Doctor Says This Is the #1 Supplement to Take If You Have Arthritis

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 53 million U.S. adults (roughly 1 in 6) have arthritis, 44 percent of whom report limitations in their daily activities due to the condition.

Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for arthritis. Many doctors will recommend physical therapy to strengthen the joints, or they’ll prescribe pain medication or cortisone shots. In the case of the hips or knees, joint replacement surgery is another option. But some doctors say this under-the-radar supplement could offer serious arthritis relief.

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Can vitamin K2 relieve arthritis?

In a new TikTok video, chiropractor and wellness influencer Eric Berg, DC, says that vitamin K2 is the number-one vitamin to take for arthritis.

“It’s a vitamin that removes calcium buildup and calcification from your joints,” he shares. “It also decreases inflammation in the cartilage, and it also helps remodel, or rebuild, the cartilage.”

Now, we don’t advocate taking the word of any doctor on TikTok, but research backs up Berg’s claims, and other experts agree.

“There is evidence that vitamin K2 supplementation could reduce inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis by reducing C-reactive protein levels,” Matthew Black, RDN, LD, registered dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Business Insider.

What are C-reactive proteins? As Cleveland Clinic explains, they’re proteins made by your liver that are activated in your bloodstream when your body is fighting inflammation.

To this point, a 2021 study published in the journal Current Developments in Nutrition found that vitamin K2 exhibited an “immunosuppressive function” in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

A 2024 study published in the journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy similarly concluded that vitamin K2 could protect knee joints affected by osteoarthritis by increasing bone mass, slowing down cartilage breakdown, and reducing inflammation.

Moreover, Raj Dasgupta, MD, a quadruple board-certified physician and the chief medical advisor for Garage Gym Reviews, previously explained to Best Life, “Vitamin K helps activate osteocalcin, a protein produced by osteoblasts, the cells responsible for building bones, making them stronger and more resilient. This is important for maintaining bone density and reducing the risk of fractures, especially as you age.”

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Other benefits of vitamin K2:

In speaking with Cleveland Clinic, registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, said, “I think we’ve always known that there’s a vitamin K2, I just don’t think we’ve really ever given it enough credit for how much work it does in the body.”

There are two types of vitamin K, vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. Both are fat-soluble vitamins, but K2 has a better absorption rate, meaning you may stand to reap more of its benefits.

It’s well documented that vitamin K aids in blood clotting (its primary function) and improves heart health by helping to “prevent calcium from depositing in your arteries,” explained Zumpano. In terms of the latter benefit, research shows that vitamin K2 may be more effective than K1.

RELATED: Research Reveals the No. 1 Supplement to Take If You Get Leg Cramps.

How to up your vitamin K2 intake:

Normally, the best way to get any nutrient is through the foods you eat. And while vitamin K1 is found in traditionally healthy foods such as leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and nuts, vitamin K2 is most abundant in “animal products and fermented foods, as opposed to natural, plant food sources,” Zumpano pointed out, meaning they’re not the most heart-healthy.

Nattō (a fermented soy item from Japan), blue cheese, Gouda cheese, and egg yolks are some of the foods highest in vitamin K2.

You can also get vitamin K through supplements, but you should speak with your doctor before taking any new vitamins.

Between both vitamins K1 and K2, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends that adult women consume 90 mcg of vitamin K daily and men 120 mcg.