Taking Vitamin D3? You NEED Vitamin K2.

Today’s another short little post.

In the body, there’s a kind of Holy Trinity of vitamins D, K and the mineral calcium. This is pulled from an LEF article (linked at end)

[I]t is clear that maintenance of healthy bone density requires adequate levels of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K. Without vitamin D, there will be no osteocalcin [Ed: hormone which mineralizes bone] for vitamin K to work on. Without vitamin K, the osteocalcin that is produced will be inactive. And of course without calcium (and other minerals), there will be no minerals for the activated osteocalcin to attract to the bone for structural density.

And you should take vitamin K2 of the K vitamins specifically.

In nature, vitamin K is found in two forms: vitamin K1, which occurs in leafy green vegetables; and vitamin K2, which exists in organ meats, egg yolks, dairy products, and particularly in fermented products such as cheese and curd. While some ingested K1 is converted to K2 in the body, significant benefits occur when vitamin K2 itself is supplemented.

The absorption of K2 into the bloodstream is relatively efficient, whereas relatively little K1 is absorbed from plant foods.

So, why bring this up? If you’re taking Vitamin D3 as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, you need vitamin K2 to prevent the calcification of your arteries (and other soft tissues): that’s atherosclerosis, and it’s BAD NEWS.

The calcification of soft tissues accelerates aging; K2 will defeat that process.

Also, there are testosterone benefits in vitamin K by way of osteocalcin activation:

Interactions between bone and the reproductive system have until now been thought to be limited to the regulation of bone remodeling by the gonads. We now show that, in males, bone acts as a regulator of fertility [read: testosterone]. Using coculture assays, we demonstrate that osteoblasts are able to induce testosterone production by the testes[…]

By binding to a G protein-coupled receptor expressed in the Leydig cells of the testes, osteocalcin regulates[…] the expression of enzymes that is required for testosterone synthesis, promoting germ cell survival. This study expands the physiological repertoire of osteocalcin and provides the first evidence that the skeleton is an endocrine regulator of reproduction.

Talk about a “boner.” HAR HAR.

Naturally, you can get vitamins K/K2 in organic, grass-fed butter. The feedlot/supermarket stuff just doesn’t have much of those rich, fat soluble nutrients in it, so get the good stuff.

Otherwise, if you don’t have vitamin D3 already, pick up a bottle of this stuff. It has both D3 and K2.

Read more:

Life Extension Foundation – Protection Against Arterial Calcification, Bone Loss, Cancer, and Aging!

Cell – Endocrine Regulation of Male Fertility by the Skeleton