Amount of Evidence: Very High Potential Benefits: Very High Safety: Very High
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is D3K2?
D3K2 is a mix of 2 fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin D3 and K2. Both of these nutrients are very effective on their own for improving bone health, heart health, reducing the risk for certain types of cancer, and a lot more. Together, they have a strong synergistic effect that allows each of them to act optimally. This makes D3K2 one of the most useful supplements on the market for most people. In this article, we will look at D3K2’s main benefits, potential side effects, and how to use it the right way.
Potential benefits
It is important to note that all of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. In general, the higher the dose you take, the more pronounced the effects will be. However, they do reach a plateau at a certain point. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.
Major benefits
Correcting a deficiency in vitamin D and/or K – A severe deficiency of both vitamin K and vitamin D can have a terrible impact on health and overall quality of life. The symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include mood swings, depression, poor bone health, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, severe asthma in children, poor immune system functioning, and much more. If you experience some of these or you know your vitamin D levels are too low, taking D3K2 is almost a must. The same can be said about vitamin K deficiency. The main symptom of vitamin K deficiency is excessive bleeding (from the nose, from wounds, and internal bleeding). If you experience some of these or you know your vitamin K levels are too low, fixing a deficiency is definitely the main benefit of the supplement. Fortunately, a severe deficiency in vitamin K is not as common as a deficiency of many other nutrients. Unfortunately, getting an optimal amount of vitamin K is even more uncommon.
Reduced Covid-19 severity – Vitamin D3 appears to be the most effective nutritional supplement for reducing the severity of covid-19. The difference between those who have optimal levels of the vitamin and those who don’t is significant in this regard. D3K2 appears to be more effective for improving overall immune health than nearly any other supplement on the market.
Reduced risk for cancer – Getting to your optimal vitamin D levels reduces the risk for colorectal cancer by around a half. The supplement has also been shown to reduce the risk for some other types of cancer, such as breast and pancreatic cancer, to some degree. Vitamin K2 can also reduce certain types of cancer to a significant degree. While this effect is most notable when it comes to liver cancer, it likely applies to other types of cancer as well. It is important to note that this effect has often been correlated with very high doses of vitamin K and may not apply to lower doses to a significant degree. This effect is specific to the MK-4 form but other forms of vitamin K2, including MK-7, can convert to MK-4. Taking the two vitamins together in a form of D3K2 will almost certainly increase the effectiveness of each at reducing the risk for cancer.
Improved bone health – Both of the vitamins in D3K2 are extremely effective for improving bone health on their own. Taking them together makes each of them even more beneficial in this regard. Vitamin D supplements have been shown to reduce bone fracture risk and increase bone mineral density at doses of 800 IU or more. Vitamin K2 has been shown to have the same effect when taken at regular doses (such as 100-200 mcg of the MK7 form).
Reduced all-cause mortality – D3K2 might be one of the best supplements for longevity out there, especially for those who are not getting an optimal amount of vitamin D or K2 from sun exposure and food, which is the vast majority of people. Those with optimal levels of vitamin D live longer than those with suboptimal levels. The vitamin slows down aging by keeping your telomere length normal. Getting enough vitamin K is almost just as significant for longevity because of the vitamin’s effects on heart health and anti-cancer properties.
Minor benefits
Reduced symptoms of depression – The scientific evidence to support this effect is not strong. However, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence showing that D3K2 can significantly reduce the symptoms of depression if you are deficient in vitamin D.
Improved calcium absorption – This effect of D3K2 is directly responsible for many of the other benefits. Fixing your vitamin D deficiency and getting to the optimal blood level significantly improves calcium absorption and so does getting enough vitamin K2. However, if you further increase vitamin D or K levels beyond the optimal levels, no additional increase in calcium absorption will happen. The supplement also doesn’t have a notable effect on plasma or serum calcium levels. What D3K2 (and both of the vitamins individually) can do is move calcium from the wrong places (such as kidneys and arteries) to the right places (such as bones and teeth).
Improved cognition – D3K2 has been shown to have neuroprotective effects. This effect is mainly associated with vitamin K2 and appears to be most notable in older people, where the supplement has been shown to improve memory and learning.
Reduced severity of viral infections – D3K2 (mainly because of vitamin D) can be useful for reducing the symptoms of common cold, flu, and some other types of sickness. This effect is not as powerful as vitamin D’s effect on reducing the symptoms of covid-19 though.
Improved insulin sensitivity – Vitamin K supplementation leads to a slight improvement in insulin sensitivity. While this benefit has only been observed in studies done on MK-4, it likely applies to other forms as well. Vitamin D increases pancreatic insulin secretion, which leads to an improvement in insulin sensitivity. This benefit applies primarily to type 2 diabetics but likely applies to healthy individuals as well. When taken together, these vitamins affect insulin sensitivity more than either of them individually.
Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease – This is yet another benefit that becomes much more significant when the vitamins are taken together as D3K2. This effect is mainly caused by the ability of D3 and K2 to pull excess calcium from the arteries and soft tissues where it can lead to soft-tissue calcification and heart problems.
Reduced risk of kidney stones – This effect is primarily associated with vitamin K2 but vitamin D can be of help as well. These vitamins help keep calcium out of your kidneys, where they could otherwise form calcium oxalate kidney stones.
Lowered risk of falling – The risk goes down significantly for older people who take D3K2 supplements. While this benefit may not seem too important (especially if you are young), falls become a huge problem for older people. This benefit appears to be enhanced by taking vitamin D3K2 along with the right form of calcium.
Increased testosterone – While this effect of D3K2 is not as significant as for some other supplements, it has been shown consistently in multiple studies that vitamin D supplementation does increase testosterone levels in men. It is important to note that no correlation between the supplement and free testosterone has been found. This effect only applies to total testosterone levels. Vitamin K has also been shown to slightly increase testosterone. While this effect has only been associated with the MK4 form of vitamin K2, other forms could positively affect testosterone levels as well. Even if they didn’t, they have the ability to convert to MK4 in most people so they can slightly increase testosterone either way.
Fat loss – This effect of D3K2 may not apply to already lean individuals at a healthy body fat percentage. However, if you are obese or overweight, D3K2 can help you lose fat.
Lowered symptoms of fibromyalgia – The degree of this effect is significant but it has been observed only in people who are deficient in vitamin D.
Improved PCOS – Vitamin K helps bring high levels of male hormones found in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) back down to normal.
Improved asthma – Those who have higher levels of vitamin D in the blood experience fewer asthmatic attacks than those with lower levels.
Reduced reddening of the skin – Topical vitamin K can reduce the reddening of the skin and bags under the eyes to a certain degree.
Lowered blood pressure – While this effect is rather small and the evidence is somewhat conflicted, vitamin D does appear to lower blood pressure in those who are deficient. Vitamin K2 doesn’t seem to affect blood pressure.
Reduced rate of sickness – This benefit is also connected to mainly to vitamin D3. This effect is not as notable as the reduction in the severity of sickness. Nevertheless, vitamin D reduces the risk for certain types of sickness, including respiratory tract infections (the reduction is over 50% in this case for people with a deficiency), pneumonia, influenza, and more.
Reduced symptoms of PMS (premenstrual syndrome) – Several studies show a reduction in the symptoms. While some have found only minor reductions, some show notable improvement.
Reduced symptoms of multiple sclerosis – Vitamin D has been shown to have some valuable immunomodulatory properties and reduce the formation of lesions.
Decreased symptoms of TCB (tuberculosis) – This effect is relatively minor.
Lowered triglycerides – The decrease in triglycerides associated with D3K2 is reliable but not too significant. It appears to be connected only to vitamin D3 since K2 has been shown to have no effect on triglycerides.
Reduced muscle cramps – Unfortunately, this effect was only noted in deficient girls who took 50000 IU of vitamin D per week. We need more studies to know whether it applies to other groups of people as well.
Decreased symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease – One study noted an improvement in IQ scores in people suffering from Alzheimer’s after taking vitamin D.
Preventing vitamin D toxicity – Vitamin K2 in D3K2 can lower the side effects associated with too high vitamin D levels, such as hypercalcemia. Vitamin D could technically prevent vitamin K toxicity as well, but toxicity in vitamin K is extremely rare.
Height – While D3K2 doesn’t seem to increase height in adults, it can support the growth of children. Those who had higher vitamin D levels in their childhood are overall slightly taller as adults. It is important to point out that no effect of vitamin D on growth hormone levels has ever been noted.
Unproven benefits
The effect of vitamin D3K2 on these parameters is either not sufficiently researched or the science shows little to no efficacy in these areas.
Cholesterol – If anything, vitamin D can slightly increase total cholesterol. Studies show either no effect or a slight increase in LDL cholesterol (up to 5%) caused by vitamin D3. No change in HDL or VLDL-c has ever been noted. So there is not much to be concerned about but vitamin D will not improve your cholesterol levels. As for vitamin K2, it has never been shown to have a notable effect on HLD or LDL cholesterol.
VO2 max – D3K2 does not directly improve your VO2 max.
Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) – No notable effect has ever been noted.
Strength – D3K2 supplements do not directly help you gain strength or muscle mass faster. They can do so indirectly by making you feel better and improving your cognition but even then, the effect appears to be small.
Sleep quality – D3K2 does not appear to increase sleep quality. It also does not affect sleep duration.
Power output – Vitamin K2 does not have an influence on power output during cardio or resistance training. It does not impact endurance either. The same can be said about vitamin D.
Fatigue – D3K2 does not reduce symptoms of fatigue unless the fatigue is related to depression partially caused by vitamin D deficiency. In that case, D3K2 could be of help.
Stress and anxiety – Unfortunately, no effect has ever been noted. D3K2 supplements do not directly impact cortisol levels. What D3K2 can do is protect your bones from cortisol-induced damage.
Weight loss – While D3I2 can aid fat loss in obese and overweight individuals, it does not lead to overall weight loss.
Food intake – D3K2 does not increase nor decrease your appetite for food.
Inflammation – No significant effect on CRP or other markers of inflammation has been observed in those who take vitamin D3 or K2.
Length of sickness – It is important to note that while vitamin D does reduce the intensity and rate of sickness, it does not seem to have any impact on how long the sickness will last. Some data shows a small decrease in the duration of upper respiratory tract infections but the evidence for this is limited.
Metabolic rate – D3K2 does not speed up your metabolism.
Pain – Vitamin D doesn’t reduce the intensity of physical pain, nor does vitamin K.
Possible side effects
These side effects are dose-dependent and the risk for them increases (most often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects are only relevant to very high doses.
Hypercalcemia – This is the main side effect associated with too much vitamin D. Excess calcium in the blood can weaken your bones, create kidney stones, and interfere with how your heart and brain function. Fortunately, K2 can lower the chance of this side effect by pulling excess calcium to the right places, such as bones and teeth. Therefore, this is more of a concern for isolated vitamin D supplements than for the D3K2 complex.
Kidney stones – A higher risk of kidney stones occurs when people take vitamin D together with calcium supplements. However, the K2 component of D3K2 can greatly lower this effect. When the two fat-soluble vitamins are taken together, the synergy can actually lead to a reduction in kidney stones. Thus, this potential side effect only seems to apply to supplements that are very high in vitamin D and low in K2.
Squamous dysplasia – This effect has been observed in one study but may not be causal. It has only been associated with vitamin D3 and does not apply to vitamin K2. It is not something to worry about if you stick to regular doses.
Interaction with Warfarin – Vitamin K can suppress the effects of warfarin to a significant degree.
Imbalance in fat-soluble vitamins – Vitamins A, D, E, and K get broken down in the body by the same mechanism. Since they share the same breakdown pathways, consuming lots of one vitamin may increase the breakdown of the others. So if you take too much vitamin K, your body may turn on this pathway and break down more of the other vitamins as well. Put simply, megadosing one of those fat-soluble vitamins is not the best idea unless you also increase your intake of the other ones. Fortunately, this is not as big of a problem when it comes to supplementing vitamin K as it is with vitamin A, D, or E.
Vitamin K toxicity – This effect is almost exclusive to vitamin K injections and almost impossible to reach through oral supplementation.
Oxidation – Very high doses of vitamin K supplements taken on a basis may increase oxidation in the body. However, there is not a lot of evidence supporting this effect and you certainly do not have to worry about it if you stick to normal doses.
Who should not take D3K2?
You should probably avoid taking vitamin D3K2 if you:
already have high enough or too high vitamin D levels (40+ ng/mL)
already get enough vitamin K from food (from leafy greens, natto, and other sources)
have kidney stones (in this case, just K2 is probably a better choice)
work outside or spend many hours a day outdoors
Who will benefit the most?
You should definitely consider taking vitamin D if you:
experience symptoms of vitamin D or K deficiency
have been tested for vitamin D blood levels and they are lower than would be optimal
have low levels of total cholesterol (it can worsen the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, including both D3 and K2)
do not eat a good amount of plant foods containing vitamin K1 or fermented foods with K2 MK7
are predisposed to colorectal cancer
suffer from fibromyalgia
suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
experience depression during winter but not summer
live far from the equator
are under a lot of stress (it increases your need for the vitamins, especially vitamin D)
take calcium (D3K2 helps calcium move from places like joints and arteries where it does more harm than good to places where it’s useful, such as bones)
suffer from kidney disease (since that significantly increases your need for vitamin K)
have darker skin (the darker your skin is, the less vitamin D you can absorb from the sun)
are a pregnant or breastfeeding woman (mothers pass high amounts of vitamin D and even more vitamin K to their unborn babies through the placenta, and to their born babies through breast milk)
are older (older people also cannot absorb as much from the sun – on average, a 70-year-old person will absorb around 4 times less vitamin D from the sun than a 20-year-old)
are overweight (the more body fat you have, the more of the vitamins D3 and K2 are being stored in the fat cells and unable to enter the bloodstream)
use sunscreen (sunscreens block UVB radiation from sunlight, which means you don’t get as much vitamin D from sun exposure)
Forms of vitamin D and K
The vast majority of D+K complexes on the market contain vitamin D3 and K2 MK-7. Those are the best forms of each nutrient for most people.
However, some complexes may contain different forms of the vitamins. For example, there are D3K2 supplements on the market that contain K2 MK-4 instead of MK-7. Some contain both MK-7 and MK-4. There are also many supplements that contain just vitamin K1 since it is cheaper to synthesize it.
The notes below will help you make sense of the different forms of K and D.
There are only 2 main forms of Vitamin D that are very similar to each other as far as the effects go:
Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol) – This form is mostly found in plants. The supplements are made from ergot mold. While it is not as bioavailable as the D3 form, the difference is not as big as some people believe. Some studies even show no difference at all, with the exception of megadosing (50000 IU or more taken at once), in which case D3 appears to be superior to D2.
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) – This is the main form found in the majority of supplements and is synthesized from 7-dehydrocholesterol. One benefit of D3 compared to D2 is higher shelf life. This means the supplement doesn’t lose potency as fast as the D2 form. Another reason to take D3 instead of D2 is that there is a lot more research on D3.
As for vitamin K, the forms differ more than for vitamin D. There are 3 main forms of the vitamin usually sold on the market: K1, K2 MK-7, and K2 MK-4. While they are somewhat similar when it comes to their effects, there are some major differences to consider.
Vitamin K1 (Phytonadione or Phylloquinone) – This form is mostly found in plants and is useful primarily for blood clotting.
Vitamin K2 MK-4 (Menatetrenone or Menaquinone-4) – The MK-4 naturally occurs in very small amounts in meat and animal products. This form appears to be the most effective form at reducing the risk for cancer. In order to reduce the risk for cancer, the other forms have to first convert to MK-4. Unfortunately, statins and bisphosphonate drugs used to treat osteoporosis, hurt the conversion.
Vitamin K2 MK-7 (Menaquinone-7) – MK-7 is the most effective form at reaching the bones and is thus best for supporting bone health. It also appears to be the best for improving hormonal health and may increase exercise performance, although the evidence for this is rather weak. Most of these effects are a direct result of a hormone called osteocalcin, produced in the bones with the help of vitamin MK-7. This form naturally occurs in some fermented foods, such as natto. It is important to note that those foods contain a full spectrum of vitamin K2 forms, from MK-4 to MK-13. However, MK-7 is the most predominant type in those. This form is also the best one to supplement with. The supplements are either synthetic or natural (derived from fermented soybeans or chickpeas). The natural form is more bioavailable.
Other forms of K2 – MK-4 and MK-7 are not the only types of vitamin K2. There are 10 menaquinones (MKs), ranging from MK-4 to MK-13. However, forms other than MK-4 and MK-7 have not been studied nearly as much and it is uncommon to find them in K2 supplements.
Vitamin K3 (Menadione) – This is a synthetic form of vitamin K that has a much higher risk profile. Fortunately, the form is not very popular and it is difficult to come across K3 supplements.
How much D3K2 should you take?
To give a very simplified answer, 2000-3000 IU per day of vitamin D and 100-200 mcg of vitamin K2 MK7 are a great amount for most people to take.
However, if you wish to find out what dose is optimal for you, we need to look into it more deeply and determine the best dose for each individual vitamin.
How much vitamin D to take
As for vitamin D3, you want to take an amount that will help you reach the optimal level of vitamin D in the blood. This is the most important rule to follow.
Since too much vitamin D can be just as problematic as too little, we want to achieve a sweet spot that allows us to have enough vitamin D in the bloodstream but not too much.
The sweet spot is somewhere between 30-60 ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter). Even more specifically, 40-50 ng/mL appears to be the optimal blood concentration for most people.
Unfortunately, only around 70-80% of people in developed countries don’t have sufficient levels of vitamin D, which is why supplements are so important.
The RDA (recommended daily allowance) for vitamin D is 400-800 IU. This is, in most cases, too low. While this amount should be enough to prevent symptoms of severe deficiency, it is unlikely to help most people get to the optimal blood levels of vitamin D.
For an average person without a severe deficiency, 2000-3000 IU a day is usually the best amount to take.
However, how much you should take depends on many factors, such as your body weight, age, genes, how much sun exposure you get each day, etc.
Also, you should probably take more during winter than during summer since in the summer you are getting more of the vitamin from sun exposure.
The best way to truly know how much you should take is to routinely get tested for vitamin D concentrations in the blood. Again, you want the blood concentrations to be around 40-50 ng/mL.
While the upper tolerable intake level in the US is set to 4000 IU a day, many studies have shown that you can safely take more than that, so long as your blood levels are not too high already. Even doses of 10000 IU per day appear to be safe if you take them to fix a deficiency faster. This is not a bad idea at all since the sooner you can fix a deficiency, the better.
How much vitamin K to take
The recommended adequate intake is 120 mcg a day for men and 90 mcg for women. However, this recommendation is rather unreliable because it was set in 2001 when there were almost no studies done on vitamin K. It also does not specify the form of the vitamin. That being said, 100+ mcg of either K1 or MK-7 should be more than enough to prevent a deficiency.
If you decide to take the MK-7 form, 100-200 mcg appears to be the best amount to take. The higher end of this range will provide slightly more benefits.
If you take MK-7, there is little to no reason to supplement with vitamin K1. MK-7 is good enough for supporting blood clotting (and, in fact, around 4 times better than the K1 form). There is also a high chance you are already getting enough vitamin K1 from food. If you still want to supplement with K1, around 1,000 mcg a day is a good amount to take.
As far as MK-4 goes, the minimum effective dose starts at 1500 mcg. Doses of up to 45000 mcg have been shown to be safe.
If you are a pregnant or breastfeeding woman, you may need as much as 4 times the amount of vitamin K.
The same applies to people with kidney disease, who may benefit from even more vitamin K (up to 3-4 mg worth of K1 or MK-7). The reason the needs are so high for those with kidney disease is that the kidneys fail to remove enough phosphorus from the body and the elevated phosphorus causes soft tissue calcification. The increased soft tissue calcification requires increased protection from vitamin K.
So to simplify this, it is best for most people to take around 200 mcg of MK-7 a day. If you are a pregnant or breastfeeding woman or suffer from kidney disease, multiply the amount by 4.
If you are deficient in vitamin K and wish to get to the optimal level fast, megadosing is a viable strategy.
As a side note, the recycling of vitamin K requires thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. Deficiencies of these B vitamins could hurt your vitamin K status and increase your needs for the nutrient.
As far as the upper limit goes, taking more than 1,000 mcg of MK-7, 10,000 mcg of K1, or 50,000 mcg of MK-4 on a regular basis usually isn’t necessary and may even cause more harm than good.
Even though oral supplements are extremely safe and have never been shown to cause toxicity, extremely high amounts of vitamin K could lead to oxidative stress and deplete other fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, and E).
Food sources of vitamin D and K
Fish, seafood, and mushrooms are the only food sources that can provide a reasonable amount of vitamin D.
Both of these contain around 500 IU per 100 grams. Although in fish and seafood, the amount can vary greatly from type to type.
Mushrooms can produce vitamin D from UVB radiation (sun exposure), which makes them a great source of vitamin D2.
While some people believe that dairy and eggs are good sources of vitamin D, they do not contain a reasonable amount. Nor do other types of food.
Vitamin K1 can be found most abundantly in leafy greens. As little as one serving should provide more than enough K1 for the day. You don’t even need to consume these daily since vitamin K stays in your body for a much longer time.
MK-4 can be found in meat and animal products. However, these sources do not provide nearly as much MK-4 as you optimally want to consume. For instance, red meat contains on average 3-4 mcg for 100 calories. To get an adequate intake of K2, you would have to eat around 40,000 calories worth of red meat a day. Organ meats do contain more K2 but still, the amount is by no means significant.
As for vitamin MK-7, by far the richest source is natto with around 300 mcg of MK-7 per oz. This means you would only need to eat around 10 grams of natto to meet the daily requirement. Unfortunately, not many people enjoy the taste of natto and it can be somewhat hard to find unless you live in Japan.
The easiest way to find out how much vitamin D and K (and other nutrients) you are getting in your diet is with Cronometer.com – the app is free and allows you to track all vitamins, minerals, and more.
Best time to take D3K2
Since both vitamins in D3K2 supplements are fat-soluble, you need to take the supplement with a source of fat if you wish to maximize the absorption.
As little as 10 grams of dietary fat should be enough. This amount may actually be better for increasing absorption of vitamin D than consuming more fat (30+ grams) but the difference is not significant.
You may also want to take D3K2 when you consume vitamin E and vitamin A since these fat-soluble vitamins increase the absorption of each other.
Whether you take D3K2 in the morning or in the evening doesn’t really matter. Some people claim taking it in the morning is more natural and better for sleep but D3K2 does not seem to impact your sleep or circadian rhythms in any way.
You also do not have to take D3K2 every day. There is not a big difference (if any) between taking 2000 IU of vitamin D + 100 mcg of vitamin K2 every day and taking 3 times that every 3 days.
Interactions with other supplements
Vitamin A Vitamins A, D, E, and K get broken down in the body by the same mechanism. Since they share the same breakdown pathways, consuming lots of one vitamin may increase the breakdown of the others. So if you take too much vitamin K, for example, your body may turn on this pathway and break down more of the other vitamins as well. Put simply, megadosing one of those fat-soluble vitamins is not the best idea unless you also increase your intake of the other ones. However, you do not need to worry about this if you stick to normal doses of vitamin K. Vitamin A is also protective against soft tissue calcification caused by excess vitamin D but it does not decrease the risk for hypercalcemia associated with the supplement.
Vitamin E There is a good amount of evidence to support that megadosing vitamin E can lower the blood clotting effect of vitamin K. This is likely by depleting vitamin K levels. This should not be seen as a reason to start supplementing with vitamin E but to include vitamin K into your stack if you already do supplement with vitamin E.
Calcium Those with sufficient levels of vitamin D and K absorb calcium up to 2 times better. D3K2 also helps calcium move from places like joints and arteries where it does more harm than good to places where it’s actually useful, such as bones. However, taking too much vitamin D with calcium could lead to hypercalcemia.
Magnesium Magnesium helps Vitamin D bind to its target proteins, as well as helping the liver and the kidneys to metabolize the vitamin.
Zinc Zinc supports the functions of vitamin D inside the cells.
Sesamin Sesamin, a lignan compound found in sesame seeds, appears to inhibit the breakdown of vitamin K, keeping your levels higher for longer. However, the effect appears to be rather small.
Statins Statins can block the conversion of vitamin K1 and MK-7 to MK-4. If you are on stains, you will need to supplement with MK-4 instead of the other forms if you wish to reap the anti-cancer benefits of vitamin K.
Bisphosphonates The same said about statins also applies to bisphosphonates (medications used primarily to treat osteoporosis), such as Fosamax.
Warfarin Warfarin, marketed under the name Coumadin and other brand names, prevents blood clots by compromising all of the functions of vitamin K. Unfortunately, this also includes its protection against soft tissue calcification. Consuming more vitamin K can lower or completely diminish the effects of warfarin and other 4-hydroxycoumarins, which are the most commonly prescribed anticoagulants.
Where to buy D3K2
Amazon seems to be the best option for ordering D3K2 supplements in most countries. They offer some very affordable products that are backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands there without having to spend time searching through other markets on the internet.
One thing you should pay attention to is that some brands display the dosage per serving and not per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something that is less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.
FAQ
D3K2 supplements can be taken daily and do not need to be cycled.
Yes. Vitamin D doesn’t impact your sleep in any negative way, nor does vitamin K2.
The D3K2 supplements rarely go bad but they can lose potency over time. The D2 form of vitamin D appears to lose potency faster than D3. For vitamin K forms, it doesn’t really matter.
Keep your D3K2 supplements in a cold, dark, and dry place and they will remain just as potent for many years.
If you have dry skin related to vitamin D deficiency, supplements could be of help. Also, vitamin K2 can reduce the reddening of the skin to some extent and reduce bags under the eyes.
It doesn’t, unfortunately.
Yes, vitamin D can cause toxicity if taken at very high doses for a prolonged period of time. The main problem associated with the toxicity is hypercalcemia. The good thing is that vitamin K2 in D3K2 supplements can minimize this side effect.
As for vitamin K2, you also don’t want to go overboard with it. While vitamin K toxicity is extremely rare and almost purely associated with injecting the vitamin, too much vitamin K in the system can cause some problems. Specifically, it can cause an imbalance in fat-soluble vitamin ratios.
Vitamins A, D, E, and K get broken down in the body by the same mechanism. Since they share the same breakdown pathways, consuming lots of one vitamin may increase the breakdown of the others. So if you take too much vitamin K or D, your body may turn on this pathway and break down more of the other vitamins as well. Put simply, megadosing one of those fat-soluble vitamins is not the best idea unless you also increase your intake of the other ones.
So as a general rule, you want to stay below 10,000 IU of vitamin D, 1,000 mcg of MK-7, 10,000 mcg of K1, or 50,000 mcg of MK-4 per day.
This depends mainly on how much you take. Higher doses will help you fix the deficiency faster. Even the most severe deficiency could be cured in a few weeks with very high doses. But be careful if you decide to do the megadosing strategy and get your blood tested on a regular basis to make sure you are not overdosing on D3K2 and taking too much.
D3 is a form of vitamin D. However, you can almost use these terms interchangeably since most vitamin D supplements contain the D3 form (which is why the combination of vitamin D and K is called D3K2).
The main reason so many people are deficient is the lack of sun exposure. Humans used to spend way more time outside than we do in this day and age and our bodies have not yet accustomed to this way of living.
You probably need more vitamin D if you: – are under a lot of stress – experience symptoms of vitamin D deficiency – have been tested for vitamin D blood levels and they are lower than would be optimal – have low levels of total cholesterol (it makes you absorb less of the vitamin) – have darker skin (since the darker your skin is, the less vitamin D you can absorb from the sun) – – are older (older people also cannot absorb as much from the sun – on average, a 70-year-old will absorb around 4 times less vitamin D from the sun than a 20-year-old) – are overweight (the more body fat you have, the more vitamin D is being stored in the fat cells and unable to enter the bloodstream)
The K2 component in D3K2 is almost always derived from vegan-friendly sources. However, the same may not apply to vitamin D3.
The D2 form is always vegan-friendly. As for the D3 form, it can either be derived from lichen of sheep’s wool.
K1 and MK-7 supplements are almost always vegan-friendly. As for MK-4, most of the supplements containing this form are produced synthetically and are vegan-friendly. However, since MK-4 comes from animal sources, some of the MK-4 supplements on the market are extracted from animals. Emu oil is one example of this.
Put very simply, K1 is a form that comes from many plants and in our bodies, it is responsible for blood clotting. The K2 forms (such as MK-7) can also support blood clotting but they have many additional functions, such as moving calcium to bones and teeth, etc. Fortunately, K1 can convert to K2 to some extent.
Not consuming enough foods rich in vitamin K is the most common reason why one becomes deficient. Warfarin, pregnancy, kidney disease, and a few other things may cause a deficiency by either greatly increasing your need for the vitamin or by greatly reducing its absorption and effects.
You probably need more of the vitamin if you: – have kidney stones (kidney stone could in a way be considered a vitamin K deficiency because there is a very high correlation between vitamin K levels and risk of getting kidney stones; the vitamin can help pull calcium out of your kidneys) – do not eat a lot of plant foods containing the vitamin – suffer from kidney disease (since that significantly increases your need for the vitamin) – are a pregnant or breastfeeding woman (mothers pass high amounts of the vitamin to their unborn babies through the placenta, and to their born babies through breast milk) – take calcium (vitamin K and D help calcium move from places like joints and arteries where it does more harm than good to places where it’s useful, such as bones) – take vitamin D (these two supplements act synergistically in many ways, which is what makes D3K2 so beneficial) are overweight (the more body fat you have, the more of the vitamin you need)
Since these vitamins are fat-soluble, you need to consume dietary fat with them to absorb them properly. Taking these vitamins or consuming them from low-fat food sources without adding extra dietary fat can make some of them up to 10 times less bioavailable. Fortunately, as little as 20 grams of fat should be enough to absorb these vitamins well.
References
Most of the information provided in this guide is based on scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.
Anecdotal evidence (from reports on Reddit, YouTube, and other sources) is also taken into account unless it contradicts scientific research.
