Recent studies clearly demonstrate that vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 are essential to good health. Deficiencies in both these vitamins are extremely common, which is why more and more people are taking vitamins D3 and K2 as a daily dietary supplement.
It's very important to know that if you take vitamin D3 regularly over a long period, you definitely need to take vitamin K2 as well. This raises the question of how these two key vitamins should best be combined in order to promote health and vitality.
Vitamin D3 helps your body absorb calcium from the diet. But without enough vitamin K2, that calcium may not be directed where it’s needed such as your bones and teeth and can instead end up in soft tissues like arteries, potentially leading to calcification and arteriosclerosis.
Vitamin K2 activates specific proteins such as osteocalcin and matrix Gla-protein (MGP) that:
In short: Vitamin D3 increases calcium availability, while vitamin K2 ensures it’s used properly.
Taking vitamin D increases the body’s production of vitamin K2-dependent proteins. But without enough K2, these proteins remain inactive, and calcium can go to the wrong places. Together, D3 and K2:
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has developed recommendations for adequate nutrient intake.
These nutrient intake reference values are intended for healthy people and should not be understood as direct recommendations for individuals. Individual requirements for vitamin D and vitamin K can vary considerably depending on personal circumstances.
If in doubt, consult your doctor or a specialist to find out your individual requirements.
Target group | Adequate intake |
---|---|
Adults aged 18 and over, both sexes | 70 µg / day |
Children aged 15 to 17, both sexes | 65 µg / day |
Children aged 7 to 10, both sexes | 30 µg / day |
Children aged 4 to 6 years, both sexes | 20 µg / day |
Children aged 1 to 3 years, both sexes | 12 µg / day |
These estimated values indicate the average intake of the nutrient that is considered sufficient based on observations or experimental studies.
Source: EFSA DRV Finder
Target group | Adequate intake |
---|---|
Adults aged 18 and over, both sexes | 15 µg / day |
Children up to 17 years of age, both sexes | 15 µg / day |
These estimated values indicate the average intake of the nutrient that is considered sufficient based on observations or experimental studies.
Source: EFSA DRV Finder
Vitamin K2 activates two vital proteins:
Without vitamin K2, calcium can accumulate in the wrong places—even when taking vitamin D3. This imbalance can contribute to:
Vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 are a powerful team that work best when taken together. If you’re supplementing with vitamin D3, don’t overlook K2. The right balance supports your bones, heart, and overall health while avoiding the risks of misplaced calcium.
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, but vitamin K directs that calcium to your bones and teeth rather than soft tissues (like arteries). Together, they support bone health and help reduce the risk of arterial calcification.
Yes, they are safe and often recommended together. Many supplements combine them in balanced doses for optimal synergy.
For bone and heart health, K2 is preferred—especially MK-7 (a form of K2).
Take them with a meal containing fat (like lunch or dinner) for best absorption. Timing isn't critical, but consistency is helpful.
People taking blood thinners like warfarin should not take vitamin K supplements without medical supervision, as it can interfere with clotting regulation.
Yes, a 25(OH)D blood test can show your vitamin D status. K2 levels aren’t usually tested, but deficiency is more likely if your diet lacks fermented or animal-based foods.
Yes! Consider combining with:
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At first glance, arteriosclerosis and osteoporosis appear unrelated yet both conditions share key similarities. They become more common with age and develop gradually over decades. Often they remain unnoticed until a serious event occurs such as a heart attack or bone fracture. While their symptoms and effects differ recent research reveals a surprising link between the two through vitamin K2.
Vitamin K2 is an essential though frequently overlooked vitamin that plays a crucial role in maintaining both bone and cardiovascular health. It helps regulate calcium distribution in the body by directing calcium away from arteries where it can cause harmful plaque buildup and toward bones where it strengthens the skeletal structure. This unique action means that vitamin K2 not only supports the prevention of osteoporosis but also reduces the risk of arteriosclerosis and related cardiovascular diseases.
In this blog you will explore why vitamin K2 is so important how it functions in the body and practical ways to ensure you get enough to protect both your bones and arteries.
Vitamin D dosage - This much is really necessary
Different organizations recommend varying doses of vitamin D. For example, in cases where vitamin D formation through sunlight is deficient, the DGE currently recommends a dose of 400 IU for infants up to 1 year of age and 800 IU for children, adolescents, adults, seniors, and pregnant and nursing women.
According to vitamin D experts this recommendation is too low and only represents the minimum daily intake required to stave off rickets.
Vitamin D: Vital for health
Vitamin D ensures healthy bones and is involved in a variety of metabolic processes in the human body. In contrast to all other vitamins, the need can't be met through nutrition alone; and a lack of the vitamin can cause serious illnesses. An adequate supply of vitamin D is therefore important.
How to determine the Vitamin D3 level
You can measure your vitamin D levels by using a blood test to determine if you have enough vitamin D in your body. In fact, not the active form of vitamin D is measured, but the concentration of 25(OH)D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) in the blood.
The 25 (OH)D value is a precursor of vitamin D, in which form is is transported in the blood. If necessary, this form is converted into the active form of vitamin D (calcitriol).
The 25 (OH)D value shows how much vitamin D you got through nutrition or produced during sun exposure. But this value does not tell you anything about your vitamin D levels throughout the year, which will vary depending on the sun exposure and vitamin D uptake from food.
The half-life of 25(OH) Vitamin D is 2 month. This means, that the vitamin D level will fall to half of its value, provided that you no longer get any vitamin D at all.