Taking Vitamin D3 with K2: 3 Benefits of Supplementing Together

  • By Performance Lab
  • 7 minute read
Taking Vitamin D3 with K2: 3 Benefits of Supplementing Together

We constantly hear about getting enough vitamin D, iron, zinc, vitamin C… but we don’t often hear about another important vitamin—vitamin K. It’s naturally found in leafy greens vegetables, fermented foods, and some animal products, but it can also be synthesized in small amounts in your body.

Although still an essential part of the diet, there’s a super nutrient that if you’re going to supplement, you want to be taking with it. Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D works alongside vitamin K to regulate calcium metabolism and maintain bone integrity.

So, if you’re taking vitamin D3 supplements, don’t forget about vitamin K! If you weren’t aware of this power duo, we’re breaking down what you need to know about them and why supplementing them together is essential.

The Deal With Vitamin D3 And K2

Vitamin D is a nutrient we hear a lot about. It’s involved in nearly every function in the body, from maintaining immune health and bone integrity to mood, glucose control, and even cancer prevention 1, 2.

Although several food sources are high in vitamin D, the best source is sunshine, hence its name, “the sunshine vitamin”. It is synthesized from cholesterol when UVB rays from the sun hit the skin.

But despite how easy getting sunshine may seem, the vast majority of the population is deficient. In the United States, more than 40% of the population is vitamin D deficient, with the highest level of deficiency seen in blacks and Hispanics 3; individuals with darker skin require more sunlight to produce the same amount of vitamin D.

Unlike other vitamins, vitamin D behaves more like a hormone than it does a vitamin. When the active form of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D, binds to its receptor in various parts of the body, it turns genes on or off, thereby altering the behavior of cells; this is also how steroid hormones work 4, 5.

Although it has many target genes, it has profound effects on the cells involved in maintaining bone health—and that’s also where we get to vitamin K.

One of the lesser talked about vitamins, vitamin K, may not be on most people’s radar, but that doesn’t make it any less important. It’s a nutrient found in several plant foods and is also synthesized in the human intestinal tract. It’s essential for blood clotting, calcium metabolism, and heart health.

But one of its most important functions is regulating calcium deposition—that is, promoting calcification of bones and preventing the calcification of blood vessels and the kidneys 6, 7.

The thing with vitamin K and vitamin D is that one needs the other to work effectively, so if you’re not getting enough vitamin K, vitamin D can’t do its job properly and vice versa.

3 Benefits Supplementing D3 And K2 Together

Although vitamin D and vitamin K2 both have their benefits, together, they work as a tag team to maximize performance and well-being.

1. Stronger Bones

When it comes to the role of vitamin K and D, they’re a power duo for bone health 8, 9.

One of the primary roles of vitamin D is to maintain adequate serum calcium levels, which happens via two mechanisms:

  1. Enhancing calcium absorption from food
  2. Mobilizing calcium from bones to maintain proper blood levels

Although not the most ideal scenario, when calcium intake is insufficient—or vitamin D levels are low—the body pulls calcium from the bone to ensure serum levels remain constant, which can lead to the weakening of bones and eventually osteopenia or osteoporosis.

But while vitamin D may ensure that blood calcium levels are high enough to meet the body’s demands, vitamin K also plays a role in controlling where calcium goes. It does so in two ways 10-13:

  1. Promotes the calcification of bones by activating a protein called osteocalcin, which stimulates calcium accumulation in tissues to promote strength
  2. Reduces calcification of soft tissues by activating matrix GLA protein, which serves to prevent calcium accumulation in organs like the kidney or blood vessels

Not enough vitamin K and blood vessels could start to calcify, which is implicated in a number of chronic diseases. A study of over 200 post-menopausal women found that those taking vitamin K2 supplements had a much slower rate of age-related bone destiny loss 14.

2. Better Cardiovascular Function

Aside from their roles in bone health, vitamin D and K are also essential for cardiovascular health.

Studies consistently find that people who consume a diet high in vitamin K have a significantly lower risk of atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular diseases 15. That’s because both K1 and K2 have been suggested to influence cardiovascular health by:

  • Reducing systemic inflammation
  • Maintaining hemostasis
  • Inhibiting arterial calcification

There’s also a fair bit of evidence suggesting that low vitamin D status is linked to increased incidences of cardiovascular disease such as coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, heart attack, stroke, and hypertension 16.

There are several ways in which vitamin D may lower the risk of cardiovascular events:

  • Inhibits inflammation
  • Inhibits vascular smooth muscle proliferation and vascular calcification
  • Regulates blood pressure and blood volume
  • Regulates glucose metabolism

The vitamin D receptor is expressed in many cells throughout the vascular system, making it vital for maintaining cardiovascular health.

And although vitamin K and vitamin D are both beneficial for cardiovascular health, they elicit a combined effect to maximize protection better than either can alone.

3. Reduces Risk Of Chronic Disease

There’s an abundance of evidence showing that low vitamin D levels are a major risk factor for the development and progression of many diseases, but keeping your levels of the sunshine vitamin and vitamin K up could ward off serious health problems.

Some research suggests that a high dose of vitamin D without adequate vitamin K levels can actually lead to blood vessel calcification. But if you’re getting enough vitamin K, it serves to prevent that 17, 18.

That’s because high-dose vitamin D leads to hypercalcemia (high blood calcium), which subsequently leads to high phosphorus and deposition in the lining of blood vessels.

Studies support the notion that a high dietary intake of vitamin K, specifically K2 (menaquinone), decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease by reducing arterial calcification 19.

That said, research isn’t completely clear on the link, but it’s advisable to make sure you’re supplementing with both to maintain blood vessel health and prevent vascular disease.

Where To Find Them

Whether you’re a vegan or a meat-eater, vitamin D and K are widely available in several plant sources, as well as through supplements.

Here’s where you can find them.

Vitamin D

  • Oily fish (salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring, mackerel, etc.)
  • Eggs
  • Cod liver oil
  • Mushrooms
  • Fortified foods

Vitamin K

  • Grass-fed butter
  • Natto
  • Beet greens
  • Parsley
  • Cabbage
  • Bacon
  • Ground beef
  • Organ meats
  • Cheese
  • Dairy products
  • Berries
  • Beans and legumes

Vitamin D + Vitamin K

Want to simplify your nutrient intake and cover the entire spectrum in one go? While nutritional supplements aren’t a substitute for a good diet, a multivitamin can be a great crutch to fill in the gaps that may be missing from the diet.

Not to mention it’s super convenient. Four capsules daily, and you’re meeting your daily requirements for both vitamin D and vitamin K—along with 15 others.

Performance Lab NutriGenesis® Multi for Men and Multi for Women is the only daily multivitamin you need. It’s an ultramodern multi designed to unlock your full potential.

Unlike other multivitamins that may not supply adequate amounts, NutriGenesis Multi helps restore nutrients that may be missing from your diet in the appropriate amounts to support healthy cell performance across all body systems.

NutriGenesis® is a unique technology that produces vitamins and minerals bioengineered with cofactors to boost absorption and maximize benefits.

With Multi, you’re getting 100% DV of 17+ essentials, all tailored specifically to your needs. If you want to perform like the best, you need to supplement with the best—and that’s NutriGenesis® Multi.

References

  1. Garland CF, Gorham ED, Mohr SB, Garland FC. Vitamin D for cancer prevention: global perspective. Ann Epidemiol. 2009;19(7):468-483.
  2. Hyppönen E, Läärä E, Reunanen A, Järvelin MR, Virtanen SM. Intake of vitamin D and risk of type 1 diabetes: a birth-cohort study. Lancet. 2001;358(9292):1500-1503.
  3. Forrest KY, Stuhldreher WL. Prevalence and correlates of vitamin D deficiency in US adults. Nutr Res. 2011;31(1):48-54.
  4. Hossein-nezhad A, Spira A, Holick MF. Influence of vitamin D status and vitamin D3 supplementation on genome wide expression of white blood cells: a randomized double-blind clinical trial. PLoS One. 2013;8(3):e58725.
  5. Darwish H, DeLuca HF. Vitamin D-regulated gene expression. Crit Rev Eukaryot Gene Expr. 1993;3(2):89-116.
  6. Hauschka PV. Osteocalcin: the vitamin K-dependent Ca2+-binding protein of bone matrix. Haemostasis. 1986;16(3-4):258-272.
  7. Theuwissen E, Smit E, Vermeer C. The role of vitamin K in soft-tissue calcification.Adv Nutr. 2012;3(2):166-173.
  8. Aloia JF, Dhaliwal R, Shieh A, et al. Vitamin D supplementation increases calcium absorption without a threshold effect (published correction appears in Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jul;100(1):299). Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;99(3):624-631.
  9. Eisman JA, Bouillon R. Vitamin D: direct effects of vitamin D metabolites on bone: lessons from genetically modified mice. Bonekey Rep. 2014;3:499.
  10. Hauschka PV. Osteocalcin: the vitamin K-dependent Ca2+-binding protein of bone matrix. Haemostasis. 1986;16(3-4):258-272.
  11. Villa JKD, Diaz MAN, Pizziolo VR, Martino HSD. Effect of vitamin K in bone metabolism and vascular calcification: A review of mechanisms of action and evidences. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2017;57(18):3959-3970.
  12. Theuwissen E, Smit E, Vermeer C. The role of vitamin K in soft-tissue calcification.Adv Nutr. 2012;3(2):166-173.
  13. Schurgers LJ, Dissel PE, Spronk HM, et al. Role of vitamin K and vitamin K-dependent proteins in vascular calcification. Z Kardiol. 2001;90 Suppl 3:57-63.
  14. Knapen MH, Drummen NE, Smit E, Vermeer C, Theuwissen E. Three-year low-dose menaquinone-7 supplementation helps decrease bone loss in healthy postmenopausal women. Osteoporos Int. 2013;24(9):2499-2507.
  15. Bellinge JW, Dalgaard F, Murray K, et al. Vitamin K Intake and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in the Danish Diet Cancer and Health Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021;10(16):e020551.
  16. Danik JS, Manson JE. Vitamin d and cardiovascular disease. Curr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med. 2012;14(4):414-424.
  17. Pérez-Barrios C, Hernández-Álvarez E, Blanco-Navarro I, Pérez-Sacristán B, Granado-Lorencio F. Prevalence of hypercalcemia related to hypervitaminosis D in clinical practice. Clin Nutr. 2016;35(6):1354-1358.
  18. Shea MK, Holden RM. Vitamin K status and vascular calcification: evidence from observational and clinical studies. Adv Nutr. 2012;3(2):158-165.
  19. Beulens JW, Bots ML, Atsma F, et al. High dietary menaquinone intake is associated with reduced coronary calcification. Atherosclerosis. 2009;203(2):489-493.
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