Calcium Causes Osteoporosis?

Natalie Moore, May 18, 2016

Incomplete nutrition and supplementing could be causing your brittle bones. Discover how…
One nutrient that may give your heart 10 extra years. Find out more…
A few tips to help you add the missing link to a healthy hearts and strong bones to your health regime

Dear Reader,

Vitamins and minerals play a key role in your overall health and well-being.

And while this isn’t new information, there are dangers associated with a certain mineral that’s widely advertised as necessary for a long and mobile life.

Its identity may shock you. We will tell you more about it in just a bit.

But what’s more alarming — this mineral could be lethal if not taken with the right vitamins.

One of these key vitamins is D3, which we discussed in Living Well Daily on Monday (click here if you missed it).

Today, we will reveal another health-boosting vitamin that’s not just essential for overall well-being but also plays a very important yet little-known role in bone and heart health.

In fact, this critical vitamin can help reduce the risks of osteoporosis, a bone disease that already affects 10 million Americans and could be the future of 44 million more. ¹

But the good news doesn’t stop there. With the help of Vitamin D3, this supplement can also protect your heart from stiffening of the arteries, which leads to coronary artery disease — a disease that affects more than 15 million Americans and kills 500,000 annually!^2,3

We will reveal this miracle nutrient and the best way to add it to your health regime in just a bit.

First, let’s talk about the powerful mineral that can either boost (with the help of a few vitamins) or blunder your health…

Calcium.

Does a Body Good… Sometimes

You’ve likely heard that calcium and vitamin D are absolute musts in a healthy diet or supplement practice if you want to keep healthy bones.

But what you may have not heard is that they are dangerous if not taken with vitamin K2.

Yep, vitamin K2 is the miracle agent that helps your body process calcium and ensures your heart and bone health.

This is how it works…

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, but it doesn’t help transport it to the bones. Instead, calcium can land in your arteries instead of depositing in your bones, where it’s most needed.

The way vitamin K2 does this is through matrix Gla protein (MGP), your body’s natural artery protector.

In addition to keeping calcium away from your arteries, K2 also activates osteocalcin, which helps bones absorb calcium and create new bone tissue.

Board-certified cardiologist and author of book Vitamin K2: The Missing Nutrient for Heart and Bone Health Dennis Goodman explains this further in the book:

So why is Vitamin K2 so valuable? Simply put, Vitamin K2 is the body’s light switch. It activates or “turns on” important proteins in the body such as osteocalcin for strong bones and the matrix Gla protein in the arteries and blood vessels. By turning on these vitamin K-dependent proteins, calcium is kept out of the arteries… and transported and bound to the bones where it belongs.

Vitamin K

How vitamin K2 works in the body.
Source: Mercola.com

However, osteocalcin can’t happen without the presence of vitamin D3.

This means taking calcium and vitamin D3 without vitamin K2 can lead to atherosclerosis and osteoporosis — a dangerous combination.

Brittle Bones and Heavy Hearts

Atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness are no joke. This condition can lead to heart attack, strokes, and even death.²

In fact, research done at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center measured calcium levels in the arteries of 10,377 people and the results were SHOCKING!

The research observed that 70-year-olds with low levels of calcium in their arteries had hearts that measured to be 10 years younger!

And younger volunteers with high levels of arterial calcium had hearts measured to be 30 years older!

The research was so eye-opening, the scientists had this to say about it:

Measures of coronary artery calcium are related to survival and can be used to assess an individual’s biological age.⁴

This means that arterial stiffness could make a 10–30-year difference in the age of your heart or even the span of your life!

Arteries affected by atherosclerosis.
Source: menaq7.com

While keeping calcium out of your arteries is an obvious win for your heart, getting it to your bones is just as important.

Especially when you consider that one-fourth of men and half of women will suffer bone fracture due to osteoporosis in their lifetime.¹

Fortunately, there is research indicating vitamin K-2 is beneficial to bone health, especially when it’s used with vitamin D3.

A two-year bone health study done at the Keio University School of Medicine in Japan found amazing results among the almost 100 women between the ages of 55 and 81 who participated.

The participants were divided into four groups. The first group took calcium. The second group took vitamin K2.The third group took this other vitamin by itself. And finally, the fourth group took a combination of vitamin K2 and vitamin D3.

At the study’s end, one group stood out as having the greatest improvement in their bone strength

And guess what?

It wasn’t the calcium! Even though it’s traditionally thought of as the “bone health” supplement.

And while the vitamin K2 group did better, it still wasn’t the best.

Instead, the group with the best strengthening of bone health was the one lucky enough to get the combination of vitamin K2 and Vitamin D3

Bottom line: If you want strong bones and a healthy heart, your best bet it make sure you’re getting enough vitamin K2 and vitamin D3.

The Right K2 For You

Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to get sufficient amounts of vitamin K2 from most dietary sources. Supplementation is the best way to get adequate levels of vitamin K2. However, not just any type of vitamin K2 is best.

There are two forms of vitamin K2 supplements. MK-4, or menatetrenone, has a short half-life and doesn’t maintain consistent levels of vitamin K2.

The other form is MK-7, or menaquinone-7 (or its patented name, MenaQ7). This is the long-lasting and effective form.

Just like with D3, it’s important that your supplement be oil-based (preferably olive oil), as vitamin K2 is also fat soluble.

Clinical evidence shows a 180 mcg dose is optimal for your health.⁶

For best results, try to find a supplement that contains both vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 (MK-7 form) in an oil-based softgel.

Live well,