The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that 44 million Americans suffer either from osteoporosis, or low bone mass, which puts them at risk for the condition.[1]
The numbers have continually climbed over the years, despite attempts to address the underlying causes and risk factors for osteoporosis and bone mass loss. In fact, experts predict that the number will rise to 61 million by 2020.[2]
This may come as a surprise, given that vitamin D and calcium have long been touted as the keys to keeping bones strong and healthy. Milk products are famously fortified with both nutrients, and many food manufacturers have followed suit.
Especially in recent years, awareness around the benefits of vitamin D have skyrocketed—a torrent of research has demonstrated that it can work wonders not only for bone health, but also for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, immune dysfunction, neurological disorders, kidney disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and even cancer.[3]
These findings have led to a massive uptick in vitamin D supplementation, as well as a shift in thinking around sun exposure and the consumption of nutrient-dense foods. Vitamin D has become a tool in the hands of the masses for strengthening bones and preventing chronic disease.
Why, then, has the incidence of osteoporosis continued to rise?
(where is all that calcium going?)
There is one big reason why vitamin D and calcium awareness has not been sufficient to prevent declining bone health, a largely overlooked factor: the need for vitamin K2.
You’ve probably heard all your life that you need calcium for strong bones.
But what you may not know is when that same calcium ends up in your arteries it can narrow your blood vessels and set you up for a heart disaster! Researchers call it “the calcium paradox.”
That’s because you need calcium for strong bones — but if it ends up in your arteries it can kill you!
Vitamin K2 acts like a shuttle service that directs calcium in your body and can safely pull calcium out of your arteries… and put it back in your bones where it belongs! When you’re deficient in Vitamin K2 — calcium goes rogue and ends up in the walls of your arteries — causing “calcified” — or rigid arteries!
It turns out that vitamin K2 releases a protein hormone called osteocalcin, which locks calcium into the structure of your bones.
A prominent example of misplaced calcium is atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries characterized by arterial calcium deposits. Atherosclerosis is a major sign of serious heart disease and a significant risk factor for stroke and heart attack—this is why researchers found that vitamin K2 is involved in the prevention of heart disease.
Is Vitamin D Supplementation Actually Hurting You?
Dr. Rheaume-Bleue, the author of Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life, gives the following warning to those supplementing with vitamin D for bone health:
“There are so many people on the vitamin-D-mega-dose bandwagon, taking more and more of vitamin D. And it could absolutely be causing harm if you are lacking the K2 to complete the job to get the calcium where it’s supposed to be. We don’t see symptoms of vitamin D toxicity very often. But when we do, those symptoms are inappropriate calcification. That’s the symptom of vitamin D toxicity. And it is actually a lack of vitamin K2 that can cause that.”[6]
Researchers have compared supplementation with vitamin D plus K2 versus supplementation with vitamin D alone. The results were conclusive: vitamin D combined with vitamin K2 protected against cardiovascular calcification (as measured by the coronary artery calcification score and the thickness of the carotid intima media), while vitamin D alone did not.[4]
This study, combined with other research on vitamin K2 and vitamin D3, made it clear to researchers that vitamin K2 is crucial for maximizing the benefits and minimizing the risks of vitamin D.[5]
The real way to prevent bone loss
Taking too much vitamin D without the balancing effect of vitamin K2 can be worse than taking neither supplement. And because calcification is the primary issue, if your vitamin D supplement contains calcium (or if you’re supplementing with calcium independently), it’s even more important that you add vitamin K2 to your regimen.
Remember too that absorption is common issue when it comes to supplements—if you want real protection for your bones, you’ll need to seek out a highly absorbable blend of both vitamin K2 and vitamin D3.
Not All Vitamin D Supplements are Created Equal
Most D3 Supplements are NOT absorbable. When D3 cannot be absorbed, your body is unable to assimilate and you will not get the benefits. So you still end up with the symptoms.
We recommend PuraTHRIVE Vitamin D3 with K2: a formula that’s “liposomalized”—meaning it’s specifically blended to make D3 + Vitamin K2 bind to phosphlipids (fats) that increase its bioavailability more than 20 times.
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References
[1] https://www.iofbonehealth.org/facts-statistics
[2] Ibid.
[3] http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/79/3/362.full
[4] http://ndt.oxfordjournals.org/content/28/suppl_1/i352.abstract
[5] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/16/vitamin-k2.aspx
[6] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/10/19/vitamin-d-vitamin-k2.aspx#_edn1
