I seriously love cheese! Always have, probably always will. While many people shun dairy because it can react in your body the same way that gluten does (similar protein structure), I think dairy has its place…if you source it appropriately and get the right kind of cheese.
Enter: GOUDA. Why is Gouda cheese superior? Vitamin K2! Vitamin K2 is the magical nutrient that Weston A. Price refers to as “Activator X”, which he believes is essential for vibrant health and resistance to aging and degenerative disease. Read a detailed account of his studies in his book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. No other cheese has this amount of K2.
Gouda: Vitamin K2 powerhouse
Why K2 is essential to good health:
- Cancer protective: K2 has been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 35 percent. K2 protects against leukemia and might even be used as a treatment for leukemia. It has been shown to stop the growth and invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer). K2 has also been shown to supress the growth of lung and bladder cancers.
- Heart health: K2 protects us from heart disease by reducing calcium deposits in the arteries (some studies have even shown it can reverse arterial calcification). K2 basically takes the extra calcium in the blood and deposits it into our bones, where it should be.
- Bone health: K2 helps form strong bones by promoting calcium deposition into the bones, and maintains bone mineralization by limiting the formation of osteoclasts (the cells that break down bone)
- Skin health: K2 is associated with prevention of wrinkles, skin sagging, varicose veins. K2 prevents calcification of our skin’s elastin, thus smoothing our lines and wrinkles. K2 is also necessary for vitamin A to do its job, which is maintaining proper skin call proliferation.
- Oral health: Weston A. Price talks extensively about the role of K2 and tooth health. K2 helps keep teeth cavity resistant by helping dentin produce osteocalcin, which deposits calcium into the enamel. Saliva has the second highest concentration of Vitamin K2 in the body.
- Brain health: K2 promotes healthy brain function and is currently being studied for its role in the prevention of and treatment for dementia
Gouda cheese is higher in Vitamin K2 than most liver, grassfed butter, and even pastured egg yolks.
Other sources of K2 (data from Weston A. Price Foundation):
Resources:
45 Replies to “Gouda: Vitamin K2 Powerhouse”
Awesome! I love cheese and dairy products. I also want to make a comment that I used to supplement with Vitamin D3 all the time and my levels were still on the lower end of the spectrum…. I was taking up to 10,000IUs of D3 a day… then, about 2 years ago I learned about K2 and how vitamin D3 isn’t absorbed (or something like that, maybe assimilated is the right word?) without K2. When I started supplementing with K2, my vitamin D3 levels shot up. That was the only difference I made, now I have to cut back on my D3 because my levels are a bit higher than my ND wants them to be… But that is my own experience, and proof enough for me regarding how important K2 is.
Rebecca, that is fantastic! K2 is wonderful and we get it every day through our fermented cod liver oil and the gouda I put on our scrambled eggs in the morning. If only Big Pharma would promote food and not synthetic vitamins and medications. Ahh the power of food!
Hi,
This is a great article on Gouda and Vitamin K2, which my partner and I have just started eating daily. We also drink raw milk Kefir, which is high in Vitamin K2 and I believe having plenty of beneficial bacteria in the gut (From the Kefir) also helps with Vitamin K2 production.
Another thing I wanted to say was. I am a bit worried that you have scrambled eggs almost every day, because I have read that this is the worst way to eat eggs, because the scrambling oxidises the cholesterol in the egg, making it harmful for the body.
https://undergroundhealthreporter.com/cholesterol-oxidation/#axzz3qoiz6ovp
‘Ideally, the yolks should be consumed raw as the heat will damage many of the highly perishable nutrients in the yolk. Additionally, the cholesterol in the yolk can be oxidized with high temperatures, especially when it is in contact with the iron present in the whites and cooked, as in scrambled eggs, and such oxidation contributes to chronic inflammation in your body, which is definitely associated with increased risk of plaque formation and heart disease.’
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/08/27/eating-eggs.aspx
thanks so much for sharing!!!! Your infoHas helped a lot!
Is there a certain measurement of daily Gouda consumption that’s needed to help with bone density improvement?
I have never been asked that before! It’s hard to give a prescription for cheese. I would say that (if you tolerate dairy) have a few slices for a snack or melted on foods like scrambled eggs or veggies. If you do not tolerate dairy (GI upset after eating dairy, excess mucus production, frequent sinus issues, etc.) then consider taking fermented cod liver oil to get your Vitamin K2 (as well as vitamins A & D). I hope that answers your question. One of the best things you can do to improve bone density is weight lifting and resistance training.
Thanks for the response
Glad to read this – lately I am addicted to Trader Joe’s sliced gouda – it’s SO good!
No problem, thanks for the question!
Hi Kate,
Thanks for this article! I’m from the Netherlands so it’s good to see not one, but two items on the list (egg from Holland!). But i do have one question though and that’s if it makes any difference how long the cheese has been matured. Over here we have an abundance of Gouda cheese and i just wondered if you’d get the same amount of K2 in younger cheese as well as more mature cheese. Hope you can help.
Thanks!
Heleen
I believe the longer it’s aged the higher levels of K2, but I’m not totally sure. Great question though. If you find out the answer please let me know!
Yes, the longer the Gouda cheese is aged the higher the vitamin
K2 levels. They say it should be aged about 13 weeks for the highest levels of K-2.:)
Thank-you for the post! Silly question here . . . how does natto taste? I’ve been reading how it is so high in K2 and was reading a bit on how to make it at home. Now I am wondering where to find non GMO soybeans and if I could even handle the taste if I did make some??? 🙂
Does Natto taste? Yes…….horrible! It is usually served with this mustard that kills the gross flavor but its pretty tough to get down. I keep trying though, because it’s so healthy. They say it can take up to 21 times of trying a food that you don’t like before you can learn to like it. Stubborn tastebuds! I have not tried making it. If you do try making some Natto, please let me know how it goes! Here is where you can get non-GMO soybeans —-> https://amzn.to/15YULWG
I make my own natto. We found a used chemistry lab incubator for $30, which is great for making the natto in. I let it ferment at 100F for 24 hours. It stinks while fermenting, so the incubator is kept in the basement. I am not crazy about natto, but eat it anyway. I eat it with hot sauce which helps the taste a LOT.
Ooh, hot sauce is a good idea! I have never found a way to stomach natto. Do you mind sharing your recipe with me? I might have to give it a try!
Hi Karen,
I would also like to know how to make natto from scratch because it is not available in our stores.
what do I need to make my own?
thanks.
Regards,
tony
23 nov 2016
Natto/soy is not good to eat if you have hypothyroidism. But 1/4 cup of fresh parsley a day is also a good plant source of K2.
Why not? It IS fermented!
Is the Gouda cheese you eat made from raw milk? Thanks!
Yes it is! Plus, its local and grass-fed. We are very lucky to have it at our co-op 🙂
Is that the Marieke Gouda? That’s all I could find on the co-op website. Unfortunately, it is not grass-fed. 🙁
It will still be a good source of K2.
Kate, I do want to point out that supermarket Gouda cheese made in the US only has a fraction, if any, of the K2 of Gouda cheese made in The Netherlands. It’s the bacteria culture that matters. Grass-fed cows yield higher K2 in milk and butter than grain-fed cows, but the milk culture used in the Netherlands is crucial for the production of high K2 in Gouda cheese. Also, it ideally should be the 14-week or older Gouda, not the soft young cheese. Other cheeses high in K2 are blue cheeses and brie from France. Probably easier for most people to take a good supplement, as there is no known toxicity.
Dutch girl living in France (easy to get enough K2 here 🙂 )
ADAPT Functional Medicine Health Coach in training (Kresser Institute)
What co op do you purchase from? My family loves Gouda I’ve never been able to find grass fed Gouda! Thanks in advance !
Lakewinds in Minnetonka 🙂
Oh you are in MN too I see !Which K2 do you take?
I am in MN! Right now I take a K2/D3 drop: https://amzn.to/2yYVM45
As vitamin K is an antagonist when taking warfarin, I would ask is it safe to consume in small amounts?
I really can’t advise on that, for legal reasons. That being said, I am sure you are fine eating a bit of Gouda cheese 🙂
It does not matter if it’s grass fed or not, bacteria that’s in it is all that counts
I’m lactose intolerant would I beable to eat gouda cheese I’m struggling to find a food source of k2 food. Thankyou so much. Also would lactose free cheddar hard cheese I’m eating contain any k2?.
You could try natto, its dairy free and an excellent source of K2: https://amzn.to/2Jjo3pB. I personally take this K2 as a supplement every day: https://amzn.to/2q5Nsel. Hope this helps!
Tempeh is also a good source of Vitamin K2 for Vegans. But nothing beats the simplicity of Gouda Cheese. Gouda is made with distinct cultures that produce Vitamin K2, so the source or make up of milk doesn’t matter. Also Wisconsin makes fair amount of Gouda & Edam cheeses among other states in US. Wisconsin also makes Smoked & Aged Gouda. They all have similar amount of Vitamin K2 as Dutch Gouda. You don’t necessarily have to eat Dutch Gouda. But Dutch Gouda is available all over US. You can also get Vitamin K2 from Brie & Jarlsberg which are also readily available in US.
I have been eating natto three to four times a week for several months I eat it plain I do not put any mustard or the soy sauce that comes with it in the packet
Love cheese…….however, as have to restrict salt ……is Gouda highly salted ?…….and I believe as cheese ages it increases K2…….it tastes even stronger and assume salt content must still be the same?
I think salt crystals form, but I am not sure that the salt level increases