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Short Summary
Main recommendation: If you want to supplement vitamin D3 with vitamin K2, the speaker suggests choosing D3 paired with the K2 form menaquinone-4 (MK-4), since it is the most clinically studied K2 form, and checking your vitamin D levels before and after supplementing. The case for pairing them rests on vitamin K helping direct calcium into bones and teeth and away from soft tissues such as blood vessels, though the speaker notes there is no clear scientific consensus yet.
Key Points
- Vitamin D3 promotes calcium absorption and helps balance blood calcium with bone calcium, while vitamin D2 is absorbed less efficiently than D3.
- Vitamin K2 is said to activate osteocalcin, which moves calcium into bones and teeth, and matrix GLA protein, which keeps calcium out of soft tissues like the kidneys and blood vessels.
- Two human studies cited in the video: in postmenopausal women, a vitamin D and K group maintained carotid artery wall characteristics over 3 years, while the control and vitamin D-only groups worsened; in a 3-year trial in older adults free of cardiovascular disease, vitamin K plus calcium and vitamin D did not reduce coronary artery calcium progression overall compared to calcium plus vitamin D alone, but in a subgroup analysis of participants at 85% or greater adherence, there was less progression.
- The speaker says most people get enough vitamin K from diet, and that deficiency is fairly rare, since K2 is found in meats, eggs, and fermented foods.
- Open questions the speaker raises: whether lower doses of vitamin D are harmful long term without K2, and whether high-dose vitamin D alone is the concern.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions: Get your vitamin D level tested before supplementing and again about 3 months later to track progress; the speaker says most people fall in the 20 to 29 ng/mL range, which is considered deficient, and an ideal range is about 40 to 70 ng/mL, with levels near 100 ng/mL or above considered over-supplementation.
- Concrete instructions: The speaker's suggested product is a liquid D3 plus K2 (MK-4) from his Thorne store, dosed at 2 drops, 1 to 3 times a day, providing 25 mcg of D3 and 200 mcg of vitamin K2; he presents these as his best recommended ranges.
- Concrete instructions: If you take Coumadin or warfarin, the speaker suggests avoiding vitamin K or asking your doctor whether the K2 form is safe for you, since K1 interacts with warfarin.
- Concrete instructions: Eat a well-balanced diet with vegetables, fermented dairy, and fermented foods such as natto, which the speaker describes as a high K2 source.
- Fat-soluble vitamins are better absorbed with fatty meals; the speaker cites roughly 11 grams of fat to aid absorption.
- Sun exposure example: in Miami in summer, about 3 minutes of sun on 25% of the body was said to be enough, while in Boston in winter about 23 minutes was needed; fatty fish and fish oil are other D sources.
Bottom Line
The pairing of D3 and K2 is presented as a reasonable precaution rather than a settled requirement, so the practical step is to check your vitamin D status and discuss K2 with a doctor, especially if you take blood thinners.
