Both Vitamin D3 and K2 are crucial for the majority of body functions, and taking the right combination is very important for our health. Vitamin D3 helps us absorb calcium for bone and tooth building, but only if taken with vitamin K2. This pushes the calcium we ingest into our bones and teeth, not soft tissue such as arteries.
This interplay of the two vitamins supports the bones as well as the cardiovascular system because vitamin K2 does not calcify the walls of the arterial cavities. Moreover, the two vitamins are also needed for the immune system, muscle and disease resistance. Vitamin D3 and K2 work in combination to ensure calcium is well absorbed to help avoid fractures, to support healthy hearts, and to support our physical and mental health.
What is Vitamin D3 and K2?
Vitamin K2
As a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin K1 is highest in green leafy vegetables. Vitamin K2 is the highest in fermented dairy, made by a few bacteria in the intestine. The more it's easily absorbed, the longer vitamin K2 stays in our bodies.
It then separates even further into subtypes called menaquinone forms. The relevant menaquinones are the following:
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MK-4: A highly absorbed vitamin K that facilitates calcium entry into our bones.
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Trans-MK-7: It stays in biological contact with our bodies for an extended period of time and assists with keeping the arteries flexible.
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MK-6 & MK-9: These types have greater cardiovascular health, arterial elasticity, and life expectancy.
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D is not only a vitamin, but it is a hormone because it can be produced by sunlight in the body. It is a signalling molecule and almost all cells in our body possess a receptor for it. Vitamin D is something you can derive from the sun, but you shouldn't rely on it alone.
This is why you should consume vitamin D3 regularly to get the most from it. The best animal sources of vitamin D are the fish types such as whitefish and tuna. Other healthy sources of vitamin D3 include white meats and hard-boiled eggs.
For vegans, the foods with the most vitamin D are mushrooms, specifically portobello mushrooms.
5 Top Benefits of Vitamin D3 and K2
1. Helps With Bone Growth
We often think of calcium as a mineral that will support healthy bones. It’s absolutely critical, of course, but our bodies don’t always make the best use of it. Vitamins D3 and K2 will need to come into the picture to enable it to work properly.
Consider your body like a construction site. Calcium is the bricks you use to build really robust structures. Vitamin D3 is the construction crew that gets those bricks to where they’re supposed to go.
Without instruction, the workers can throw the bricks where they shouldn’t. That is where Vitamin K2 comes into play. It acts as the site guard and ensures calcium arrives in our bones and teeth.
If you don’t take either of these vitamins, you increase the chance of developing brittle bones or osteoporosis.
2. Improved Cardiovascular Health
Heart failure concerns many people. Just about everyone has been told the usual spiel about exercises and diets, but almost no one’s talking about vitamins. Did you know that Vitamin K2 helps to boost the heart by stabilizing the blood calcium levels?
When consumed, sodium fills up your arteries and thickens the walls of your vessels, but Vitamin K2 forces it from your arteries and into your bones. Here’s where things get interesting. K2 also opens up the blood vessels, which is good for our hearts and overall health.
Having dysfunctioning arteries swell up your heart, causing your blood pressure to go up and leaving you at greater risk of a heart attack. By keeping your arterial walls flexible, K2 could help prevent heart disease.
Vitamin K2 in a nutshell is one of the key heart health factors. Not only does it regulate our levels of calcium, but it keeps our arteries clear. By incorporating Vitamin K2 into your daily meal, it can help give you that little extra help to protect your heart.
3. Boosted Immune System
Our immune system is our body’s first line of defence against viruses, often compared to a blanket. If we fail to keep up, our immune system can become impaired. This is among the many reasons we require Vitamin D3 to keep our immune cells at bay.
More specifically, Vitamin D3 supports our T Cells. These are the cells that detect and destroy intruders. Without Vitamin D3, our T cells become inactive, leaving us susceptible to infection.
Further, we have learned that Vitamin D deficiency makes us vulnerable to respiratory ailments. While Vitamin K2 isn’t actually supporting our immune system, it is preventing the body from digesting calcium properly.
At least that’s what professionals are saying. Vitamin D3 also effectively chases away germs, especially the common cold, with Vitamin K2 performing the same way.
Vitamin K2 indirectly supports your immune system. If you maintain an adequate amount of these vitamins, you’re strengthening your own defences.
4. Supports Healthy Muscle Function
As we grow older, muscle function is essential. Luckily, researchers discovered that Vitamin D3 increases muscle tone and function. Likewise, vitamin D3 also promotes muscle activity, which is essential for strength and stability.
Those who are high in Vitamin D3 suffer fewer falls. Though not involved directly in muscle activity, Vitamin K2 still plays an essential role due to calcium regulation. Additionally, K2 pushes calcium exactly where it needs to be placed, encouraging muscle function by sustaining total skeletal integrity.
5. Promotes Mental Well-Being
You may assume that healthy thoughts have something to do with your health. Vitamin D3 can help improve your mood and counter depression. In fact, a number of studies have found that D3 supplements are related to better mood and brain function.
Vitamin D3 and K2 should be a priority to all who want to take care of his/her brain. It is as healthy for the mind as it is for the body.
What Does Vitamin D3 and K2 Do Together?
As for Vitamin D3 and K2, well, they both come together to make us into our healthiest selves. While D3 and K2 both contribute, D3 needs K2 to transport calcium into the bone. They are a complement vitamin used in conjunction.
Because vitamin D3 is our key to assimilating calcium from our food, the K2 has to stimulate an auxiliary protein called osteocalcin. This helps release the calcium into the bone. As they go hand in hand, you can't have one without the other.
This is similar to most nutrients to initiate crucial physiological reactions.
How Much Vitamin D3 and K2 Do I Need?
As for vitamin K, you should get at least 2.5 mg of a full vitamin every day. Other people may need more depending on bone and arterial status. If you aren’t sure where you’re falling, take a bone and arterial exam.
Only your blood test will tell you how much vitamin D3 you need. The experts estimate 50-80 ng/mL to be the ideal dose of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, which means that most people need between 2,000-10,000 IU per day.
Final Thoughts
For the most part, vitamin D3 and K2 supplements are among the best ways to remain healthy and away from the majority of diseases. These two vitamins help coordinate the body’s calcium metabolic rate by letting calcium absorb and travel to the bones, as well as soft tissues such as arteries and kidneys. Together, it maintains bone health, prevents osteoporosis, and shields the heart from damaging arterial calcification.
Besides bone and heart health, vitamin D3 aids the immune system, increasing the body’s ability to resist infection and reducing autoimmune disease. This is supplemented by Vitamin K2, which also regulates inflammation and possibly other neuroprotective functions for the brain. Furthermore, all of these vitamins work together to support muscle function and physical health, especially during older age by helping to promote muscle strength, reduce fall risk, and maintain your mobility.
Nutrition with adequate vitamin D3 and K2 can thus significantly increase bone density, cardiovascular function, immune function, and muscular strength to protect against chronic disease and aging. Most people say both vitamins are one of the most reliable ways to make sure that you stay fit and strong for the long term.
Vitamin D3 and K2: FAQ
1. What is Vitamin D3?
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is a fat-soluble vitamin that is consumed by the body as calcium for bone, immune system, and general wellbeing.
2. What is Vitamin K2?
The vitamin K compound vitamin K2 (menaquinone) keeps bones strong by redirecting calcium production to the bones and not the soft tissues of the heart like arteries.
3. Why do I need Vitamin D3 and K2 together?
Vitamin D3 helps your body take up more calcium and Vitamin K2 keeps calcium going into your bones, not artery soft tissue. Together they give you healthy bones and a healthy heart.
4. Where does Vitamin D3 work?
Vitamin D3 balances blood calcium and phosphorus for bone and immunity. It also supports mood and health.
5. What are the benefits of Vitamin K2?
This vitamin activates proteins to ensure that calcium is maintained in the body. It replenishes the bones and keeps the arteries from calcifying, which keeps the heart fit.