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Combined K2 and D3 sourcing and dosage?
Hi All,
Reading through a study from another related thread - one citation related to an aortic valve study (which did not find a benefit to K2 in previous patients in the study), noted, almost in passing they felt there may be evidence to suggest K2 does reduce the rate of calcium buildup and seemed to infer it might reduce arterial calcium.
Given these inferences, I thought perhaps may not hurt to try K2. Then, others mentioned combining K2 and D3.
Appreciate your thoughts on this, dosage, and where/which supplements do you buy?
Thanks!
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I've been using K2-MK4. 500mcg/day. There's a MK7 version as well, but there are some anecdotal reports of people getting heart palpitations. One problem is that all the supplement makers have jumped onto the MK7 bandwagon, so it's hard to find simple doses of MK4. There's one on Amazon that I use.
It's a good idea to make sure you're getting enough D3 no matter what. D3 helps youy body absorb calcium, and K2 helps D3 direct calcium to your bones rather than your arteries. The dose really depends on whether your level is low or normal. I was running low even at 1500/day, so now I take 3000. It depends on the person. It's certainly OK to take 1000/day. Winter is always a tough time for getting much sunshine.
Dr. Robert Schuelt who heads the MedCram channel on YouTube recommends that anyone living above the border with Mexico should be taking between 3000-5000 mg of D3 daily. Unless you're outdoors an hour or more a day, shirt off, between October and March in the USA, you're not getting enough D3, not from food, not from fortified dairy.
Watch K vitamins, though. They affect clotting, and if you're already on a DOAC or taking warfarin, you will undo the treatment those are meant to impart to you.
While on Tymlos (which I read "eats Vitamin D) I took 3000 units/day with 45mcg Vitamin K (MK-7). My level stayed stable in the low 50's.
Once off Tymlos my level was tested and it had risen to high 50's. I did not want to get too high, which is toxic, so I went down to 2,000 units daily with the same MK-7.
Last test this week my level was 57 so it is again stable. I am on Reclast now.
I believe if your level is getting close to 80 it is too high and intake is also too high.
I'm having trouble getting definitive information on this. Some sources say that it's vitamin K1, not K2, that can interfere with Warfarin. As is common, it's hard for the layman to get definitive answers.
This gets well into the weeds, but maybe you can extract something useful from it. They don't make a distinction here either:
https://practical-haemostasis.com/Useful%20information/Vitamin%20K%20&%20Vitamin%20K-dependent%20Factors.html
OK, even my doctor would probably have trouble understanding that. 🙂
I have to take 6,000 units of Vit. D per day to keep my levels in mid-normal range after lab tests showed a deficiency years ago. I now take Vit. K along with it about every other day. Vit D levels drop as we age. I'm 81.
I think this dosing of these is very individual. The best approach is probably to try a reasonable dose and have testing every three months or so. I am 73 and was deficient at one time years ago but have kept mine steady for years with testing and adjustments in dose.