Vitamin D
Also known as the “sunshine vitamin”. Your skin naturally produces vitamin D when it is exposed to sunlight but it is also found in some fatty fish/fish oils.
One of Vitamin D’s many functions is to maintain adequate calcium levels in your blood and it also increases your calcium absorption. It has been shown to influence a wide variety of health conditions.
When you don’t have enough calcium, vitamin D maintains blood levels by drawing on the body’s main calcium supply; your bones, even though that may cause osteoporosis over time.
Vitamin K
The adverse effects of vitamin D are negated as vitamin K helps direct the calcium to your skeleton and prevents it from going to soft tissues such as blood vessels. It does this by activating the “osteocalcin” and “matrix GLA” proteins.
Vitamin K is typically found in leafy greens, fermented foods and vegetables as well as some fatty foods like liver, egg yolk and cheese.
Both of these vitamins are fat-soluble nutrients, so consuming them with fat can improve absorption. The 2 work synergistically to ensure your bones and your heart remain healthy.
Is it a bad idea to take Vitamin D without Vitamin K?
Too much vitamin D can cause hypercalcemia, a condition characterised by excessively high levels of calcium in the blood which then leads to blood vessel calcification (BVC). According to experts, blood vessel calcification is one of the main underlying causes of heart disease.
Studies have shown that Vitamin K deficiency is also associated with BVC and that Vitamin K supplements may reduce BVC in humans and may reduce the risk of heart disease, suggesting that vitamin K may help prevent the negative effects of having too much vitamin D.
Make sure to consult your doctor before taking very high doses of vitamin K supplements as they may interact with certain medications.
