종합비타민 속 E와 K, 아직도 뭔지 모르고 드시나요?

[Yakkal's 3-Line Summary💊]

Vitamin E comes in 8 different forms, and mixed types have stronger antioxidant effects than single types.

Vitamins E and C are a perfect pair! â When taken together, they revive each other and double the effect.

Vitamin K1 handles blood clotting, K2 handles bone and cardiovascular health â even though they're both K, their roles are completely different.

Hello, this is YAYAâ½, the pillar of Yakkal and the embodiment of multivitamins!

From our previous column, [Multivitamins and multivitamins aren't the same thing after all?]â did you read it well??

If you haven't seen it yet, reading it first will make today's content much easier to understand.

In part 1, we covered vitamins A, B, C, and D, but since there was so much content, we split it into two parts.

Today, we'll take an in-depth look at vitamins E and Kthat we couldn't cover in part 1.

So, shall we get started right away?!

오늘은 종합비타민 영양제에서 비타민 E와 K에 대해 깊이 있게 알아볼게요

1. Vitamin E â Your Body's 'Rust Preventative''

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin.

(Fat-soluble = dissolves in oil and gets stored in your body is what it means.)

What does vitamin E do??

Vitamin E does the following in our body:!

Role	Description
Antioxidant action	Protects cells from free radicals and slows down aging
Immune enhancement	Helps immune cells function properly
Cardiovascular health	Prevents bad cholesterol from accumulating in blood vessels

By the way, do you know what free radicals are??

They're 'unstable oxygen fragments' created when your body produces energy from oxygen.

Just as a car produces exhaust when it burns fuel,, free radicals are produced when our body uses energy. When there are too many, they attack cells and 'rust' your body.

Vitamin E neutralizes these free radicals and protects cells â acting as a 'rust preventative'.

☝️For reference,, causes of increased free radicals include stress, UV rays, smoking, excessive drinking, pollution, irregular lifestyle, and more!

Vitamins E and C are a dream team

Here's something interesting:.

As vitamin E blocks free radicals, it becomes oxidized itself â essentially depleting its power.

At this point, vitamin C steps in and revives the oxidized vitamin E.

So, taking vitamins E and C together creates a more powerful antioxidant effect. It's like a team play where they back each other up!

This is why both are included in multivitamins 👀

종합비타민, 비타민 C가 산화된 비타민 E를 다시 살려줘요

Recommended intake and deficiency

Category	Details
Daily recommended amount	12mg α-TE
Upper limit of intake	540mg
When deficient	Nervous system problems, hemolytic anemia, decreased reproductive function

In the table above, 'you might wonder what Î±-TE is..' ?

You've probably seen this written "12mg α-TE" on product labels.

Here, Î±-TE stands for 'alpha-tocopherol equivalent''. It's a standard unit for measuring the bioactivity of vitamin E.

Why is such a unit necessary??

Vitamin E comes in no fewer than 8 different types, and since each type has different benefits, a common standard is needed for comparison .

So, Î±-TE is a unit converted based on 'alpha-tocopherol,' which has the best effect.

For example, if a product says "12mg Î±-TE," it has the same effect as 12mg of alpha-tocopherol!

가장 효과가 좋은 '알파-토코페롤'을 기준으로 환산한 단위가 α-TE예요

Tocopherol vs. Tocotrienol â What's the difference??

Vitamin E is divided into two major families:.

① Tocopherol)

② Tocotrienol)

And within each family, there are alpha (Î±), beta (Î²), gamma (Î³), and delta (Î´)) forms. So in total, there are 8 different forms.

Type	Characteristics	Food sources
Tocopherol	The most common form Alpha (Î±) form ranks #1 in bioactivity	Sunflower oil, almonds, spinach
Tocotrienol	Stronger antioxidant power than tocopherol Particularly effective for the brain, heart, and liver	Palm oil, barley, brown rice

토코페롤 vs 토코트리에놀, 뭐가 다를까요?

Bioactivity by each form â it becomes clear with numbers

When alpha-tocopherol's bioactivity is set 1.0 at 1.0, here are the bioactivities of other forms:.

Tocopherol family

Form	Bioactivity
Î±-tocopherol	1.0 (standard))
Î²-tocopherol	0.5
Î³-tocopherol	0.1
Î´-tocopherol	0.03

Tocotrienol family

Form	Bioactivity
Î±-tocotrienol	Approximately 0.3
Î²-tocotrienol	Approximately 0.15
Î³-tocotrienol	Approximately 0.08
Î´-tocotrienol	Approximately 0.0

To put it more simply:.

Tocopherol: Regular security guard â patrols the whole body providing protection
Tocotrienol: Special forces security â focuses on protecting vital organs like the heart and brain

So should I only take alpha-tocopherol??

Looking at the numbers alone, you might think "alpha-tocopherol ranks #1 in bioactivity, so just taking this should be enough, right?"?

The answer is 'no'.

Since the Î±-TE unit is based on alpha-tocopherol, it doesn't fully reflect the unique benefits of tocotrienol.

Actual research shows that mixed tocopherol formulationsare more powerful than single alpha-tocopherol formulations at preventing cell damage and reducing disease risk .

The reason is that various tocopherol forms work in a complementary manner to strengthen the overall antioxidant network Teamwork is stronger than going solo.

!

그럼 알파-토코페롤만 먹으면 되나요? 아니에요, 혼합 토코페롤 제제를 드시는 걸 추천합니다

Read the label like this!

Label notation	Meaning	Recommendation
""d-alpha-tocopherol" or "alpha-tocopherol" only listed	Single form	△
"Mixed tocopherols"	Contains multiple tocopherols	⭕
"Includes tocotrienol"	Includes tocotrienol	⭕⭕

So the conclusion is:, Products with ""mixed tocopherols" or "contains tocotrienol" written on the label are a good choice!

If you want to know more about vitamin E types, benefits, and precautions when taking it,
👉 [Pharmacist Kwak Chul-i's Complete Vitamin E Selection Guide]can be a helpful reference!

2. Vitamin K â Stops Bleeding and Strengthens Bones

The K in vitamin K comes from the German word Koagulation (coagulation)).

As the name suggests, it plays a key role, in blood coagulation.

What does vitamin K do??

Role	Description
Blood coagulation	Helps stop bleeding when you get a wound
Cardiovascular health	Inhibits calcium buildup in blood vessel walls and helps prevent arteriosclerosis
Bone health	Helps calcium absorb well into bones and teeth, contributing to maintaining bone health

Recommended intake and deficiency

Category	Details
Daily recommended amount	Males 75 Î¼g / Females 65 Î¼g㎍
Upper limit of intake	No specific limit (however, caution advised for long-term high-dose use)!)
When deficient	Delayed blood coagulation, increased bleeding tendency, decreased bone density

K1 vs K2 — Same K but completely different roles

Vitamin K is divided into K1 and K2 two types.

Although the names are similar, what they do is quite different.

Type	Alternative name	Role	Food sources
Vitamin K1	Phylloquinone	Blood coagulation (Works in the liver)	Spinach, broccoli, kale, and other leafy green vegetables
Vitamin K2	Menaquinone	Bone health + cardiovascular health (Works throughout the body)	Chungguljang, natto, cheese, egg yolks, and other fermented foods

K2's core role â calcium traffic controller

Let's look more closely at what K2 does.

① Bone health: K2 'activates a protein called osteocalcin'. This protein binds calcium to bones.

② Cardiovascular health: K2 also 'MGP(Matrix Gla Protein)'activates a protein called MGP (matrix Gla protein). This protein prevents calcium from accumulating in blood vessels.

In simple terms,, K2 directs calcium to "bones, not blood vessels" â directing traffic.

So, when K2 is insufficient, calcium can accumulate in the wrong place â blood vessels â potentially leading to arteriosclerosis.

No matter how much calcium you consume, without K2 you may not see proper results.

Finding this a bit difficult? Understand it this way:!

K1: Bandage that stops wounds â helps stop bleeding.
K2: Calcium navigation system â precisely directs calcium: 'blood vessels off-limits, bones are your destination', so calcium doesn't get lost and settles only in bones .

비타민 K1 vs K2, 같은 K인데 역할이 완전 달라요

Which should you take â vitamins K1 or K2??

Situation	Recommendation
Usually eat plenty of green vegetables🥬	K1 Likely sufficient
Concerned about bone health (osteoporosis risk group))🦴	Consider K2 supplementation
Concerned about cardiovascular health🩸	Consider K2 supplementation
Taking calcium supplements💊	Taking K2 together ensures calcium goes to your bones

Most multivitamins primarily contain K1.

If you want to pay attention to K2, check if the product includes K2or if separate supplementationis needed.

Wrapping up â Next episode preview

Today, we took an in-depth look at vitamins E and K.

Key takeaways

Vitamin	Key points
Vitamin E	Among 8 different forms, mixed typeshave stronger antioxidant effects than single types. Taking it with vitamin C creates synergistic effects!
Vitamin K	K1 handles blood coagulation. K2 handles bone and cardiovascular health. Even though they're both K, their roles are completely different!

Well, now we've covered all the vitamins!

In the next episode, we'll explore the final piece of the multivitamin puzzle:, 'minerals'.

Calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron â the names are familiar, but effects vary completely depending on the absorption form â did you know??

There's also a competitive relationship between minerals, so improper intake can actually be detrimental.

Look forward to the next episode!

종합비타민 영양제 가이드, 다음 편에서는 종합비타민의 마지막 퍼즐, '미네랄'에 대해 알아볼게요

And once component studies are complete, you'll need to know how to choose products in practice?

👉 [5 things pharmacists check when reviewing multivitamins] Check out the column to preview actual multivitamin supplement analysis methods!

I'll see you next time with more quality content.

Stay healthy, everyone! 💪

This was Yakkal's YAYA!