We hear all about this all the time, but is it really true? Does wimpy old vitamin D NEED Vitamin K? you need vitamin k with vitamin d?
Vitamin D
A hormone, not an actual vitamin, that your skin makes when exposed to sunlight, so it does not need to acquire it from food if adequate sunlight is available
The only natural foods that contain vitamin D are fish and egg yolks
Most of us are deficient in vitamin D as we do not spend much time outdoors. Additionally, where we live can limit our access to vitamin D - if you live below 37 degrees south or above 37 degrees north you do not have access to sufficient sunlight except during the summer months. (
This line of latitude crosses below Colorado, Utah and Kansas, so the majority of us in the US require additional dietary vitamin D throughout the year even if we spend time outdoors
Sunscreen and skin pigmentation can also act as barriers to vitamin D absorption
What Does Vitamin D Do?
Reduces belly fat
Of all the places to lose fat, the middle of our bodies is usually the hardest and the most important, both for looking lean and for being healthy.
Waist-to-hip ratio is a factor in your risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes
Research bomb: A study published in the journal of Clinical Nutrition had 23 overweight participants who all went through a 12-week resistance training program. Half of them took 4,000 IU’s of vitamin D while the others received a placebo. While both groups lost the same amount of fat, the group that took the vitamin D supplements were more likely to have lowered their waist-to-hip ratio to a greater extent when compared to the placebo group. (3)
Hormone Regulation and Bone Health
The parathyroid glands, located in your neck, release parathyroid hormone.
Parathyroid hormone regulates the calcium in your body:
When the level of calcium in your blood is low, your parathyroid releases PTH. PTH signals for calcium to be leeched from bones and released into the blood, while also telling your kidneys to create more bioavailable vitamin D. This form of active vitamin D tells your gut to absorb more calcium, as long as you have sufficient vitamin D available.
When you are deficient in vitamin D, your body will not absorb enough calcium from your diet and too much calcium will be taken from the bones to be available in the blood.
Calcium plays more roles than just bone health - it is crucial for proper functioning of your nervous and muscular systems, so the body is able to take calcium from the bones to perform other functions.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is helpful in blood clotting and bone strength. May also help to prevent heart disease, prostate cancer and Alzheimer’s
Vitamin K2 and vitamin D3 work together to strengthen bones through their impact on calcium
While vitamin D3 essentially regulates how much calcium is absorbed in the diet, vitamin K2 tells the calcium where to go, directing it to bones rather than soft tissues. When calcium attaches to arteries, known as hardening of the arteries, it can lead to cardiovascular complications.
Without vitamin K2, the calcium absorbed will not go towards strengthening your bones, and thus vitamin K2 is crucial in the functioning of vitamin D3.
Vitamin K2 comes from meats, eggs, hard cheeses and insects. Many people are also deficient in vitamin K2.
Diet and Supplementation
The best way to stay healthy is to eat a balanced diet full of leafy greens, fruits, veggies and lean proteins. This is how we can be sure we are obtaining a full range of vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin D3 is one vitamin/hormone that we often have to supplement. If your supplement vitamin D3, be sure to obtain enough vitamin K2, either through a diet with meats and eggs, or through supplementation as well. Also be sure to obtain calcium through your diet, such as yogurt, leafy greens and legumes, or through supplementation. If you do not have all three in your diet, you may be doing more harm than good.
References:
1. Parathyroid glands and vitamin D
2. Vitamin D and other vitamins and minerals
3. Vitamin K - the missing nutrient to blame…
4. The Vitamin D article we
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