Calcium is an “A list” nutrient, immediately recognized by one and all on
store shelves everywhere. Although it is famous for being critical for many aspects of our health, without a pair of back-up nutrients — vitamins D3 and K2 — calcium cannot do its job effectively.
These “supporting actors” keep calcium levels in balance in our bodies, ensure proper absorption, and make sure calcium ends up in the right places.
This nutrient trinity— calcium, vitamin D3, and vitamin K2 — interact and work together synergistically to keep our bones healthy and strong and our cardiovascular system flowing and flexible.
The Calcium Balancing Act
Your body performs a balancing act, day in and day out, as it regulates optimal blood calcium levels. That’s because calcium is critical for heart and nerve function. And in addition to being a metabolic mineral, calcium is also a major structural component of bone. If your diet doesn’t supply sufficient calcium for your body to uphold balance, calcium bone stores can come into play. So how can you make sure you not only consume enough calcium every day, but your body can optimally use it?
Bone Health
Vitamin D is essential for the efficient absorption of calcium. Even if you eat calcium-rich foods, you need to keep vitamin D in mind to ensure that your body and bones can access the calcium they need. Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiency is surprisingly common and therefore is often emphasized as a factor in maintaining healthy bones as you age.
While vitamin D helps your body regulate calcium absorption from the gut, lesser-known vitamin K2 has a major role in supporting calcium absorption by your bones. Although they may seem static and unchanging, your bones are actually busy remaking themselves every day. As a matter of fact, every 7-10 years your entire skeleton fully regenerates itself through a process called remodeling.
Vitamin K2 works in partnership with specialized bone cells called osteoblasts in the bone remodeling process. It does this by facilitating the activation of osteocalcin, which then draws calcium into the bones where the bone-building osteoblasts incorporate it into the bone matrix — keeping your bones healthy and strong.
Cardiovascular Health
Vitamin K2 not only supports the deposit of calcium in bones, it also helps referee calcium to its rightful places.
Through its interaction with a protein called MGP (matrix GLA protein) vitamin K2 helps to maintain optimal calcium balance in soft tissue and blood vessels.
How Do You Get Vitamin D3?
Remarkably few foods are good sources of vitamin D, limited to oily fish, egg yolks, and fortified dairy products. Active vitamin D is mainly produced in our skin when it’s exposed to the sun’s UVB rays. In today’s world of automobiles and office work, not to mention the risk of too much sun exposure, many health experts recommend a supplement as the best way to fulfill your daily supply. It’s important to understand the different types and benefits of vitamin D supplements, so we dedicated an entire blog to helping you choose the best one.
Vitamin K2 Rich Foods
Produced primarily through bacterial fermentation in the gut, Vitamin K2 is also relatively scarce in commonly eaten foods. You can get some vitamin K2 by eating meat and animal-based foods like egg yolks and dairy products, but one of the only vegetarian sources of the vitamin is natto — a traditional Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans. This means that a K2 supplement is ideal to help fill the gap for vegans and vegetarians to fill the gap.
Interestingly, a study in Japan showed better bone health among Japanese women who consumed natto, and therefore more vitamin K2. In Tokyo, the regular consumption of natto was likewise associated with maintaining strong bones compared with western Japan where natto isn’t frequently eaten.
D3 & K2 Supplementation
It is extremely common for postmenopausal women to take calcium supplements to promote healthy bone maintenance. But many health advocates highlight the need to add calcium’s supporting players — vitamins D3 and K2.
As we explained earlier, taking calcium alone doesn’t mean it will be efficiently absorbed (without vitamin D3), and it doesn’t mean that it will be properly deposited in bone (without vitamin K2). In fact, studies suggest that, when taken together (but not alone) calcium and K2 supplements promote better cardiovascular health.
That's why we created D3 + K2 Complex™, a high-quality sidekick to dietary calcium that is made with organic ingredients, is non-GMO, 100% vegan, gluten-free, and dairy free. The vitamin D3 in D3 + K2 Complex is made from sustainably grown algae that’s highly purified without chemical solvents. Our vitamin K2 is purified from non-GMO fermented soy natto. It also contains fermented vitamin K1, plus an organic food complex of shiitake mushroom, camu camu berry, collard greens, spinach, parsley, and cruciferous sprouts for extra, whole body nourishment.
Make Sure to Get the Nutrient Synergy
There’s no doubt that calcium is critical for bone and cardiovascular health, but this mighty mineral can’t do it alone. As a synergistic team of calcium, vitamin D3, and vitamin K2 work hand in hand to support strength and balance from head to toe. And the dynamic duo in Pure Synergy’s D3+K2 Complex is ready to come alongside your calcium-rich diet to nourish your vitality for years to come.
Your Privacy Choices