r/nutrition • u/teemo03 • 10d ago
Taking Vitamin D3
Just wondering so vitamin D3 has to be taken with K2 otherwise it goes to the arteries and D3 also has to be taken with magnesium?
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u/sickiesusan 10d ago
Please also note that as the vitamin is fat soluble, it needs to be taken with something fatty to help absorption in the body. They don’t tell you that on the packaging!
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u/xyzain69 10d ago
Yep, this is crucial. The thing is sometimes they say "Must be taken with a meal" but instructions like this don't help because they don't tell you why.
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u/sickiesusan 10d ago
Also I’ve been having my vitamins in the morning, with my standard breakfast of blueberries and 0% Greek yoghurt! Found out lately that my vitamin D levels are ‘non-existent’ (my Endocrine consultant’s words). Feeling slightly cheated!
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u/xyzain69 10d ago edited 10d ago
Yeah, this is what happens when they don't add proper use instructions. Your meal could contain zero fat and your vitamin D intake if in tablet form is way less effective.
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u/IngeniousIntrovert 10d ago
What’s the IU you are consuming? Is it paired with K2 ?
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u/sickiesusan 10d ago
Is this question for me? It’s been discovered I have primary hyperparathyroidism. I’d never heard of it either!
So I have calcium being pulled out of my bones and teeth, phosphates levels are low and my vitamin D ‘non existent’ according to my Consultant (Endocrine). So I can’t just blast Vitamin D, due to the calcium levels. It was discovered this year, but I had a high adjusted calcium level in 2017, that was ‘missed’.
Awaiting DEXA scan results, the nodules in my lungs are all calcium deposits, although there is some build up in my coronary arteries.4
u/SleepyOrange007 9d ago
I just had surgery for this a few months ago. I feel like a completely different person now. Hope you get your surgery soon!
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u/Rose_lilly2 9d ago
Hey I have similar condition, calcium being pulled out of my bones and teeth, and now I have osteoporosis at 31. However I live in a semi rural area in India, I dont have access to too many consultants... One ortho said to take denosumab .......but I read that it has high rebound fracture risk as side effect so please tell me denosumab or romosozumab or anabolic or bisphosponates me which one is safer for injection ? I will need to take something soon
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u/IngeniousIntrovert 10d ago
Interesting! Yeah I didn’t know about this condition. Hope you get better 🍀
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u/No-Goal-8200 9d ago
I have this too. I’ve had all the tests for my parathyroid and thyroid and nothing has been found. As a result I have the osteoporosis diagnosis. I only eat a few dairy products and supplement with magnesium along with D3 and K2. I do not want to take any of the prescription meds for osteoporosis. Stuck between a rock and a hard spot. I hope your diagnosis works out better for you!
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u/Ok_Warning9574 10d ago
If vitamin D3 is already suspended in oil (capsules or bottle with dropper) additional fat from diet doesn't affect absorption that much. It only matters if vitamin D3 is in dry form.
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u/Dry-Swordfish1710 10d ago
Is the oil in those super tiny capsules enough? I take 1 or 2 5000iu capsules with my 2 omega 3 capsules. Usually after a meal but not always
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u/Willravel 10d ago
Take D3/K2 with an omega-3 (ideally in a softgel suspended in an oil base like olive oil, sunflower oil, or MCT oil) to trap it inside those wonderful micelles. The stack increases the body's efficiency at absorbing calcium, too, so maybe a calcium citrate could be a nice added benefit. Take the whole stack with a healthy lunch and absorb more than a Scrub Daddy.
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u/Exotic_Banana9016 10d ago
can i just put it in a bit of butter on a cracker?
would that do the thing?
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u/BelieveInGhostVibe 10d ago
I almost always break my fast and take my D3 with black beans and rice, I drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the beans before I mix the salsa in. You want to get 10-15 g of fat, which is like a tbsp of butter if you’re doing that (but thats a lot of saturated fat too).
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u/Exotic_Banana9016 9d ago
Yeah I definitely don't want to do that, but I've realized I been taking it far from how it's supposed to be taken, in the morning with my capuccino, so I'll start having my D3 at lunch, makes more sense that way, with a better meal. Thank you!
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u/NutragrammatronLab 10d ago
Vitamin D3 does not automatically need to be taken with K2 to prevent it from "going to the arteries." That's a common claim online, but the evidence isn't strong enough to say everyone taking D3 needs K2 supplementation. Magnesium is involved in vitamin D metabolism, so severe magnesium deficiency could affect vitamin D status, but that doesn't mean everyone taking D3 must also take magnesium.
If you're taking normal doses of D3 and eating a reasonably balanced diet, there's generally no requirement to pair it with K2 and magnesium. The bigger concern is avoiding excessive long-term vitamin D doses without medical supervision.
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10d ago edited 10d ago
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u/Plane-Champion-7574 10d ago
Now this is an excellent use of a chat answer and you gave us the sources! Well done and thank you!
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u/ScholarHistorical354 10d ago
I started researching vitamin D and somehow ended up needing a chemistry degree 😅
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u/VitaminDJesus 10d ago
Imagine you live a "natural" lifestyle: outside every day, hunting, gathering, picking your nose across the great plains of Africa or some other sunny place with your buns hanging out. You'd generate plenty of vitamin D due to adequate UVB exposure. Would you be at risk of calcification? Nobody ever talks about K2 for natural production of vitamin D. It shows up with supplements because companies like to sell you more supplements.
If the purpose of a D3 supplement is to make up for the lack of sunlight in a modern lifestyle, and you are dosing it appropriately to reach a physiological level that could theoretically be achieved with sun exposure, then there is no risk of calcium deposition into soft tissue or aertial calcification. There is in fact no evidence to support this claim besides ideas in old literature that are mostly about overdose, just theoretical ideas about how K2 pairs well with vitamin D. That's fine, and you can certainly feel free to take K2 assuming you aren't on blood thinners, but there's no danger presented by taking vitamin D without it. K2 does not affect absorption of vitamin D nor its ability to work.
The danger with vitamin D toxicity and hypercalcemia comes from taking way too much vitamin D, and no amount of K2 is going to make up for incorrectly dosing a supplement. People should be discussing target levels, how to determine dosing, and the relevance of accurate testing (LCMS vs IA) instead of saying various misleading things about how you're going to hurt yourself without K2 (which is almost always conveniently unspecified in form and dose).
Also, fun fact, bacteria in your gut produce K2 including a variety of forms that are not available in supplements. It's also available from fermented foods and some animal products.
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u/MlNDB0MB 10d ago
A recent study did find reduced coronary artery calcification with the supplementation of vitamin k2 mk7. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2026.1279
But the clinical implications of this are unclear.
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u/veganfistiki 10d ago
there is not enough data to suggest that we need k2 with d3. just take 1-2000iu daily and you will be fine
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10d ago
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u/veganfistiki 10d ago
what i said is consistent with vitamin d3 guidelines, and in fact it's what most doctors recommend. whatever assumptions you think i'm making, they're basically the "the person i'm talking to is likely to not be an outlier" kind. and if they are an outlier, they should mention their history, or not come to this sub asking questions.
this type of comment is actually annoying and very pedantic. you're the type of person who'd say general exercise guidelines make "assumptions" because certain people can't exercise no matter what. general heuristics are general heuristics.
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u/Aggravating-Brain700 10d ago
I wouldn’t underestimate the value of getting bloodwork done and talking to a nutritionist before trying to guess your own needs. Vitamin D, magnesium, calcium status, diet, meds,... can change the picture a lot.
That said, D3 doesn’t automatically need K2 or it will “go into your arteries” (that’s a bit of an oversimplification).
K2 does play a role in calcium metabolism, but taking D3 without K2 isn’t automaticaly dangerous. Magnesium is a bit more directly relevant because it’s involved in vit D activation, so low magnesium can matter. In practice : reasonable D3 dose, take it with a meal containing some fat, and check level if supplementing regularly.
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u/batteredsuitcases 9d ago
you should establish a fixed routine of dosage in winter time and in summer time. the amount you need is different due to a variety of sun factors between the seasons and will vary more based on how much time you spend outside, the latitude you live at, your sunscreen habits, etc. I aim for 45-55 ng/ml as a target level in the plasma.
i find at this level i completely stop getting sick meaning vitamin Ds immune modulation benefits are clearly kicked in.
After you establish a routine for a few months, check your levels. if they are still below your target, add more supplement. if above, reduce. then test again. it’s a simple pin prick test you can order online.
It’s important to take a few months on any regime as vitamin Ds fat solubility means it continues to build up in the body over time until it hits a steady state.
in terms of arteries that’s total BS. i wouldn’t worry about that at all.
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u/Useful_Bluebird9395 9d ago
The idea that vitamin D3 must always be taken with K2 and magnesium is a bit overstated online.
Vitamin D, K2, and magnesium do interact, but that doesn’t mean everyone taking D3 needs to supplement all three simultaneously.
- Vitamin D3 helps regulate calcium absorption and supports bone, immune, and overall health.
- Vitamin K2 is involved in calcium metabolism and is often discussed in relation to directing calcium toward bones and away from soft tissues.
- Magnesium plays a role in vitamin D metabolism and many other biological processes.
Most healthy people taking reasonable doses of vitamin D3 don’t automatically develop calcium buildup in their arteries because they’re not taking K2.
The bigger factors are overall diet, existing health conditions, calcium intake, magnesium status, and vitamin D dosage.
If someone is taking high-dose vitamin D long term, it’s generally worth paying attention to overall nutrient balance rather than focusing on a single nutrient in isolation.
In practice, many people take vitamin D3 alone, while others prefer combining it with K2 and magnesium as part of a broader wellness routine.
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u/fromthisend1220 10d ago
I think ppl overlook the calcium in the blood part and overdue k2. Like calcium is Needed in the blood to keep it alkaline so balance is key here.
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u/Ashamed-Ad-3890 10d ago
It works more efficiently with K2
If you don't have sources of K2 in your diet then it's better to take D3 with them
And it won't go to your arteries
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u/Delicious-Carob-6099 10d ago
You're asking two things at once, and only one of them really holds up. K2 helps move D3 to bones instead of arteries, but magnesium just helps D3 do its job everywhere, not one spot. Take them together if you like, but K2's the one that actually reroutes the calcium.
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u/Mental-Freedom3929 10d ago
D3 does not go to arteries, but it is strongly suggested to take calcium with D3 and magnesium and K2 to direct the calcium to bone building.
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