The Powerful Relationship Between Vitamin D and K2

Have you ever instantly connected with someone while standing in line for coffee or out on your daily walk? That’s what it’s like when vitamin D and K2 work together within our bodies. When we have sufficient levels of these vitamins, they simply love to buddy up during biological reactions.

While these two vitamins have wonderful benefits on their own, they make an even more powerful team when taken together. From maintaining optimal bone health to preventing cardiovascular disease, this duo can support our health in many ways.

Getting to know vitamin D and vitamin K2

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin known for helping us absorb and process nutrients needed to support our bones and teeth, including calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D can be made by our bodies when exposed to ultraviolet rays from the sun, as well as found in our diets. But, with the lack of sunlight in Canada during winter months, we can be more prone to a deficiency in vitamin D, making it one of the most important nutrients to focus on.

Vitamin K2 is another fat-soluble vitamin, known for its blood coagulation or blood clotting abilities. It also plays an essential role in calcium metabolism by activating specific proteins involved in the biological process.

How do these vitamins work together?

Since both vitamins are heavily involved in metabolizing and retaining calcium, you can find them working together in these processes as well.

How exactly does this work? Well, vitamin D takes the calcium in our system and directs it from the intestines into our bloodstream. Then, vitamin K2 comes in and directs that calcium wherever our bodies need it most, usually to our bones and teeth. This two-step process allows our bodies to efficiently absorb and use calcium.

When we’ve got low levels of one of these vitamins, our bodies have to work harder to metabolize or process the calcium and put it to good use. A deficiency in either vitamin D or K2 can leave us with symptoms like low bone density, being more susceptible to bruises, and taking longer to stop bleeding from a wound or cut.

What are the benefits of taking them together?

Taking vitamins D and K2 together can have a couple of different benefits for our overall health.

Bone health

Pairing vitamin D and K2 has been shown to improve bone health. Because of how well they work together, studies have shown that vitamin K can effectively prevent osteoporosis, but only when taken with vitamin D.

Another study found that when these two vitamins pair up, they form new osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are cells that secrete a substance called osteocalcin, which is a marker for promoting new bone growth.

Cardiovascular health

When it comes to keeping the heart in great shape, vitamin D and K2 can be very helpful. Vitamin D is known to regulate calcium levels in our blood vessels, making sure we have just enough for a healthy heart. Although high amounts of vitamin D can cause our blood calcium levels to rise, sufficient levels of vitamin K2 can help counteract this. It does this by diverting the excess calcium from the bloodstream to the bones to normalize blood calcium levels.

Studies have also shown that combining vitamin D and K2 can help reduce inflammation and soften arteries in the heart by preventing buildup of calcium within them. As a result, this helps reduce the risk of developing heart disease and can even help to prevent it altogether.

Are you getting enough vitamin D & K2?

While the best way to ensure you have enough vitamin D is to get outside and soak up some sunlight, it may not always be possible, especially in the winter. Turning to external sources such as diet and supplementation can be a great option. Foods such as salmon, tuna, and eggs are rich in vitamin D. Vitamin K2 is primarily found in animal and fermented foods. This includes high-fat milk, egg yolks, and sauerkraut.

If you’re looking for supplemental options to increase your vitamin D and K2 intake, try CanPrev’s D3 & K2 softgels. Formulated with vitamin D3 cholecalciferol from lanolin and vitamin K2 from K2Vital, a soy-free, plant-sourced, 100% trans and bioactive vitamin K2 MK-7, these softgels are designed to build and maintain healthy bones. Not a fan of softgels? Try our D3 & K2 Drops, liquid sunshine in a bottle, enhanced with vitamin K to help support bone health.

Vitamin D and K2 go together as perfectly as peanut butter and jelly. Working harmoniously on critical processes like calcium metabolism for healthy bones and regulating blood calcium levels for a healthy heart, they’re the powerful duo your body needs.

References:
Vitamin D
Vitamin K2: Everything You Need to Know
The Synergistic Interplay between Vitamins D and K for Bone and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review
Vitamin K2 And D3: Should You Take Them Together?
Vitamin D Deficiency: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
Understanding Vitamin K Deficiency
Combination Vitamin D3 and K2: Game Changing Benefits

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