Why You’re Not Getting the Full Benefits of Your Vitamin D Supplement

5 min readJan 11, 2021

The SUNSHINE vitamin. The HAPPY hormone. The IMMUNE booster.

Vitamin D has so many benefits.

And it is a necessary vitamin that contributes to our health in vital ways:

· Musculoskeletal system support — crucial for good bone health
· Increases mood — low vitamin D is associated with low mood
· Reduces inflammation
· Promotes cell growth
· Immune support — vitamin D helps the body fight infectious diseases

But so many people are vitamin D deficient.

It’s a GLOBAL issue. And it’s mainly caused by the indoor lifestyles so many people live. Most people don’t spend enough time outside to get a healthy amount of sun. And in northern climates, the winter is even worse because of less daylight and less ultraviolet radiation available. The ultraviolet radiation (UVR, and more accurately, UVB) from the sun is needed for our bodies to synthesize vitamin D.

Being vitamin D deficient can have many negative effects and lead to serious illnesses:

· Autoimmune diseases
· Low mood
· Cardiovascular disease
· Some cancers
· Bone weakness

This is why so many healthcare professionals recommend taking a supplement.

But what a lot of people aren’t told is that they won’t get the full benefit without taking it along side Vitamin K2.

Why is Vitamin K2 Important to Take with Vitamin D?

Vitamin K2 is necessary for good health.

The K vitamins (K1, K2, K3) are most widely known to help regulate blood clotting — the good kind of clotting — the kind that stops people from bleeding out when they get a minor cut. But the K vitamins support other functions too.

Vitamin K2 is specifically important to help against illnesses such as cognitive impairment diseases, bone metabolism issues, and cardiovascular disease.

Together, vitamin D and vitamin K2 support good cardiovascular and bone health. And research suggests that taking BOTH supplements together is more effective than taking just one or the other.

What Kind of Vitamin D is Best to Take?

There are two kinds of vitamin D supplements to choose from: D2 and D3. Research shows that Vitamin D3 is more effective than D2 in raising vitamin D levels.

But before taking a supplement, make sure to check with your healthcare professional to see if you should take it.

Having too high of a vitamin D level is dangerous and can lead to many side effects including, nausea, vomiting, and kidney stones.

Health experts have different opinions of what the best level of vitamin D actually is. But most agree it is somewhere between 50 to 75 nmol/L (Nanomoles per liter). According to the National Institutes of Health, a good level for most people is about 50 nmol/L. The Endocrine Society says this level should be around 75 nmol/L.

To maintain an optimal level, most adults would need to take a vitamin D supplement of about 600–800 IU per day.

In addition to taking vitamin K2 together with vitamin D, the food you eat also influences how much you’ll benefit from the vitamin D supplement.

How Can Food Boost Your Vitamin D?

Certain food can help boost your vitamin D in two ways: by being a source of vitamin D, and by increasing your body’s ability to absorb the supplements.

1. Some foods are a source of vitamin D:

While there aren’t too many types of food that naturally have vitamin D, the foods that do have it are healthy and are a good way to help boost your vitamin D.

· Salmon
· Halibut
· Tuna
· Cod liver oil
· Portabella mushrooms
· Morel mushrooms
· Chanterelle mushrooms
· Eggs
· Pork

2. Fatty foods increase your body’s ability to absorb vitamin D supplements:

Unlike most vitamins, vitamin D is fat-soluble, which means it dissolves in fat rather than in water.

Because of this, you absorb more vitamin D if you take it with a meal that contains fatty foods.

Fat used to be considered bad because it can lead to high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. But studies show there are GOOD fats and BAD fats.

Good fats are liquid (rather than solid) when they are at room temperature. And they are also found in certain foods, such as fish, nuts, and vegetables.

There are two types of good fats:

· Monounsaturated fatty acids — a good source for this are oils, such as olive and canola oil, as well as avocados and most nuts.

· Polyunsaturated fatty acids — these are crucial for good health. These fats help keep your body functioning in a variety of ways. They create cell membranes, they cover nerves, and they help with muscle movement. These fats are found in oils such as sunflower and safflower oils. And one of the polyunsaturated fats is omega-3 fatty acids.
o Omega-3 fatty acids have become a trending topic in the health and wellness world. They have numerous benefits, from reducing inflammation and regulating blood lipids (the fatty substance in the blood), to enhancing cognition. Foods that have a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids are: salmon, flaxseeds, walnuts, and chia seeds.

Unlike good fats, bad fats are solid when they’re at room temperature. And consuming lots of these bad fats can lead to higher cholesterol levels and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

There are two types of bad fats:

· Saturated fats — most saturated fats raise the levels of both good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein), as well as the bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein), which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Although this technically falls in the “bad” fat category, there is growing research to support health benefits of consuming small amounts of certain saturated fats. Coconut oil also falls into this category. There are many benefits of coconut oil, and research shows that consuming small amounts of coconut oil does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Other foods that have saturated fats are butter, bacon fat, red meat, and dairy products, such as cheese.

· Trans fats — this is the worst type of fat, the one that can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. These fats are found in products such as margarine and various fast foods. Almost all trans fats do not occur naturally. They are a byproduct of good oils that are changed in a process called hydrogenation. The aim is to prolong the shelf life of oils before they go rancid, but the reality is that trans fats are so bad for people. In fact, the FDA has banned artificial trans fats, and said this “…Could prevent thousands of heart attacks and deaths each year” (FDA, 2018, Food Additives & Petitions section).

With a little extra attention to the types of fat you consume, this will soon become second-nature and you’ll be on the path to better health.

Overall being mindful of the foods you eat, the amount of time you spend outside, and the supplements you take, can all contribute to optimal vitamin D level and good health.

Resources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3571641/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17138809/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4924160/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855046/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6121420/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17138809/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3356951/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6413124/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7019739/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5471136/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5613455/