Benefits
- Provides clinically effective doses of vitamins D and K per softgel
- Vitamin D3 has the highest potency for increasing serum and storage levels of vitamin D
- Uses the optimal form of vitamin K, vitamin K2 menaquinone-7 (MK-7)
- MK-7 has the longest half-life and best extra-hepatic distribution of all forms
- A D3 and MK-7 combination has a synergistic benefit compared to single nutrient therapy
Feature Summary
Vitamin D and vitamin K have diverse and complementary physiological functions, close associations with age-related and chronic diseases, and a strong body of clinical evidence documenting widespread insufficiency and therapeutic potential.1,2 Vitamin D has both hormonal and non-hormonal functions, with vitamin D receptors translating into a myriad of physiological actions, ranging from bone metabolism to modulation of immune activity.3,4
Vitamin D regulates the expression of hundreds of genes, influences cellular proliferation and signalling, insulin production and sensitivity, and is a critical inhibitor of several inflammatory pathways.5,6 Insufficiency has been linked to increases in cardiovascular disease, cancer risk, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, as well as overall mortality.7,8,9,10,11
Vitamin K-dependent (VKD) proteins also have a nearly ubiquitous presence and regulate diverse functions including cellular growth, arterial calcification and bone metabolism.12 Clinically, low intakes are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, fracture and all-cause mortality.13,14,15,16 Vitamins K and D have complementary physiological functions, and clinical trials have shown synergistic benefit for both osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease when used together.17,18,19
Medicinal Ingredients
Each Softgel Contains: | |
Vitamin K2 (Menaquinone) (MK-7) (Natto Bean) | 120 mcg |
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) | 1000 IU (25 mcg) |
Non-Medicinal Ingredients
Medium chain triglycerides, softgel (gelatin, glycerin, purified water, caramel, titanium dioxide), yellow beeswax, non-GMO sunflower lecithin.
Allergens:
Contains no artificial colours, preservatives, or sweeteners; no dairy, sugar, wheat, gluten, yeast, egg, fish, shellfish, salt, tree nuts, or GMOs. Sealed for your protection. Do not use if seal is broken. For freshness, store in a cool, dry place.
Recommended Use:
1 softgel per day or as directed by a health care practitioner.
Contraindications
Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you are taking blood thinners. Keep out of reach of children.
Drug Interactions
When taken with a thiazide medication (diuretic), vitamin D may increase the risk for hypercalcemia. Also, vitamin D may improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood pressure, requiring a reduction in dosage of hypertension and/or diabetic medications. Vitamin K may antagonize the effect of some anticoagulant medications, particularly warfarin, and should be taken together only with medical supervision. Recent data suggests vitamin K supplementation may stabilize INR’s and reduce adverse effects among those on vitamin K antagonists, but combined use should be carefully monitored.20,21
- McCann JC, et al. Vitamin K, an example of triage theory: is micronutrient inadequacy linked to diseases of aging? Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Oct;90(4):889-907.
- Adams JS, et al. Update in vitamin D. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Feb;95(2):471-8.
- Sung CC, et al. Role of vitamin d in insulin resistance. J Biomed Biotechnol. 2012;2012:634195.
- Rosen CJ, et al. The nonskeletal effects of vitamin D: an Endocrine Society scientific statement. Endocr Rev. 2012 Jun;33(3):456-92.
- Chagas CE, et al. Focus on vitamin D, inflammation and type 2 diabetes. Nutrients. 2012 Jan;4(1):52-67.
- Holick MF. The vitamin D deficiency pandemic and consequences for nonskeletal health: Mechanisms of action. Mol Aspects Med. 2008 Dec;29(6):361-8.
- Martins D, et al. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the United States: data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Jun 11;167(11):1159-65.
- McGreevy C, et al. New insights about vitamin D and cardiovascular disease: a narrative review. Ann Intern Med. 2011 Dec 20;155(12):820-6.
- Reis JP, et al. Relation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and parathyroid hormone levels with metabolic syndrome among US adults. Eur J Endocrinol. 2008 Jul;159(1):41-8. 18426812.
- Grant WB. Cause of death for those with diabetes and/or cancer provides further support for an important role of vitamin D in reducing risk of many types of disease. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2012 May;21(3):307.
- Fleet JC, et al. Vitamin D and cancer: a review of molecular mechanisms. Biochem J. 2012 Jan 1;441(1):61-76.
- Vermeer C. Vitamin K: the effect on health beyond coagulation – an overview. Food Nutr Res. 2012;56. doi: 10.3402/fnr.v56i0.5329.
- Geleijnse JM, et al. 2004. Dietary intake of menaquinone is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: the Rotterdam Study. J. Nutr. 134:3100–5.
- Nakano T, et al. High prevalence of hypovitaminosis D and K in patients with hip fracture. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2011;20(1):56-61.
- Ibarrola-Jurado N, et al. Dietary phylloquinone intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in elderly subjects at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Oct 3. [Epub ahead of print].
- Nimptsch K, et al. Dietary vitamin K intake in relation to cancer incidence and mortality: results from the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Heidelberg). Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 May;91(5):1348-58.
- Ushiroyama T, et al. Effect of continuous combined therapy with vitamin K(2) and vitamin D(3) on bone mineral density and coagulofibrinolysis function in postmenopausal women. Maturitas. 2002 Mar 25;41(3):211-21.
- Je SH, et al. Vitamin K supplement along with vitamin D and calcium reduced serum concentration of undercarboxylated osteocalcin while increasing bone mineral density in Korean postmenopausal women over sixty-years-old. J Korean Med Sci. 2011 Aug;26(8):1093-8.
- Braam LA, et al. Beneficial effects of vitamins D and K on the elastic properties of the vessel wall in postmenopausal women: a follow-up study. Thromb. Haemost. 2004. 91:373–80.
- Ford SK, et al. Vitamin K supplementation to decrease variability of International Normalized Ratio in patients on vitamin K antagonists: a literature review. Curr Opin Hematol. 2008 Sep;15(5):504-8.
- Weijs B, et al. Patients using vitamin K antagonists show increased levels of coronary calcification: an observational study in low-risk atrial fibrillation patients. Eur Heart J. 2011 Oct;32(20):2555-62.