Taking vitamin D3 with vitamin K2 is important because of how these nutrients work together to manage calcium in your body. This blog will explain why this combination is very important, and what can happen if you take calcium without enough vitamin D3 and K2.

Why Vitamin D3 and K2 Work Together:

1. Calcium Absorption and Regulation:
   • Vitamin D3 helps your body absorb calcium from your diet. Without adequate vitamin D3, your body won’t absorb calcium efficiently, no matter how much you consume.
   • Vitamin K2, on the other hand, helps direct the calcium to the right places—mainly the bones and teeth. It activates certain proteins like osteocalcin, which helps bind calcium to the bone matrix. Additionally, K2 activates matrix Gla-protein (MGP), which helps prevent calcium from depositing in soft tissues like the arteries.
2. Bone and Cardiovascular Health:
   • Bone Health: Vitamin D3 boosts calcium absorption, and vitamin K2 ensures it is effectively used to build and strengthen bones. Without K2, calcium may end up in the bloodstream or soft tissues rather than in the bones, leading to weaker bones and a higher risk of osteoporosis.
   • Cardiovascular Health: If you have high levels of calcium in the bloodstream and not enough K2 to direct it to the bones, it can lead to calcium buildup in blood vessels, contributing to arterial calcification and an increased risk of heart disease.

What Happens if You Take Calcium Without Enough Vitamin D3 and K2?

1. Inefficient Calcium Absorption:
   • If you take calcium supplements without sufficient vitamin D3, your body may not absorb the calcium well. This means you could end up taking a lot of calcium but not using it effectively to support bone health.
2. Calcium Build-Up in Soft Tissues:
   • Without vitamin K2, even if calcium is absorbed, there is a risk that it will be deposited in inappropriate places, such as your arteries or kidneys, leading to vascular calcification and potential kidney stones. This can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
3. Weakened Bones:
   • In the absence of adequate vitamin D3, your body may not have enough calcium available to support bone health, even if you’re taking calcium supplements. Over time, this can contribute to bone density loss and conditions like osteopenia or osteoporosis.

Summary:

• Vitamin D3 ensures calcium is absorbed properly, while vitamin K2 directs calcium to the bones and keeps it out of soft tissues, like arteries.
• Taking calcium without sufficient vitamin D3 and K2 can lead to inefficient calcium use, weaker bones, and potential calcification of soft tissues, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and other complications.

Other effects of Vitamin D3

• Can support the innate and adaptic immune response
• Low D3 is associated with increased autoimmunity
• Low D3 and increased susceptibility to infections

How to determine if you are taking the right amount of Vitamin D3?

There is a simple blood spot test (finger prick done at home, no blood draw necessary) if you can not have your Vitamin D level checked with your PCP.

Here is some information on why knowing your D3 level and maintaining the proper supplementation level is important.

Why Assess Vitamin D Levels?

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to increased risk for many common and serious diseases, including some common cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. Deficiency is also prevalent in infants who are solely breastfed and who do not receive Vitamin D supplementation. Adults of all ages who have darker skin (increased skin melanin) or who always wear sun protection or limit their outdoor activities, such as homebound elderly persons, are also prone to Vitamin D deficits.

Sunlight exposure is a natural source of Vitamin D and has been shown to prevent many chronic diseases. Low levels of Vitamin D are also linked to seasonal depression, particularly during the winter months with less sunlight exposure. Vitamin D can also be obtained through diet and supplementation, although there are few food sources (fatty fish, fish liver oil, and eggs) that contain it naturally. Fortified foods may contain synthetic forms of Vitamin D, which are less potent and have a shorter lifespan in the body.

MosaicDX’s Vitamin D Test is a dried blood spot analysis that quantitates 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 metabolites. The metabolite 25-hydroxyvitamin D is the major circulating form of Vitamin D in the body and the best indicator of a patient’s true vitamin status. The major biologic function of Vitamin D is to maintain the normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus involved in bone mineralization. Vitamin D also influences the expression of more than 2,000 genes, including those responsible for the regulation of cellular proliferation, cell differentiation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. The immune-modulating effects of Vitamin D are profound, as evidenced by the many conditions that are associated with Vitamin D deficiency.

For more information and to order Mosaic Vitamin D testing, click here.

Click below for more info and to order Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 1000iu w/ K2 10 mcg per drop

Vitamin D3 5000 iu w/ K2 180 mcg

Contact Waltham’s Johnson Compounding and Wellness at 781-893-3870 for additional details