Are you taking Vitamin D3? Don’t forget Vitamin K!

We ALWAYS recommend taking vitamin D with vitamin K2 if you are supplementing.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin Vitamin D increases calcium levels in the body. Vitamin K helps the body use calcium by shuttling it to your bones. Increasing one’s intake of vitamin D without enough vitamin K can cause an increase in calcium levels without the ability to use it effectively, which raises the risk of depositing calcium in arteries and soft tissue. This is dangerous because it can lead to heart disease, heart attack and even stroke. It’s crucial that these vitamins be taken together because supplementing vitamin K with D helps the body use calcium properly to build bone instead of depositing it dangerously in arteries and soft tissue. Vitamin K actually has a protective effect on arteries, preventing buildup and therefore protecting against cardiovascular disease.

A recent study revealed a slower progression of calcification in those taking both vitamin K2 and vitamin D compared to those taking vitamin D alone. In fact, the K2 and D protected against cardiovascular calcification, while the D group alone did not.

Because vitamin D is so good at improving calcium levels, by taking it alone you could be working to increase the calcification of your arteries instead of strengthening your bones so make sure to include K2 in your vitamin D supplement regimen!

Which specific supplement do we recommend and at which dose? Well, that all depends on your blood levels. We have found that most people need between 2,000 and 5,000 IU of vitamin D plus K each day. We use the brand Designs for Health as they conveniently put D and K together into one pill. You can pick up this brand at our office!

http://ndt.oxfordjournals.org/content/28/suppl_1/i352.abstract