Magnesium, vitamins D & K: better together

For many years, calcium alone was considered the critical nutrient for bone health while the two most important nutrient deficiencies in most people were overlooked.

Essential nutrients for bone health are magnesium and vitamins D3 and K2. Most studies show combining nutrients are better for bone health than any single nutrient.

National survey data in the US show that over 40 per cent of US, adults are vitamin D3 deficient. On the bright side, data shows that 37% of US adults take vitamin D supplements.

Vitamin K and magnesium play a vital role in improving bone health while synergizing with vitamin D. While vitamin D increases calcium absorption, vitamin K transports absorbed calcium into the bones and out of soft tissues such as blood vessels and kidneys.

Although a balanced diet contains sufficient amounts of vitamin K to support blood clotting, an average diet may not include enough vitamin K to keep healthy bones. In addition to insufficient quantities in the diet, low vitamin K can occur due to malabsorption, liver disease, alcoholism, or anticoagulant drugs.

Research published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association states that vitamin D is only metabolized efficiently with adequate magnesium.

However, according to statistics from the World Health Organization, up to 75 per cent of the US adult population does not get the recommended daily amount of magnesium of 420 mg per day.

People taking vitamin D supplements should also take magnesium at the same time. Failure to maintain an adequate level of magnesium in the body results in inadequate vitamin D metabolism.

Also, people with adequate magnesium levels need fewer vitamin D supplements to maintain an average level of this vitamin.

For this reason, in the nutritional supplement Complete D3, K2 & Magnesium for bone and immune health, we have selected to include all the vitamins for activating vitamin D3, namely vitamin K2 and magnesium.