Kappa Bioscience to form vitamin K2 advisory board
The three founding members, which include authorities in cardiology, immunology, kinesiology, and molecular nutrition, aims to grow awareness of the benefits linked to the Menaquinone 7 (MK-7) vitamin K2 form.
"The addition of this unique group of scientists to our highly qualified internal science team dramatically expands the scope of scientific support possible for Kappa's platform ingredient," says Trygve Bergeland, Vice President Science at Kappa.
"Together, we believe that we will be able to establish a recommended daily intake for K2 for all people as an essential nutrient, as well as raising awareness of its role in maintaining health," he adds.
The three members advisory board members are Dr John Ivy, the Teresa Lozano Long Endowed Chair Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr Susanne Talcott, Associate Professor Texas A&M University, Food Science & Technology, Molecular Researcher.
The two will be joined by Dr Nathan Wong, cardiovascular epidemiologist, a specialist in preventive cardiology, and Professor and Director, Heart Disease Prevention Program, Division of Cardiology at the University of California.
Company commitment
Kappa intends to announce additional members in the immediate future as Egil Greve, Kappa's Chief Executive Officer comments: “The formation of Kappa's Scientific and Medical Advisory Board is a further demonstration of the Company's commitment to maintaining its leadership position in the K2 sector and to bringing its remarkable health benefits to a growing number of consumers worldwide."
"We are honoured to have attracted this esteemed group of scientists. The top-class experts together have authored over 700 scientific papers,” he adds.
“We are confident that with their help, awareness of Vitamin K2 and its scope of benefits will rapidly accelerate."
The MK-7 form of vitamin K2 has been shown to be important in the transport and absorption of calcium. The specialised form has also been shown to help prevent coronary artery calcification.
The vitamin is therefore beneficial to both bone and cardiovascular health and is typically found in fermented foods such as natto (fermented soy beans) and fermented cheeses.
Some epidemiological studies suggest that many people do not obtain enough vitamin K2 MK-7 from dietary sources.
However, the lack of awareness of the importance and function of this vitamin among medical practitioners may mean that the full implications of deficiency in certain populations are poorly recognised.
Another meaningful step
Dominik Mattern, VP of Marketing, adds: "With the formation of the Advisory Board, we are taking another meaningful step to explore the many potential health effects of this stunning vitamin and share it with our customers and the world."
Kappa Bioscience was at the centre of a license agreement with Optibotix in 2019 for the use of its Lactobacillus plantarum (LPLDL) probiotic strain to address cardiovascular health.
The agreement, which covers 27 European countries but also includes Russia and Singapore, looks to combine LPLDL's cholesterol and blood pressure-reducing abilities with Kappa's vitamin K2 product.
More recently, under its new ‘Brand & Plant’ programme, Kappa Bioscience will fund the planting of 1000 trees every time a customer uses its K2VITAL logo on pack.
Companies who sign up to the ‘Brand & Plant’ co-branding scheme receive a certificate with the tree count and plant species, as well as a map and a link to the related restoration project, for example, mangrove planting in Madagascar.
