Vitamin D3/K2 (Cholecalciferol)

Vitamin D is not a true vitamin. While real vitamins are absorbed with food, Vitamin D is mostly produced by sun light. The body can provide itself with sufficient Vitamin D via sun light, since Vitamin D is produced in the skin under the influence of UVB radiation. 

However, in Central Europe this only works in summer (from about April to September) – and only, if you don’t constantly use sunscreeners, because they inhibit Vitamin D-formation.

For the rest of the year, the Sun is too deep to send enough UVB radiation to Earth. In Central Europe, therefore, you can only provide yourself with Vitamin D with the help of the Sun if you spend a lot of time outdoors during the warm season to store enough Vitamin D for the winter.

Vitamin D is very important to humans, as it is involved in many physical processes. Vitamin D is particularly known for its bone-strengthening effect. It promotes calcium absorption from the intestine, is involved in the process of calcium getting into the bones, inhibits bone atrophy and at the same time strengthens the immune system.

Almost in every disease, a deficiency of Vitamin D plays a role. For example, Vitamin D is considered to have an anti-inflammatory effect, which has a positive effect on most chronic complaints – since they are all associated with chronic inflammatory processes. Whether it is a matter of increased susceptibility to infections, autoimmune diseases, degenerative complaints or problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and dementia of the events involved, Vitamin D deficiency is usually the cause.

The human body can produce Vitamin D to 80-90% through sunlight and 10-20% are supplied through food. Since people do not absorb enough Vitamin D through sunlight, they have the option of taking Vitamin D as dietary supplement. This is an excellent preventive or therapeutic measure.

Healing and active ingredients:

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin like vitamins A, E and K. This means two things:

1. Some fat is always required for the absorption of Vitamin D from the intestines.

2. Vitamin D can be stored in the body (in fatty tissue and in the liver), which is seldom the case with water-soluble vitamins (B, C).

In food, Vitamin D is found mainly in fatty fish or is added to food as a dietary supplement. It has the function of a prohormone in the body and is converted into its physiologically active form, the hormone calcitriol, via the intermediate stage calcidiol.

Importance of Vitamin K2 for Vitamin D intake: Vitamin K types

Vitamin K is a whole group of fat-soluble vitamins that are vital for a good functioning blood clotting as well as for strong bones and healthy arteries. A distinction is made between Vitamins K1 and K2.
Vitamin K1 plays a major role in blood clotting. This accounts for about 90% of Vitamin K intake in the typical Western diet.
Vitamin K2 accounts for about 10% of essential Vitamin K intake and is also partially produced by intestinal flora. It is important for controlling calcium. This function has a significant influence on the health of bones and arteries. The GLA proteins help binding calcium in the bones and reduce calcium deposits in the arteries.

Vitamin K2

supports the building up and strengthening of bones and teeth
prevents and reduces calcium deposition in the arteries
is a natural activator of calcium transporting proteins (GLA proteins)
Vitamin Densures healthy blood clotting

Application

Vitamin D is the key to our health. Until now, Vitamin D has been mainly considered to be a bone strengthener. 

However, as it has now been discovered, there are Vitamin D receptors in almost all organs and tissues, which means that this unique Vitamin has far-reaching effects on metabolic processes in the intestine, brain, heart, pancreas, skin, lymphocytes, etc. 

Vitamin D is not only important for strong bones and healthy teeth, but is also a determining factor in preventing cardiovascular disease, cancer, and a number of other diseases.

These include rickets, psoriasis, PMS, back and bone pain, bone atrophy, high blood pressure, type I diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, neurological disorders, and immune system disorders (from the common cold to multiple sclerosis). One thing is certain – if you don’t get enough Vitamin D, you’ll get sick permanently.

Today, Vitamin D supply is mainly assessed by a Vitamin D test on Vitamin D levels in the blood. More precisely, the level of the so-called 25-OH Vitamin D3 is measured – the chemical form of Vitamin D as it is transported in our blood.

There is disagreement where an ideal Vitamin D level is to be set. 

A Vitamin D level between 40 ng/ml to 80 ng/ml seems to be a good value to it.

Vitamin D level: blood values

On one hand we have to look at 

• the stored Vitamin D in the blood, the so-called Vitamin D level 
• and on the other hand the daily Vitamin D requirement through sunlight or through a dietary supplementation.

The stored Vitamin D level is measured in nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml).

Levels in the range of 20-35 ng/ml of Vitamin D in blood serum are said to be deficient. Here, the first negative signs may become apparent. At the latest, however, consequences for health arise with a severe Vitamin D deficiency below 20 ng/ml.

The significance of the Vitamin D value in ng/ml

In addition to Vitamin D, Vitamin K2 is needed. Vitamin K2 is responsible for installing calcium into the required places in the body. In addition, certain proteins that cannot work without sufficient amounts of Vitamin K2, are decisive for the transport of calcium. Therefore, it makes sense to increase the intake of Vitamin K2 when Vitamin D is increased, too. Both vitamins are of great importance for the bones, as high levels of Vitamin D will prevent bone fractures.

In addition to the intake of Vitamin D from sunlight, we also absorb Vitamin D through our food: e. g. cod liver oil, chicken eggs, mushrooms, chanterelles, beef liver, avocados. However, 150 g of cultivated mushrooms provide just 3 micrograms of Vitamin D and 150 g of avocados provide only 5 micrograms of Vitamin D (5mcg (5ug)= 200IU).

However, in order to take appreciable doses of Vitamin D through food, one would have to take a very large gulp of cod liver oil daily, which contains about 12,000IU Vitamin D per 100g. But if this is too disgusting, you can also use dietary supplements.

Once your Vitamin D store is filled, you don’t have to take additional Vitamin D every day. The organism can live off a full store for weeks or even months.

What is my Vitamin D level?

You can arrange a check of your Vitamin D level by your doctor. 

Almost every doctor’s practice has a laboratory that can carry out this special examination. Since the statutory health insurance companies do not bear the costs of this examination, you will have to pay for it yourself. It makes sense to have the measurement carried out in autumn and spring. Just let the simple 25-OH Vitamin D be determined. This is the calcidiol described above – a preliminary stage of active Vitamin D3.

Vitamin D and Vitamin K2 belong together

When taking Vitamin D, it is always recommended to pay attention to a healthy Vitamin K2 supply at the same time. 

The following Vitamin K2 intake is recommended:

• 100 µg Vitamin K2 with up to 2,500 IU Vitamin D per day.
• 200 µg Vitamin K2 for Vitamin D doses above 2,500 IU per day

If you want to dose the Vitamin K2 more individually, you can help yourself with this formula: 

2 – 3 µg of Vitamin K2 per kilogram of body weight, i.e. for a body weight of 70kg, 140-210ug.

Without Vitamin K2, there is a risk that calcium will accumulate unused in vessels and organs, which can result, for example, in the occlusion of blood vessels or the formation of kidney stones.

Vitamin K2 is available in various forms, it is recommended as a dietary supplement the menaquinone-7, which is also abbreviated as MK-7. It is vegan and is considered the best absorbed and usable Vitamin K2 form.

Anyone taking blood thinners or other medications that are not well tolerated with Vitamin K you must discuss Vitamin K administration with the doctor as a precaution.

Vitamin D and magnesium also belong together.

Since magnesium is needed in the body to activate Vitamin D, it requires an optimized magnesium supply.

The daily requirement of magnesium for an adult is about 400 mg. A person who takes this amount of magnesium daily through his/her diet should be well taken care of Vitamin D supplementation (boosting) of up to 5,000 IU.

Note: This example calculation is provided as a guide. Coordinate your values with your doctor.

(Conversion: µg is another notation for mcg (microgram). 

1000 µg (mcg) = 1 milligram (mg) and 1000 mg = 1 gram (g);     40IU = 1mcg(1ug), 10,000IU = 250 ug).

On the website https://www.vitamind.net/vitamin-d-rechner/ you can enter your own data for the initial value(memory value), the desired target value and your body weight and then you will receive similar information as in the table above.

Or via to the investigation by the following calculation formulas:

Guideline values for healthy adults: The following guidelines can serve for a good orientation

Vitamin D3: 50IU per kg body weight; Vitamin K2: 2-3µg per kg body weight 

Example: At 80 kg body weight amount to 50 IU x 80=4000 IU D3 and 2-3ug x 80=160-240ug K2

Calculation for Initial Therapy

Formula 1: Total dose = (target value – actual value from Vitamin-D-blood test) x 10.000 IU

Example: If the actual value from Vitamin-D-blood test is 20 ng/ml and shall be increased to 30 ng/ml.

Example calculation: Total dose = (30 – 20) x 10.000 = 10 x 10.000 IU= 100.000 IU
This corresponds to a daily intake of 10.000 IU for about 2 weeks.
In addition, there is the correction factor per body weight in which the result is multiplied.
All calculations are based on a body weight of 70 kg.

Formula 2: Body weight /70 = correction factor

For a body weight of 80 kg: 80/70 = 1,143; Formula 1 x Formula 2 = IU-value; Example: 10.000IU x 1,143 = 11.430 IU

Maintenance therapy

Continued regular intake of additional 100 IU vitamin/day increases the blood value by approximately 1 ng/ml on the long term.
Formula: Daily dose = (target value – actual value x 100 IU
Example calculation: 30 – 20 x 100 IU = 1000 IU.

Is an overdose of Vitamin D possible from food or Sun?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, overdosing can occur.
While excesses of water-soluble vitamins are simply discharged through the urine, this is not the case with fat-soluble vitamins.
Since Vitamin D is hardly contained in food, it is almost impossible to take a Vitamin D overdose.
It is also almost impossible to get a Vitamin D overdose via sun light. Apparently, the body has protective measures that stop Vitamin D formation through the skin once a sufficiently high serum level is reached.
On a sunny summer day, the body rarely absorbs more than 10,000 IU of Vitamin D – and only if you spend the whole day in the Sun almost undressed (swimming trunks/bikini).
Symptoms could occur only in the case of a Vitamin D overdose of 50,000 IU per day over a period of several months. In the case of an overdose, the typical symptoms of hypercalcemia could occur: Fatigue, difficulty walking, confusion, stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and constipation.
Reasons that speak against megadoses, in the initial therapy (shock therapy).

There are several reasons against the use of megadoses above 50,000 IU:

1. Megadoses do not correspond to the natural supply pattern.
2. Megadoses have a potentially negative effect on Vitamin D metabolism.
3. Megadoses cause short-term overdose, the consequences of which are unclear.

The natural supply pattern

Under natural conditions, the body prevents more than about 20,000 IU of Vitamin D from being produced at once through special protective mechanisms. Biologically, we are adapted to a regular supply of Vitamin D from the Sun and a relatively constant Vitamin D level.

Short-term overdose: Although hypercalcemia (Vitamin D poisoning) is rarely found in clinical studies at usual doses of shock therapy, there are, however, many people who complain of severe discomfort at megadoses. 

Possible consequences of Vitamin D3 deficiency

Flu: Several studies show that people with low Vitamin D levels develop flu more often than those whose levels were considered normal. Vitamin D has an influence on our immune system.

Asthma: Recent research indicates that Vitamin D deficiency is at least a very significant factor in the development of this disease. In children, it has been demonstrated that sufficient amounts of Vitamin D could reduce both the severity of the disease and the frequency of asthma symptoms. The explanation is that Vitamin D on one hand strengthens the immune system and on the other hand promotes the production of those blood cells that inhibit inflammatory reactions in the body.

High blood pressure: A recently study published in the Journal of Investigative Medicine confirmed that the blood pressure of patients improved significantly after their blood levels of Vitamin D were raised. The higher the Vitamin D level, the lower the blood pressure.

Type 2 diabetes: A study published in the journal AIDS in 2011 showed that Vitamin D deficiency can increase the symptoms of metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance, dyslipidemia) in HIV patients. At the same time, the scientists found that sufficiently large amounts of Vitamin D in the bloodstream reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It did not matter whether Vitamin D production was initiated by sunlight or whether appropriate amounts of Vitamin D3 were supplied in the form of a dietary supplement.

Caries: Vitamin D deficiency is also involved in tooth disease. This connection was recognized as early as the 1940s, but no further research was carried out on it – for whatever reason. A lack of Vitamin D leads to increased caries.

Rheumatoid arthritis: A recent research study from Canada discovered a significant link between rheumatoid arthritis and low Vitamin D levels. In fact, it has been proven that people with the lowest blood levels of calcidiol (calcidiol is a precursor to active Vitamin D) are up to five times more susceptible to develop rheumatoid arthritis and related ailments.

Cancer: Whether it is breast, prostate, uterine, colon, esophageal, stomach, ovarian, pancreas, or kidney cancer; all cancers mentioned here appear to be common among populations with low Vitamin D levels, according to research. At the same time, people with optimal Vitamin D levels are at a comparatively much lower risk of developing cancer.

Hair loss in women: Other studies have shown that low Vitamin D levels in the blood can contribute to hair loss in women. Conversely, optimal Vitamin D supply may help relieve hair loss in women.

Neurodermatitis: This disease is often caused by a blatant Vitamin D deficiency. Many studies prove this connection. In addition, it has been found that a lack of Vitamin D increases the risk of neurodermatitis sufferers in developing food allergies. Furthermore, it has been shown that the frequent bacterial skin infections in neurodermatitis sufferers can occur in connection with Vitamin D deficiency.

Dementia: Scientists at the University of Exeter Medical School were able to determine in their research that those who had a lack of Vitamin D in the blood had a high risk of developing dementia. The risk was more than doubled. In the case of a very severe Vitamin D deficiency, the risk of developing dementia was even 125 percent higher than usual. And the researchers obtained this picture not only in their study, but also when they looked at Alzheimer’s patients separately.

Literature:

Gesund in sieben Tagen, Dr.med. Raimund von Helden, Hygeia-Verlag
Vitamin D, das Sonnenhormon; Professor Dr. Jörg Spitz, 

• https://www.vitamind.net/dosierung/kur-anfangstherapie/
• https://www.supplementbibel.de/vitamin-d-test/
• https://www.prosan.de/wissen/vitamin-d-kombination-mit-vitamin-k2/
• https://www.vitaminexpress.org/de/vitamin-d-und-vitamin-k-kombinieren
• https://www.vitamind.net/vitamin-d-praparate-kaufen/
• https://www.vitamind.net/vitamin-k/
• https://www.vitamind.net/vitamin-d-rechner/

Contact:

m.markgraf@posteo.de

Photo: © Johannes Stasing, www.sta-fotografie.de