You may already know the importance of vitamin D3 for overall health and especially for breast cancer prevention. In fact, women with breast cancer who have high levels of vitamin D are twice as likely to survive than women who have low levels. But did you also know that, along with D3, it is essential for you to also take vitamin K2? In fact, without K, vitamin D supplementation may be damaging to your health.
Vitamin K is Making a Comeback
K1 comes mainly from food or supplementation. There was a time when sufficient Vitamin K1 could be obtained from what we eat, just as enough Vitamin D could be obtained from exposure to the sun and other natural means. With commercialization of agriculture, however, K from foods like grass-fed meats, butter and green leafy vegetables has all but vanished.
Another important K─ Vitamin K2 ─ is manufactured in the intestines, but only if you have balanced gut flora. Experts say that millions of Americans suffer from leaky gut syndrome and other GI tract disorders which effect the balance of bacteria in the digestive tract. Ensuring Vitamin K2 absorption is another reason to also supplement with probiotics and prebiotics like raw cultured veggies.
Over 100 years ago, pioneering dentist Dr. Weston Price discovered the healing power of Vitamin K. Some vital functions Vitamin K is responsible for include:
-proper blood clotting;
-metabolism of bone;
-assisting in the transport of calcium to the soft tissues;
-decreasing inflammation;
-improving the body’s use of insulin.
And according to a 2004 Dutch study, vitamin K intake can lead to a 57% reduction in Coronary Artery disease. Both Heart Disease and cancer share several risk factors. Other studies have found that sufficient Vitamin K can result in a 26% reduction in all forms of disease-related mortality.
Why It is Important to take Vitamin K2 with D3?
Vitamin K often goes ignored by experts who talk about the benefits of supplementation. That does not negate its vital importance to the health of your body, however– especially when it comes to D3 absorption and how D3 is utilized in the body. D3 and K2 fit together like two pieces of an intricate puzzle since when you take vitamin D in supplement form, you are naturally creating an increased demand for K2.
The importance of taking K and D together lies in the process of protein generation in the body. By ingesting D3, the body will be signaled to make more vitamin K2-dependent proteins. These proteins are specifically designed to transfer calcium to areas in your body that need it most–and they need sufficient amounts of K2 to do this. When taken in tandem, D and K strengthens your bones, improves your heart function, helps to balance the hormones, boosts the immune system and may even help your body prevent breast cancer.
The amount of Vitamin K2 you should be taking depends on the Vitamin D levels in your blood. If you are unsure about your Vitamin D levels, talk to your holistic health professional or family doctor about getting a simple Vitamin D blood panel today.
Be proactive with prevention. Make sure that you are getting enough Vitamin D and Vitamin K every day!
Dr. Veronique Desaulniers, better known as Dr. V, is the founder of The 7 Essentials System ™, a step-by-step guide that teaches you exactly how to prevent and heal Breast Cancer naturally. To get your FREE 7-Day Mini e-Course and to receive her weekly action steps and inspiring articles on the power of Natural Medicine, visit her at BreastCancerConqueror.com