on these medications to keep their vitamin K intake consistent, and the Blood study authors noted that MK-7 at 50 mcg per day or more may interfere with oral anticoagulant therapy. PureBlood provides 200 mcg per serving, well above that level. Because PureBlood also contains nattokinase, talk to your doctor before using it if you take any blood-thinning medication, have a bleeding disorder or surgery coming up, are pregnant or nursing, or have a soy allergy.

Vitamin K2 Foods FAQ

What food has the most vitamin K2?

Natto. At about 850 mcg of MK-7 per 3-ounce serving, it contains far more K2 than any other common food listed by the NIH.

Do eggs have vitamin K2?

Yes, in the form of MK-4. One large hard-boiled egg provides about 4 mcg, according to the NIH.

Which cheese is highest in vitamin K2?

In the 2017 Tufts and USDA analysis, soft cheeses had the highest total vitamin K, followed by blue, semi-soft and hard cheeses. Amounts vary with the bacterial strains and fermentation conditions used, so think of cheese as a helpful but variable source.

Can you get much K2 without eating natto?

You can get some from full-fat dairy, cheese, eggs and meat, but typical servings add up to tens of micrograms rather than hundreds. If you want a consistent intake in the hundreds of micrograms without eating natto, a supplement is the most reliable option.

The Bottom Line

The best vitamin K2 foods are natto, full-fat dairy and cheese, followed by eggs and meat. Natto is the only food that delivers hundreds of micrograms in one serving; everything else adds a few micrograms at a time. Choose full-fat dairy where it fits, rotate your cheeses, and keep eggs on the menu. If natto is not for you and you want a reliable daily dose of MK-7, PureBlood™ provides 200 mcg per serving. Just check with your doctor first if you take a blood thinner.

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Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin K: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Fu X, et al. Multiple vitamin K forms exist in dairy foods. Curr Dev Nutr. 2017. Schurgers LJ, et al. Vitamin K-containing dietary supplements: comparison of synthetic vitamin K1 and natto-derived menaquinone-7. Blood. 2007;109(8):3279-3283.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement.