Vitamins K and D: benefits for bone health
The vitamin K-dependent proteins in our bones have revealed the extent of the importance of this vitamin in helping bone development by acting as a regulator and channeler of calcium into the tissues. Vitamin K helps guide calcium to areas of the body where it is needed, such as the skeleton, and away from areas where it could have a negative effect, such as the cardiovascular system.
Putting calcium in the right place
Are you taking vitamin D or calcium for strong bones? If so, I have good news and bad news for you. Let's get the bad news out of the way first. In April 2011, nutrition researchers showed, for the third time, that women who take calcium supplements, with or without vitamin D, are about 20% more likely to have heart attacks and strokes than women who don't. Millions of women take calcium supplements to increase their bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis and hip fractures. However, it appears that some of the calcium taken does not reach the bones and clogs the arteries, causing heart disease.
The good news is that other research has recently identified a nutrient that can guide calcium safely to the bones and teeth, where we need it, and away from the arteries, even dislodging pre-existing calcium deposits there. This is vitamin K2, a long misunderstood fat-soluble vitamin that works with vitamin D to get calcium to the right place. If you are concerned about your bone or heart health, understanding the role of vitamin K2 will help you better manage the nutritional puzzle that can lead to many health problems.
Vitamin K2 was once very present in our diet. In the days when animals were fed in pastures, foods like eggs and butter were full of vitamin K2. With factory farming, vitamin K2 levels dropped and deficiencies appeared. So how do we get vitamin K2 back on our plate? Farm animals and certain cheeses, such as Gouda and Brie, are very rich in vitamin K2, as are goose liver and a Japanese food made from fermented soybeans called natto. If you do not eat these foods on a regular basis, the Natural Factors Vitamins K and D provides 120 mcg of vitamin K2 (natural MK-7) and 1000 IU of vitamin D in each capsule. One capsule per day is a good maintenance dose for adult health. Check with your doctor before taking vitamin K2 supplements if you are taking anticoagulant medications such as warfarin.
Naturopathic Doctor Kate Rhéaume-Bleue is a natural health specialist, speaker and frequent media interviewee. Her first book is entitled Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life (Wiley & Sons, 2012).