The combination of vitamin D3 and K2 has gained attention recently due to their complementary effects. There has been an increase in promising research on the synergistic effect of combining these two vitamins in everyday supplements [1].

Vitamins D3 and K2 are both fat-soluble vitamins and play a central role in calcium metabolism. Vitamin D3 helps in the effective absorption of calcium and Vitamin K2-7 directs the absorbed calcium to bones. Without Vitamin D3, calcium will be excreted via the kidney and without Vitamin K2-7, calcium won’t be deposited in the bones.

When there is vitamin D3 without enough vitamin K, the calcium might not transfer to the bones properly and instead end up in the vascular tissue or arteries. This is because vitamin K is required to activate proteins that concentrate calcium in bones, such as matrix GLA and osteocalcin. Vitamin D3 promotes the production of vitamin K-dependent proteins, which require vitamin K for carboxylation in order to function properly [1]. Thus, the co-supplementation of D3 with vitamin K2 may minimize this calcification risk and better calcium utilization as they both complement each other.

References:

1. van Ballegooijen AJ, Pilz S, Tomaschitz A, Grübler MR, Verheyen N. The Synergistic Interplay between Vitamins D and K for Bone and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review. Int J Endocrinol. 2017;2017:7454376. doi: 10.1155/2017/7454376. Epub 2017 Sep 12. PMID: 29138634; PMCID: PMC5613455.