Those of us invested in our health have probably heard about all the benefits that calcium offers, but did you know we can maximize these benefits by ensuring an adequate intake of vitamin K2?
It’s true - that’s why we’re here to tell you everything you need to know about the role that vitamin K2 and calcium play in our health, from what these nutrients are to exactly how much we should be consuming of each to experience their health benefits.
Vitamin K2 Vegan and calcium can be taken together to improve bone health and reduce the risk of heart disease. This vitamin works by activating a protein that assists calcium in serving its functions within the body.
So if you’re curious about the relationship between vitamin K2 and calcium, keep reading. By the end of this article, you’ll better understand why we should take these nutrients together to improve our overall health.
What is vitamin K2?
Many of us are unaware of vitamin K2, which is an issue when we consider all the essential health benefits.
For example, vitamin K2 plays a vital role in:
- Bone growth and development
- Blood coagulation
- Dental health
- Cardiovascular support
However, because the more popular vitamin K1 has long overshadowed vitamin K2, many of us aren’t aware of the importance of this nutrient.
To make matters worse, vitamin K2 deficiency is widespread in the average western diet. Most of us aren’t consuming enough of the foods rich in this vitamin to support our health.
Vitamin K2 sources
Sources of vitamin K2 are relatively scarce, but they include the following:
- Natto
- Eel
- Cheese
- Beef liver
- Sauerkraut
- Egg yolk
- Fermented foods
Because many of these foods are not a staple part of the average person’s diet, we are at an increased risk of developing vitamin K deficiency and may need to take vitamin K supplements to prevent health problems.
What is calcium?
Calcium is an essential mineral that’s primarily known for its role in supporting bone health.
However, this nutrient offers many other notable advantages to our health, as a proper intake is essential for:
- Building and maintenance of strong bones
- Dental health
- Cardiovascular function
- Regulation of blood pressure
- Nerve cell function
Calcium is essential, which means our bodies cannot produce this mineral independently. Therefore, we need to consume it from outside sources, like foods or supplements.
Calcium sources
Foods we can add to our diet that are rich sources of calcium include:
- Dairy products
- Milk
- Cheese
- Green, leafy vegetables
- Sardines
Those not receiving enough calcium from our diet may need to take daily calcium supplements to avoid a deficiency in this nutrient.
Why take vitamin K2 and calcium together?
Now you may wonder: what are the benefits of taking calcium and vitamin K2 together?
Vitamin K2 activates a protein that helps transport calcium to the places it needs to be to support our health.
Instead of calcium building up in our arteries, this vital mineral can reach our bones and teeth to ensure their strength and health.
According to one study showing the link between vitamin K2 and calcium, consumption of these nutrients together can:
- Reduce risk for blood-vessel calcification
- Reduce the risk of heart disease
- Improve the bone mineral density
We must intake the daily recommended amount of vitamin K2 and calcium to allow this duo to work together to support our health.
Recommended daily amount of vitamin K2 and calcium
While vitamin K2 does not have its own recommended dietary intake (RDI), we can use the RDI for vitamin K1 to give us an idea of how much health experts say we should be consuming.
See the table below to determine how much vitamin K2 and calcium you should be intaking based on your demographic.
|
Population |
Recommended amount of vitamin K per day |
Recommended amount of calcium per day |
|
0-6 months |
2 mcg |
200 mg |
|
7-12 months |
2.5 mcg |
260 mg |
|
1-3 years |
30 mcg |
700 mg |
|
4-8 years |
55 mcg |
1,000 mg |
|
9-13 years |
60 mcg |
1,300 mg |
|
14-18 years |
75 mcg |
1,300 mg |
|
19-50 years for men |
120 mcg |
1,000 mg |
|
19-50 years for women |
90 mcg |
1,000 mg |
|
51-70 years for men |
120 mcg |
1,000 mg |
|
51-70 years for women |
90 mcg |
1,200 mg |
|
70+ years for men |
120 mcg |
1,200 mg |
|
70+ years for women |
90 mcg |
1,200 mg |
Data from National Institutes of Health
Because a healthy intake of vitamin K2 is rare in the western diet, it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to consume the recommended dietary intake from food sources alone.
Instead, we’ll likely need to take vitamin K2 supplements to ensure bone and cardiovascular health.
That’s why FuelOrganics offers a high-quality vegan vitamin K2 supplement designed for anyone looking to support a healthy heart and bones.
Final thoughts
We should all make an effort to consume the vitamins and minerals that support our health, but there are some in particular that work together to offer maximum benefits.
Vitamin K2 and calcium are two examples of essential nutrients that we can take in conjunction to not only improve the health of our bones and hearts, but to prevent future health complications from arising.
Trusted sources
- Maresz K. (2015). Proper Calcium Use: Vitamin K2 as a Promoter of Bone and Cardiovascular Health. Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.), 14(1), 34–39.
- Vitamin K. Fact sheet for health professionals. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminK-Consumer/
- Calcium. Fact sheet for health professionals. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/