Vitamin K2 Foods in India vs K2 Supplements: How Much K2 Do Foods Actually Provide?

Search for vitamin K2 foods in India, and you will find lists containing spinach, broccoli, methi, paneer, curd, eggs, butter and fermented foods.

There is a basic problem with many of those lists.

Spinach, methi and other green vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin K1, not necessarily vitamin K2.

Vitamin K2 refers to a family of menaquinones such as MK-4, MK-7, MK-8 and MK-9. These are concentrated mainly in certain animal foods and fermented foods.

And surprisingly, an Indian study that actually tested common foods found no detectable MK-7 in the foods it analysed—including idli, dhokla, yogurt, buttermilk and processed cheese.

That does not mean those foods contain zero vitamin K2.

It means K2 is much harder to estimate from an ordinary Indian diet than most online food lists suggest.

Key Takeaways

• Vitamin K1 and K2 are related but chemically distinct forms of vitamin K.
• Green leafy vegetables such as spinach are predominantly K1 sources.
• Vitamin K2 includes several menaquinones: MK-4, MK-7, MK-8, MK-9 and others.
• Natto is the standout natural MK-7 food, often providing roughly 850–1,000 mcg per 100 g.
• Eggs, chicken and some dairy foods can provide K2, but typically different forms such as MK-4, MK-9, MK-10 and MK-11.
• A pilot Indian analysis found no detectable MK-7 in the tested samples of idli, dhokla, yogurt, processed cheese, buttermilk and several other foods.
• That Indian study tested MK-7—not every possible menaquinone—so it does not prove those foods contain no K2 at all.
• K2 content varies substantially with bacterial culture, fermentation, animal feed, fat content and food processing.
• There is no separate universally accepted RDA specifically for vitamin K2; dietary recommendations generally refer to total vitamin K.
• MK-7 supplements provide a predictable dose, but predictable does not automatically mean necessary for every healthy adult.
• People using warfarin or other vitamin K-antagonist anticoagulants need particular caution with K2 supplements.

Vitamin K1 vs Vitamin K2: Why Food Lists Get Confusing

Vitamin K is not a single molecule.

Vitamin K1, or phylloquinone, is found primarily in plants.

Vitamin K2 refers to a family of compounds called menaquinones.

Both participate in the activation—or carboxylation—of vitamin K-dependent proteins, but their dietary sources and pharmacokinetics differ.

The NIH's vitamin K food and nutrient guidance lists spinach, kale and other green vegetables as major K1 foods, while natto, meat, dairy and eggs contribute various menaquinones. 

That means:

Palak can be an excellent vitamin K food without being an excellent vitamin K2 food.

This distinction matters when someone is specifically shopping for an MK-7 supplement.

What Did Researchers Actually Find in Indian Foods?

This is probably the most useful India-specific study for this topic.

Researchers analysed eleven staple foods commonly consumed in India, including:

dhokla, naan, jalebi, idli, handvo, yogurt, processed cheddar cheese, buttermilk, butter, cow's milk and charoli.

They measured MK-7 and vitamin K1.

MK-7 was not detected in the tested samples.

Some foods did contain vitamin K1—for example, handvo averaged about 37 mcg/100 g and processed cheddar about 4.7 mcg/100 g—but MK-7 remained undetectable. The Indian food vitamin K pilot study and its actual food-analysis table is important because it directly challenges the assumption that “fermented Indian food = lots of MK-7.”

But there is an equally important limitation.

The study analysed only four samples of each food and specifically reported MK-7 and phylloquinone.

It did not quantify every K2 form such as MK-4, MK-8, MK-9, MK-10 and MK-11.

Therefore, the correct conclusion is:

Common Indian fermented foods cannot currently be assumed to be reliable high-MK-7 sources based simply on fermentation.

The wrong conclusion would be:

“Indian food contains no vitamin K2.”

The study does not establish that.

How Much Vitamin K2 Is Actually in Common Foods?

Food composition varies significantly, but available data give us a useful sense of scale.

Natto is clearly in a different category.

The NIH database lists approximately 850 mcg of MK-7 in an 85 g serving of natto, while published food analyses commonly report roughly 850–1,000 mcg/100 g. Office of Dietary Supplements

A small human feeding study also confirmed that eating natto substantially increased circulating MK-7. The natto MK-7 human study tested fermented soybeans providing hundreds of micrograms of MK-7 per 100 g.

The catch for India is obvious:

Natto is not part of the normal diet for most Indian households.

Does Curd or Dahi Contain Vitamin K2?

Possibly—but this question requires much more nuance than most food charts provide.

A detailed US food-composition study found that full-fat regular yogurt contained approximately 26 mcg total vitamin K per 100 g, while full-fat Greek yogurt contained around 28 mcg/100 g.

Most of that was not MK-7.

The researchers primarily detected MK-9 and MK-11, with smaller amounts of MK-4 and MK-10. Fat-free yogurt in that dataset contained no detectable vitamin K using their analytical method. The original dairy vitamin K composition study demonstrates how much the exact food-processing method and fat content matter.

But you should not simply copy the US yogurt number onto homemade Indian dahi.

Different bacterial cultures, milk, fat content and fermentation conditions can produce different menaquinone patterns.

And, as noted above, the Indian pilot study detected no MK-7 in its yogurt samples. 

So “one bowl of curd gives X mcg K2” is currently much less certain than social-media nutrition charts suggest.

What About Paneer?

Paneer is another good example of why assumptions can fail.

Cheese is often listed as a K2 food because many aged and fermented cheeses contain menaquinones produced by bacteria during manufacturing.

Paneer, however, is typically a fresh acid-coagulated cheese rather than a long-aged bacterially ripened cheese.

The available studies showing substantial K2 in hard and fermented cheeses cannot automatically be transferred to paneer.

Research measuring many cheeses has shown that K2 content varies dramatically according to cheese type, bacterial fermentation, ripening duration, fat content and geographic origin. The study measuring menaquinones across different cheeses found hard and fermented cheeses generally richer in long-chain menaquinones than many fresh products.

Until Indian paneer itself is adequately analysed, giving it a precise MK-7 number would be guesswork.

Eggs and Chicken: More Predictable, But Mostly MK-4

Animal foods can contain another K2 form: MK-4.

NIH food data list roughly:

one large egg → about 4 mcg MK-4,

85 g rotisserie chicken breast → about 13 mcg MK-4.

The amount in animal foods can also depend partly on animal feed. 

So eggs and chicken can contribute K2.

But they do not supply the same menaquinone profile as an MK-7 supplement.

That does not make MK-4 “bad.”

It simply means that “vitamin K2” is a family of compounds rather than one universal ingredient.

How Does Food Compare With an MK-7 Supplement?

This is where the comparison becomes practical.

A normal food-based diet may provide:

small amounts of MK-4 from eggs or meat,

variable long-chain menaquinones from fermented dairy,

and substantial K1 from green vegetables.

An MK-7 supplement provides a defined, reproducible MK-7 dose.

Human trials have studied doses in approximately the 90–180 mcg/day range, although that should not be misread as a universal daily requirement.

A double-blind randomized study found that 100 mcg/day MK-7 for 12 weeks significantly improved osteocalcin carboxylation compared with placebo. The randomized MK-7 dose study supports biological activity at nutritional supplemental doses.

A separate three-year randomized placebo-controlled trial in 244 healthy postmenopausal women used 180 mcg MK-7 daily and reported reduced age-related decline in some measures of bone mineral density and bone strength. The three-year MK-7 bone trial is promising, but its population—postmenopausal women—should not be treated as proof that every young healthy adult needs 180 mcg of K2.

Is There a Daily Requirement Specifically for K2?

This is an important label-reading point.

There is no separate universally accepted RDA specifically for vitamin K2 or MK-7.

Dietary recommendations generally refer to total vitamin K, historically based largely on requirements related to normal coagulation.

For example, the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board uses adequate intakes of 120 mcg/day total vitamin K for adult men and 90 mcg/day for adult women, not separate targets for K1, MK-4 and MK-7.

Therefore:

A supplement providing 90 or 120 mcg of MK-7 cannot honestly be described as “100% of your K2 requirement,” because an official K2-specific requirement has not been established.

That is exactly the kind of label distinction WellBeingMora content should make clear.

Where Does Vitamin D3 Fit?

K2 is frequently sold with vitamin D3 because vitamin D increases calcium absorption while vitamin K-dependent proteins participate in bone mineral biology.

That is reasonable nutritional logic.

But it should not become the stronger claim that vitamin D3 is unsafe unless K2 is always added.

If you are comparing the D3 side of a combination label, the WellBeingMora Vitamin D3 ingredient guide explains its role and dosing separately. 

And because D3 labels alternate between IU and mcg, the guide to converting vitamin D IU to mcg helps you compare the vitamin D component before judging the rest of the formula. 

 

What About WellBeingMora Vitamin D3 + K2?

WellBeingMora uses vitamin K2 as MK-7 in its combined D3, K2 and magnesium formula rather than relying on an undefined “vitamin K” declaration. 

The WellBeingMora Vitamin D3 K2 Magnesium Complex combines plant-derived D3 with MK-7, magnesium bisglycinate, calcium and other supporting micronutrients. The product connection is convenience and clearly identified nutrient forms—not proof that everyone needs supplemental K2 or that the finished formula prevents osteoporosis or cardiovascular disease.

For people specifically browsing formulations built around skeletal nutrition, the live WellBeingMora Bone Health collection is the relevant category. 

And for India-specific context on why vitamin D status itself is frequently discussed, the article on why Indians can have low vitamin D despite abundant sunlight covers the separate D3 question. 

The Biggest Safety Issue: Warfarin and Vitamin K2

This deserves more attention than any “best K2 food” ranking.

Vitamin K can counteract vitamin K-antagonist anticoagulants such as warfarin.

A controlled dose-response study gave anticoagulated volunteers just 10, 20 and 45 mcg/day of MK-7, and even these relatively low supplemental doses affected anticoagulation sensitivity in some participants. The MK-7 anticoagulant dose-response study demonstrates why people using vitamin K-antagonist medication should not casually add K2 supplements.

This does not mean people taking warfarin must eliminate all vitamin K foods.

Clinical management generally focuses on consistency of vitamin K intake and medication monitoring.

But starting a concentrated MK-7 supplement without discussing it with the prescribing clinician is different from eating your normal diet.

Foods or Supplements: Which Is Better?

If you regularly eat a varied diet, foods remain valuable because they provide far more than one micronutrient.

Eggs provide protein, choline and B12.

Dairy provides protein and calcium.

Leafy vegetables provide folate, potassium, fibre and large amounts of K1.

A supplement, by contrast, gives you a known dose of a specific form.

That makes the trade-off straightforward:

Food = broader nutrition but highly variable K2 content.

MK-7 supplement = predictable MK-7 dose but not automatically necessary.

Natto is the major exception because its natural MK-7 content is unusually high and relatively well established.

Bottom Line

When looking for vitamin K2 foods in India, do not confuse every vitamin K-rich food with a K2-rich food.

Palak and other leafy greens are primarily K1 sources.

Eggs and chicken provide some MK-4.

Fermented dairy can provide longer-chain menaquinones, but the amount varies substantially.

Natto is by far the clearest high-MK-7 food—but it is not a normal part of most Indian diets.

Most importantly, an Indian pilot analysis found no detectable MK-7 in the common Indian foods it tested, including several fermented foods. Because that study measured MK-7 rather than every menaquinone, it should not be used to claim that Indian diets contain no vitamin K2.

The practical conclusion is simpler:

If you want food-first nutrition, eat a varied diet and do not obsess over one K2 number.

If you specifically want a predictable MK-7 intake, a clearly labelled supplement provides something ordinary Indian food composition data currently cannot: a known dose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Which foods are highest in vitamin K2?

Natto is the standout source of MK-7, commonly containing around 850–1,000 mcg per 100 g. Certain aged cheeses can also provide meaningful long-chain menaquinones.

Q2. Is spinach high in vitamin K2?

No. Spinach is an excellent vitamin K food, but its dominant form is vitamin K1, or phylloquinone.

Q3. Is curd a good source of vitamin K2?

Some full-fat fermented dairy products contain long-chain menaquinones, but values vary with bacterial cultures and production. Indian data do not currently justify assigning ordinary dahi one reliable K2 number.

Q4. Does idli contain vitamin K2 because it is fermented?

Fermentation alone does not guarantee MK-7 production. In one Indian pilot study, MK-7 was not detected in the idli samples tested.

Q5. Does paneer contain K2?

Reliable India-specific quantitative data are limited. Fresh paneer should not automatically be assigned values measured in long-aged fermented European cheeses.

Q6. Do eggs contain vitamin K2?

Yes. Eggs can provide small amounts, mainly as MK-4. NIH data list approximately 4 mcg MK-4 in one large hard-boiled egg. 

Q7. Is there an RDA specifically for vitamin K2?

No separate universally accepted K2 or MK-7 RDA has been established. Dietary recommendations generally refer to total vitamin K.

Q8. Is a K2 supplement better than food?

It is more predictable, not automatically better. Food provides broader nutrition, while an MK-7 supplement gives a defined amount of a specific menaquinone.

Q9. Why is MK-7 commonly used in supplements?

MK-7 is a long-chain menaquinone with relatively long persistence in circulation, and nutritional doses have been studied in human trials for vitamin K-dependent protein carboxylation.

Q10. Can I take K2 if I use warfarin?

Do not start an MK-7 supplement without discussing it with the clinician managing your anticoagulation. Even relatively small supplemental MK-7 doses have altered anticoagulant response in controlled research.