Combination Vitamin D3 and K2: Game Changing Benefits (2023)

Supplementing vitamin D3 and K2 comes with all the benefits of vitamin D and vitamin K, but also some unique health benefits that are only unlocked when these two vitamins are used together.

New research is revealing this game-changing pair of vitamins and their effect on our hearts, our bones, and our blood sugar.

In this day and age, it’s important to invest in your health using the most up-to-date science. That’s where vitamins D3 and K2 enter the scene.

Vitamin D3 Benefits

Vitamin D is sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin” since people naturally get it from sunlight (UVB rays). Though vitamin D2 is the vitamin you get from sunshine, most scientific studies are conducted using vitamin D3, as that’s what you can absorb best from dietary supplements.

But how does Vitamin D3 differ from its counterparts?

Vitamin D1 is actually not a single compound, but a mixture of compounds, mistakenly identified as one vitamin. The term vitamin D1 is no longer used.

Vitamin D2, however, is a true form of vitamin D. Found in plants, vitamin D2 is cheaper to mass-produce. You’ll find vitamin D2 in a lot of vitamin D-fortified foods.

But vitamin D3 is actually a more effective compound than D2. Maybe that’s why most vitamin D supplements are specifically D3 supplements.

Also known as cholecalciferol, vitamin D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin naturally produced in your body. Perhaps that’s why dietary vitamin D3 is better at raising your vitamin D status. Vitamin D3 is essential to your body’s calcium absorption.

Found in animal products, vitamin D3 is known to have these benefits:

How much vitamin D3 do you need? The Vitamin D Council recommends 5000 IU of vitamin D3 daily, which comes to about 120 micrograms (mcg).

(Video) The Benefit of Taking Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2 Together

Vitamin K2 Benefits

Vitamin K2 (specifically menaquinone-7, a form of K2) is actually produced in small amounts by bacteria in your gut. You also find K2 in animal products like fatty fish and grass-fed beef, or in fermented foods like natto.

Both forms of vitamin K are vital to your body’s blood clotting process — though K2 may be better at it. Vitamin K2 is an important nutrient apart from K1, as it also helps your body use calcium more efficiently, which impacts the health of bones and teeth.

Vitamin K2 also lowers calcium levels in your soft tissues, making for healthy blood vessels and kidneys.

So what is vitamin K1? Well, vitamin K1 can be found in common places spinach, kale, and other leafy greens. Also known as phylloquinone, up to 90% of our dietary vitamin K intake is vitamin K1 — even though K1 is poorly absorbed into our system.

Vitamin K2 is a fat-soluble vitamin that comes with its own health benefits:

The Food and Drug Administration recommends a daily intake of between 75 and 120 micrograms (mcg) vitamin K. This number is for healthy adults. Here is a list of good vitamin K2 foods.

How Vitamin D3 and K2 Work Together

Separately, Vitamin D3 and K2 both promote a healthy lifestyle. Together, they could be even stronger.

New research into vitamin D3 and K2 has given way to new multivitamin dietary supplements that could unlock unique health benefits to fight aging from the inside out.

Combination Vitamin D3 and K2: Game Changing Benefits (1)

1. Bone Health

Half of adults over 50 years of age have low bone mass. Bone health is a real concern as we get older. Fortunately, the pairing of vitamin D3 and K2 seems to improve bone health across the board.

A groundbreaking 2017 review compiled over 80 studies that show vitamin D3 and K2 together might be greater than the sum of their parts, when it comes to bone health.

This is likely because vitamin D gets the calcium into the blood, then vitamin K tells the calcium where it is most needed.

(Video) Vitamins D and K2

Animal models reveal vitamin K can effectively prevent osteoporosis, but only when paired with vitamin D.

Taking vitamin D3 and K2 together actually promotes new bone growth. In 2019, researchers observed that vitamin D3 and K2 worked in tandem to form new osteoblasts, the cells that secrete osteocalcin, which is a biomarker for new bone growth.

2. Cardiovascular Health

One in four deaths in the United States is due to heart disease. Lucky for us, it seems vitamin D3 and K2 work together to improve our cardiovascular health.

Vitamin D makes sure you have the right amount of calcium in your blood vessels. Too much vitamin D (or not enough vitamin K) means your blood calcium levels will rise.

Elevated blood calcium levels can mess with your heart:

However, proper blood levels of vitamin K balance out the high vitamin D levels. Vitamin K2 tells all that calcium intake where it needs to go, and your blood calcium levels are normalized.

These vitamins also work in unison to reduce inflammation. Inflammation can lead to not only osteoporosis, but also cardiovascular diseases. Reducing inflammation is beneficial to immune function and heart health.

Vitamin D3 and K2 work together in a unique way to soften your arteries and prevent cardiovascular disease.

3. Fights Diabetes

One in eleven Americans struggles with diabetes. But there are some new ways of alleviating the effects of diabetes.

Taking vitamin D3 and K2 together reduces insulin resistance.

Insulin is a hormone that plays a role in blood sugar and the storage of fat — but we’re only concerned with its effect on blood sugar today.

Insulin tells your body’s cells to take sugar (glucose) from your blood and use it for energy. However, people with type 2 diabetes have developed insulin resistance.

(Video) Vitamin K2 Human Studies Show Profound Benefits

What is insulin resistance? This is when your body does not respond to insulin telling your body to use sugar as energy. This insulin resistance can be alleviated by — you guessed it — vitamin D3 and K2.

Both vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 can improve our insulin response. This could be the difference between a healthy life and life in a hospital bed.

If diabetes goes untreated, it can lead to:

  • Kidney disease
  • Cardiovascular system problems
  • Issues with circulatory system
  • Nerve damage
  • Amputation
  • Coma

Supplementing vitamin D3 and K2 is one way of improving your quality of life. But be sure to consult your doctor about what needs to be done to keep diabetes at bay.

4. Avoiding a Deficiency

An obvious benefit to supplementing vitamins K2 and D3 is to avoid a deficiency in either.

Two in five Americans don’t get enough vitamin D in their diets. Your kidneys should take vitamin D and turn it into calcitriol — its more bioactive form. In rare cases, your kidneys don’t carry out this process effectively, which also leads to low vitamin D levels.

Since vitamin D is essential to the absorption of calcium, a deficiency can lead to bone loss, osteoporosis, bone fractures, and muscle weakness. Low vitamin D levels have been linked with heart disease.

In children, a vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets.

Vitamin K1 deficiency is rare in adults, but it does occur in almost half of newborns.

If you have a vitamin K deficiency, you can expect to see these kinds of symptoms:

  • Easily bruised
  • Bleeding that doesn’t stop
  • Blood clots under your nails
  • Red or black stool

The presence of matrix Gla protein is one way to test if you have a vitamin K deficiency. Matrix Gla protein is associated with cardiovascular disease, as well as low vitamin K levels.

Combination Vitamin D3 and K2: Game Changing Benefits (2)

(Video) Large Vitamin D Human Study Confirms Benefit

Interestingly, it seems that a vitamin K2 deficiency is incredibly common but doesn’t cause short-term effects like a K1 deficiency. Instead, this deficiency plays out in chronic diseases and symptoms.

A 2007 study confirms that, in fact, the majority of people are deficient in vitamin K2. There are many reasons for this, but one obvious one might be the way grass-fed animals produce this vitamin.

All mammals (except for humans) have a necessary enzyme for efficiently converting K1 to K2 in the gut. K1, as discussed earlier, is found in greens — anything that uses chlorophyll for energy.

Since humans don’t possess this enzyme and our gut only converts a little bit of vitamin K1, we have to get the majority of K2 via our diet. However, grain-fed animals don’t offer proteins high in vitamin K2, since they aren’t eating K1-rich foods.

Put simply: to get enough vitamin K2, you must eat grass-fed proteins or dairy products, or natto. Natto is much more difficult to find in the US than grass-fed protein or dairy, but it’s what’s used for most K2 supplements (plus, it’s a plant food and appropriate on a vegan diet).

Side Effects of Vitamin D3 and K2

High doses of vitamin D, without vitamin K to temper it, can cause high calcium levels (called hypercalcemia) in your blood. This leads to blood vessel calcification, which can lead to heart disease or stroke.

These are the most common symptoms of hypercalcemia:

  • Poor appetite
  • Nausea, abdominal pain
  • Constipation, diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Kidney stones

Too much vitamin K may be harmful if you’re receiving dialysis due to kidney disease. Also, very high vitamin D levels have led to kidney failure.

Vitamin D toxicity can also lead to bone loss since vitamin D takes calcium from your bones and sends it into your bloodstream. Too much vitamin D equals too much calcium taken from your bones.

Always consult your health care provider before starting a new multivitamin or calcium supplement plan. If you're ready to explore the benefits of D3.K2 Complex, order your bottle from HumanN today.

FAQs

Is it okay to take vitamin D3 with K2 at the same time? ›

Vitamin D3 should therefore always be taken in combination with vitamin K2. These two vitamins work together synergistically and ensure that calcium obtained from food is deposited in the bones and not in the arteries.

What are the benefits of taking vitamin D3 and K2 together? ›

It is therefore recommended that vitamin D3 is combined with vitamin K2 when using supplementation to support bone health and to protect cardiovascular health. Dosages of 1000 IU vitamin D3 and 45 mcg vitamin K2 (MK7) are used in research to support the prevention of bone loss and demineralization.

Does vitamin K2 reduce plaque in arteries? ›

Optimal Vitamin K2 intake is crucial to avoid the calcium plaque buildup of atherosclerosis, thus keeping the risk and rate of calcification as low as possible.

How much vitamin D3 and K2 should I take daily? ›

This means that usually most people will need to take between 5,000-8,000 IU (125 mcg-200 mcg) daily. Our Vitamin D3 (5000 iu) is our customers most common choice when supplementing with Vitamin D3. For vitamin K, at least 2.5 mg of a total vitamin K (including K1 and K2) should be taken daily.

Should I take vitamin D3 K2 in the morning or at night? ›

There's no set time of day that's best to take vitamin D supplements. Some people say taking vitamin D supplements at night is an insomnia risk. There's no research to confirm this, but you might want to take your supplement earlier in the day if you think it's screwing with your sleep.

What happens if you take too much vitamin D3 and K2? ›

The main consequence of vitamin D toxicity is a buildup of calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia), which can cause nausea and vomiting, weakness, and frequent urination. Vitamin D toxicity might progress to bone pain and kidney problems, such as the formation of calcium stones.

What time of day should I take vitamin D3 and K2? ›

Vitamin D3 and K2 are best taken together for optimal absorption, and supplementing them with breakfast or lunch is ideal because this is when your body would be synthesizing D from sun light.

Does vitamin K2 affect blood pressure? ›

Essentially, vitamin K2 activates the proteins that keep calcium in the bones and out of the arteries, preventing it from sticking to arterial walls, limiting blood supply, and increasing blood pressure.

Does vitamin D3 and K2 help with sleep? ›

Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2, and magnesium are all nutrients that have been shown to support sleep and stress relief.

How long does it take vitamin K2 to clear arteries? ›

In the groups receiving high-dose vitamin K1 or K2 (MK-4), not only was there no further arterial calcium accumulation, there was a 37% reduction of previously accumulated arterial calcification after six weeks. After 12 weeks, there was a 53% reduction in accumulated arterial calcium deposits.

How much K2 does it take to clear arteries per day? ›

Some early research has shown that vitamin K2 may be more effective at clearing out calcium than vitamin K1. One study found that people who took in at least 32 micrograms per day of vitamin K2 in their diet were 50% less likely to die from heart disease related to hardened arteries.

How much K2 does it take to reverse calcification? ›

A daily K2 dosage of 75–120 µg, a range encompassing the recommended dose in many countries, provides adequate osteocalcin activation. A dose of 375 µg per day, however, may provide more efficient osteocalcin activation and, therefore, better utilisation of available calcium for bone building.

What happens if you take vitamin D3 without K2? ›

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.

Should you take vitamin D3 and K2 on an empty stomach? ›

Vitamin D supplements should be taken with food to maximize absorption.

Does vitamin D3 and K2 lower blood pressure? ›

The benefits of D3/K2 for heart health and general longevity have been made evident in a number of other studies, which have shown that the adequate intake of D3 and K2 can help to reduce mortality risk, maintain healthy blood pressure levels and reduce arterial stiffness.

How long does it take for D3 and K2 to work? ›

Generally, it takes a few weeks of taking daily vitamin D supplements for vitamin D levels in the body to rise. Each 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 taken daily is expected to raise blood levels of 25(OH)D by 10 ng/ml after a few weeks.

What are the 14 signs of vitamin D deficiency? ›

Symptoms when vitamin D is low
  • Fatigue.
  • Not sleeping well.
  • Bone pain or achiness.
  • Depression or feelings of sadness.
  • Hair loss.
  • Muscle weakness.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Getting sick more easily.
Jul 19, 2022

What blocks vitamin D absorption? ›

Therefore, conditions that affect the gut and digestion, like celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, Crohn's disease, and cystic fibrosis, can reduce vitamin D absorption.

Does D3 affect blood pressure? ›

In conclusion, vitamin D3 can be taken as a prophylactic drug for hypertension by the elderly and obese folks with vitamin D deficiency who are at high risk of hypertension. Vitamin D3 can be used as an adjuvant drug to control the blood pressure on hypertension patients with vitamin D deficiency.

Who should not take D3 K2? ›

You should not use this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to any single vitamin or multivitamin. Do not use this medicine if you are under 18 years old.

Can vitamin D3 and K2 have side effects? ›

Constipation. Change in color of stool to green. Diarrhea. Belly pain.

Can I take D3 K2 and magnesium at the same time? ›

Interactions between your drugs. No interactions were found between K2 Plus D3 and magnesium oxide. However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.

Does D3 and K2 help with energy? ›

If you recall your high school chemistry, mitochondria are the powerhouses of our cells. Their production of cellular energy, or adenosine triphosphate (ATP), depends primarily upon fuel derived from nutrients including vitamins D3 and K2.

How soon will I feel better after taking vitamin D3? ›

“Adding an over-the-counter vitamin D supplement can make improvements in just three to four months time.

What are the negatives of vitamin K2? ›

Side Effects
  • Decreased appetite.
  • decreased movement or activity.
  • difficulty in breathing.
  • enlarged liver.
  • general body swelling.
  • muscle stiffness.
  • paleness.
  • yellow eyes or skin.

Is vitamin K2 hard on the liver? ›

There is no evidence that vitamin K supplementation, in physiologic or even higher doses, causes serum enzyme elevations, liver injury or jaundice.

Does vitamin K2 affect kidneys? ›

Vitamin K2, on the other hand, plays a predominant role in bone development, vascular protection, metabolic, liver and renal diseases. In this regard, vitamin K2 is needed for the synthesis of osteocalcin in the bone and matrix GLa protein in the cartilage and in the blood vessels wall.

Does D3 and K2 help with weight loss? ›

Vitamin D3 and K2 for Weight Loss — Is There Any Evidence? Yep! There's a growing body of evidence to show that vitamins D and K can both support healthy weight management. Research has found that participants given a daily calcium-vitamin D supplement were able to shed more pounds than those who were given a placebo.

Does vitamin D affect hair? ›

Vitamin D stimulates hair follicles to grow, and so when the body does not have enough, the hair may be affected. A vitamin D deficiency may also be linked to alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that causes patchy hair loss.

What happens to your body when you start taking vitamin D3? ›

Strengthens Bones

Vitamin D3 aids in the management and absorption of calcium, as well as being essential to your bones (and teeth). Calcium is the most common mineral in the body. The majority of this element is found in our bones and teeth.

Does K2 lower cholesterol? ›

Accordingly, subjects in the Rotterdam Study with the highest vitamin K2 intake consumed more total and saturated fats and also had lower total cholesterol values and higher levels of heart-protective HDL cholesterol.

Can vitamin K2 cause rapid heart rate? ›

100 Intake of vitamin K2 has been associated with increased cardiac output, stroke volume and heart rate, and decreased blood lactate.

Does K2 affect the heart? ›

Abstract. Vitamin K2 serves an important role in cardiovascular health through regulation of calcium homeostasis. Its effects on the cardiovascular system are mediated through activation of the anti-calcific protein known as matrix Gla protein.

What happens if you take vitamin K2 everyday? ›

When taken by mouth: The two forms of vitamin K (vitamin K1 and vitamin K2) are likely safe when taken appropriately. Vitamin K1 10 mg daily and vitamin K2 45 mg daily have been safely used for up to 2 years. It's usually well-tolerated, but some people may have an upset stomach or diarrhea.

Does vitamin K2 help hair growth? ›

Vitamin K helps in the regeneration of hair strands, which can not only help hair grow faster and thus thicker, but also naturally reverse balding. Vitamin K2, to be specific, is crucial to preventing scalp calcification, which is when calcium builds on the scalp and prevents hair growth.

Is 100mg of K2 too much? ›

Adults should ensure they are getting between 100 and 300 micrograms of vitamin K2 per day. Children under 12 need just 45 micrograms per day. People with particular medical conditions may need more, as recommended by their doctor. There are no known serious side effects from taking too much vitamin K2.

Can K2 cause kidney failure? ›

Acute kidney injury (AKI) related to synthetic marijuana (K2) often presents as an acute, severe AKI most often in young male patients. Symptoms develop soon after K2 ingestion and are often gastrointestinal (GI) (e.g., nausea and vomiting) and constitutional.

Can K2 reverse aging? ›

These include leafy greens, vegetables, dairy and animal products. A number of studies show promising signs that vitamin K2 could support anti-ageing. It is unlikely to make us look ten years younger, but it could help fend off various age-related ailments and keep us looking younger for longer.

What vitamin stops calcium buildup in arteries? ›

In contrast, vitamin K2 is associated with the inhibition of arterial calcification and arterial stiffening. An adequate intake of vitamin K2 has been shown to lower the risk of vascular damage because it activates matrix GLA protein (MGP), which inhibits the deposits of calcium on the walls.

Who should not take K2 supplements? ›

People with a rare metabolic condition called Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency should avoid vitamin K. People who take warfarin (Coumadin) should not take vitamin K (see “Possible Interactions”). People who are receiving dialysis for kidney diseases can have harmful effects from too much vitamin K.

How much K2 is in an egg? ›

An egg yolk can contain between 67 and 192 micrograms of vitamin K2. This amount depends on what the hen eats, however. Most chicken feed today is fortified with vitamin K, and this content passes onto the egg.

Is vitamin K2 really necessary? ›

Vitamin K2 plays an essential role in bone metabolism, and studies suggest that it can help prevent osteoporosis and fractures.

Should I take vitamin D3 alone or with K2? ›

Vitamin D3 should therefore always be taken in combination with vitamin K2. These two vitamins work together synergistically and ensure that calcium obtained from food is deposited in the bones and not in the arteries.

What are the benefits of vitamin K2 D3 together? ›

Vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 ensure that calcium is absorbed easily and reaches the bone mass, while preventing arterial calcification. Helping to keep your heart and bones healthy. Separately, K2 regulates normal blood clotting, whilst D3 supports a healthy immune system and supports muscle function.

How much K2 should I take with D3? ›

How much K2 should I take with D3? Taking a Vitamin D3 supplement without K2 can have disastrous effect, as Vitamin D creates need for Vitamin K2 in the body. As a guide, you should take 45mcg of Vitamin K2 per 1000 IU of Vitamin D3.

Should I take vitamin d3 K2 in the morning or at night? ›

There's no set time of day that's best to take vitamin D supplements. Some people say taking vitamin D supplements at night is an insomnia risk. There's no research to confirm this, but you might want to take your supplement earlier in the day if you think it's screwing with your sleep.

Can you take too much vitamin d3 and K2? ›

While getting enough vitamin D is essential for bone health, too much can actually have a detrimental effect. Some research has found that having too much vitamin D can interfere with the actions of vitamin K2, which is a nutrient that helps keep calcium in the bones.

Should I take vitamin D alone or with K2? ›

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.

What not to take vitamin K2 with? ›

Medications known to interact with Vitamin K2
  • anisindione.
  • cholestyramine.
  • colesevelam.
  • colestipol.
  • dicumarol.
  • maralixibat.
  • mineral oil.
  • odevixibat.

Can you take vitamin D3 and K2 on an empty stomach? ›

Vitamin D supplements should be taken with food to maximize absorption.

What happens when you start taking vitamin K2? ›

It contributes to skin health and bone metabolism, promotes proper brain function and prevents heart-related diseases. Furthermore, vitamin K2 is important in the body's use of calcium to help build bones and to inhibit blood vessel calcification. Vitamin K2 is found in animal foods and preserved foods.

Does D3 K2 raise blood pressure? ›

Essentially, vitamin K2 activates the proteins that keep calcium in the bones and out of the arteries, preventing it from sticking to arterial walls, limiting blood supply, and increasing blood pressure.

What are the negative effects of vitamin K2? ›

When taken by mouth: The two forms of vitamin K (vitamin K1 and vitamin K2) are likely safe when taken appropriately. Vitamin K1 10 mg daily and vitamin K2 45 mg daily have been safely used for up to 2 years. It's usually well-tolerated, but some people may have an upset stomach or diarrhea.

Videos

1. The Incredible Benefits Of VITAMIN D For Weight Loss & Burning Body Fat | Dr. Mindy Pelz
(Dr. Mindy Pelz)
2. Why Vitamin K2 is Vital for Women's Healthy Aging
(MenaQ7®)
3. The 5 Best Vitamins For Anti-Aging & Skin Tightening | Chris Gibson
(Chris Gibson)
4. How Vit D and Vitamin K2 Works #shorts (V#94)
(Gotta be Healthy)
5. Dosage For Vitamin D, K2, and Calcium
(Drbeen Medical Lectures)
6. Hypertension, Vitamin K2, and Vitamin D3 Testimonial - Dr. Berg
(Dr. Eric Berg DC)

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