Why I don’t take vitamin D by itself

Labor Day is Monday, and for many of us, it marks the unofficial end of summer.

Kids are back in school. The days are already getting shorter. We’re spending less time outside.

And over the next several weeks, the amount of vitamin D your body can make from sunlight starts changing fast.
Now is a great time to go grab your vitamin D bottle, flip it around, and check: Does it contain K2?

Vitamin D3 helps your body absorb calcium and maintain normal bone mineralization.

Vitamin K2 does something different: it activates proteins involved in bone metabolism, including one called osteocalcin.

And here’s why I care about it as a dentist:

Your teeth are not set into your skull like fence posts in concrete. They are anchored in living jawbone. Lose enough of that bone and teeth will loosen. I have seen it happen, and it’s why I like to say “you can’t out-brush a bad diet” or, in this case, not enough of certain nutrients.

Vitamin D also plays a role in immune function, and that matters here because periodontitis is more than bacteria; it involves an inflammatory immune response that can damage the gum tissue and the bone holding your teeth in place.

Studies have repeatedly found an association between vitamin D and periodontal health: people with periodontitis tend to have lower vitamin D status or intake than people with healthier gums.

But, keep in mind…

If your gums bleed when you floss, or your last x-rays came with the phrase “some bone loss,” we’re no longer in prevention territory anymore, and that’s a situation that needs a dentist, not just a supplement (the supplement can be part of the support system).

When I choose a formula, I look for:

• Vitamin D3, also called cholecalciferol
• Vitamin K2, usually listed as MK-4 or MK-7

→ This is the D3/K2 I take every day.

I take it with food because fat improves vitamin D absorption, and vitamin K is also fat-soluble.

Before you buy anything, check the bottle you already own. Does it contain D3 and K2? Or have you been taking D3 by itself? 

Hope that quick tip helps.

Mark

P.S. If you take warfarin or a similar blood thinner, do not add or change vitamin K without speaking with the clinician managing that medication. Vitamin K can change how these drugs work.