From the Truevantage Journal · Brought to you by Truevantage Nutrition
Vitamin D3 is one of the most popular supplements in America, especially for adults over 40. But D3 rarely works alone in the body. One of its most important partners is a nutrient many people have never heard of: vitamin K2.
What vitamin D3 does with calcium
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium from the food you eat. That's why D3 is often taken for bone health. But absorbing calcium is only the first step. The next question is what the body does with that calcium once it's absorbed.
Where vitamin K2 comes in
Vitamin K2 helps activate proteins that work with calcium. Two of the best known are:
- Osteocalcin, a protein made by bone cells that helps bind calcium into the bone matrix
- Matrix Gla protein (MGP), a protein found in blood-vessel walls that is involved in calcium regulation in the body's soft tissues
These proteins need vitamin K to become active. That's why researchers often describe D3 and K2 as a team. D3 helps bring calcium in, and K2 helps the body put it to use.
K1 and K2 are not the same thing
"Vitamin K" on a label can mean different things:
| Vitamin K1 | Vitamin K2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Main food sources | Leafy greens like spinach and kale | Fermented foods such as natto, some cheeses, egg yolks |
| Best known for | Normal blood clotting | Activating calcium-related proteins like osteocalcin and MGP |
| Common forms | One form (phylloquinone) | Several forms, including MK-4 and MK-7 |
Most Western diets include plenty of K1 from vegetables, but much less K2. Natto, the richest food source of MK-7, is a fermented soybean dish that few Americans eat.
Why MK-7 is the form to look for
Among the forms of K2, MK-7 stays in the bloodstream much longer than MK-4: days rather than hours. That makes a once-a-day capsule practical. When you read a K2 label, check for three things:
- The form: MK-7, named on the label
- The amount: in micrograms (mcg)
- The source: a named ingredient, such as MenaQ7®
Putting it together
If you already take D3, adding K2 is a simple way to give D3 its partner. If you'd rather take one capsule instead of two, a combined K2 + D3 supplement does both.
That's why we made Truevantage Vitamin K2 MK-7 + D3:
- 180 mcg vitamin K2 as MK-7, made with MenaQ7®
- 5,000 IU vitamin D3
- One vegetarian capsule a day, 60-day supply
- Made in the USA with global ingredients
- Supports healthy bone and cardiovascular function as part of a balanced lifestyle†
One capsule with breakfast covers both, and Subscribe & Save means the next bottle shows up before you run out.
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Taking a blood thinner or other medication? Check with your doctor before adding vitamin K.
†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.