[Craic] Magnesium and K2 Optimize Your Vitamin D Supplementation

[Arthur Blomme]

FYI How not to pee out your vitamin D supplements.



  Magnesium and K2 Optimize Your Vitamin D Supplementation


      Story at-a-glance

  * If you take supplemental vitamin D3, you also need to be mindful of
    taking extra vitamin K2 and magnesium
  * It’s important to increase your vitamin K2 intake when taking
    high-dose supplemental vitamin D to avoid complications associated
    with excessive arterial calcification
  * You need 146% more vitamin D to achieve a blood level of 40 ng/ml
    (100 nmol/L) if you do not take supplemental magnesium, compared to
    taking your vitamin D with at least 400 mg of magnesium per day
  * Vitamin D improves magnesium absorption, but taking large doses of
    vitamin D can deplete magnesium, as magnesium is required in the
    conversion of vitamin D into its active form
  * Combined intake of both supplemental magnesium and vitamin K2 has a
    greater effect on vitamin D levels than either individually. You
    need 244% more oral vitamin D if you’re not concomitantly taking
    magnesium and vitamin K2


Optimizing your vitamin D level is ideally done through sensible sun 
exposure. However, many simply are unable to obtain sufficient levels 
from the sun alone and need supplemental vitamin D. In this case, 
nutritional synergies become an important factor.

According to research by GrassrootsHealth,^1 “combined intake of both 
supplemental magnesium and vitamin K2 has a greater effect on vitamin D 
levels than either individually,” and “those taking both supplemental 
magnesium and vitamin K2 have a higher vitamin D level for any given 
vitamin D intake amount than those taking either supplemental magnesium 
or vitamin K2 or neither.”


    You Need 2.5 Times More D if Not Taking Magnesium and K2

GrassrootsHealth is a nonprofit, independent public health research 
institute that has been conducting large-scale population-based nutrient 
research since 2007.^2  While a significant focus is on vitamin D, the 
organization has also branched into other nutrients.

Its D*action project includes a global cohort of over 10,000 
self-subscribed individuals who, anonymously, provide information about 
their supplement use and overall health status.

GrassrootsHealth research shows blood levels in the range of 40 
nanograms per milliliter to 60 ng/ml (100 nanomoles per liter to 150 
nmol/L) are safe, effective and will lower overall disease incidence and 
health care costs.^3

That said, other nutrients have been shown to work synergistically with 
vitamin D, and being deficient in them can significantly influence your 
vitamin D status as well. Importantly, data from nearly 3,000 
individuals reveal you need 244% more oral vitamin D if you’re not also 
taking magnesium and vitamin K2. As reported by GrassrootsHealth:^4

    /“… 244% more supplemental vitamin D was needed for 50% of the
    population to achieve 40 ng/ml (100 nmol/L) for those not taking
    supplemental magnesium or vitamin K2 compared to those who usually
    took both supplemental magnesium and vitamin K2.”/

What this means in practical terms is that if you take all three 
supplements in combination, you need far less oral vitamin D in order to 
achieve a healthy vitamin D level.

Vitamin D Dose-Response


    How Magnesium Affects Vitamin D

I’ve previously written about the importance of taking vitamin K2 when 
you’re taking high-dose supplemental vitamin D 
<https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/11/13/vitamin-k2-for-heart-bone-health.aspx> 
to avoid complications associated with excessive calcification in your 
arteries. In fact, relative vitamin K2 deficiency is typically what 
produces symptoms of “vitamin D toxicity.”

That said, magnesium is also a crucial part of the equation, as it is a 
component necessary for the activation of vitamin D 
<https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/05/28/vitamin-d-deficiency-signs-symptoms.aspx>. 
Without sufficient amounts of it, your body cannot properly utilize the 
vitamin D you’re taking.^5, ^6, ^7, ^8

This actually helps explain why many need rather high doses of vitamin D 
to optimize their levels — it could be that they simply have 
insufficient amounts of magnesium in their system to activate the 
vitamin D. As noted by Mohammed Razzaque, professor of pathology at Lake 
Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pennsylvania:^9

    /"People are taking vitamin D supplements but don't realize how it
    gets metabolized. Without magnesium, vitamin D is not really useful.
    By consuming an optimal amount of magnesium, one may be able to
    lower the risks of vitamin D deficiency, and reduce the dependency
    on vitamin D supplements.”/

According to a scientific review^10, ^11 published in 2018, as many as 
50% of Americans taking vitamin D supplements may not get significant 
benefit as the vitamin D simply gets stored in its inactive form, and 
the reason for this is because they have insufficient magnesium levels.

Research published in 2013 also highlighted this issue, concluding that 
higher magnesium intake helps reduce your risk of vitamin D deficiency 
by activating more of it. As noted by the authors:^12

    /“High intake of total, dietary or supplemental magnesium was
    independently associated with significantly reduced risks of vitamin
    D deficiency and insufficiency respectively. /

    /Intake of magnesium significantly interacted with intake of vitamin
    D in relation to risk of both vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency
    … Our preliminary findings indicate it is possible that magnesium
    intake alone or its interaction with vitamin D intake may contribute
    to vitamin D status.” /

Similarly, GrassrootsHealth has found^13 you need 146% more vitamin D to 
achieve a blood level of 40 ng/ml (100 nmol/L) if you do not take 
supplemental magnesium, compared to taking your vitamin D with at least 
400 mg of magnesium per day.

Vitamin D Dose-Response by Supplemental Magnesium Intake

The interplay between magnesium and vitamin D isn’t a one-way street, 
though. It goes both ways. Interestingly, while vitamin D improves 
magnesium absorption,^14 taking large doses of vitamin D can also 
deplete magnesium.^15 Again, the reason for that is because magnesium is 
required in the conversion of vitamin D into its active form.

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    Vitamins D, B12 and Magnesium May Affect COVID-19 Outcomes

While vitamin D and magnesium are important for overall health 
year-round, they may be of particular importance right now, as we’re 
still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in many areas of the world, and 
a second wave is expected in the fall.

According to preliminary research,^16, ^17 that is still undergoing peer 
review, older COVID-19 patients given a combination of vitamin D, 
magnesium and vitamin B12 fared significantly better than those who did 
not receive the supplements:

    /“Between 15 January and 15 April 2020, 43 consecutive COVID-19
    patients aged ≥50 were identified. 17 patients received DMB [vitamin
    D, magnesium and B12] and 26 patients did not. Baseline demographic
    characteristics between the two groups were similar. /

    /Significantly fewer DMB patients than controls required initiation
    of oxygen therapy subsequently throughout their hospitalization
    (17.6% vs 61.5%). DMB exposure was associated with odds ratios of
    0.13 … and 0.15 … for oxygen therapy need and/or intensive care
    support on univariate and multivariate analyses respectively. /

    /Conclusions: DMB combination in older COVID-19 patients was
    associated with a significant reduction in proportion of patients
    with clinical deterioration requiring oxygen support and/or
    intensive care support. This study supports further larger
    randomized control trials to ascertain the full benefit of DMB in
    ameliorating COVID-19 severity.”/


    Signs of Vitamin D Deficiency

The idea that vitamin D might play a role in COVID-19 severity makes 
sense considering its importance in infections, including viral 
infections, in general. Vitamin D helps regulate your immune function 
<https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/05/31/vitamin-d-combats-viral-infections-boosts-immune-system.aspx>, 
and deficiency is associated with more frequent infections and 
inflammation-related illnesses of all types. Other common signs and 
symptoms of vitamin D deficiency 
<https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/01/signs-of-vitamin-d-deficiency.aspx> 
include:^18

  * Muscle weakness and fatigue
  * Bone and joint pain, as well as fractures
  * Depression
  * Impaired cognition and headaches
  * Slow wound healing

To improve your immune function and lower your risk of viral infections, 
you’ll want to raise your vitamin D to a level between 60 ng/mL and 80 
ng/mL by fall. In Europe, the measurements you’re looking for are 150 
nmol/L and 200 nmol/L. Optimizing your vitamin D is particularly 
important if you are older or have darker skin.

Long-term deficiency can also contribute to more chronic health 
problems, including rickets, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune 
disease.^19 Risk factors for vitamin D deficiency include:

  * Rarely spending time outdoors and/or always wearing sunscreen
  * Having darker skin
  * Being over the age of 50
  * Obesity
  * Having gastrointestinal problems


    Optimize Your Vitamin D Before Fall

Aside from age and comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity and heart 
disease, vitamin D deficiency has also been identified as an underlying 
factor that significantly impacts COVID-19 severity and mortality. I 
discuss this in “Vitamin D Is Directly Correlated to COVID-19 Outcome 
<https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/05/08/vitamin-d-level-correlated-to-covid19-outcomes.aspx>.”

The following graph is from a May 18, 2020, letter^20 to the Federal 
Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, from retired biochemist Bernd 
Glauner and Lorenz Borsche, in which they highlight studies^21 showing a 
clear correlation between COVID-19 mortality and vitamin D levels.

correlation covid 19 death rate

It’s important to note that experts are already warning SARS-CoV-2 may 
reemerge in the fall when temperatures and humidity levels drop, thereby 
increasing the virus’ transmissibility.

To improve your immune function and lower your risk of viral infections, 
you’ll want to raise your vitamin D to a level between 60 ng/mL and 80 
ng/mL by fall. In Europe, the measurements you’re looking for are 150 
nmol/L and 200 nmol/L. Optimizing your vitamin D is particularly 
important if you are older or have darker skin.

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of measuring your 
vitamin D level is to participate in the GrassrootsHealth’s 
<https://www.grassrootshealth.net/> personalized nutrition project, 
which includes a vitamin D testing kit 
<https://shop.mercola.com/product/1090/vitamin-d-test-kit-for-consumer-sponsored-research>, 
either alone or in combination with the omega-3 test 
<https://shop.mercola.com/product/2124/vitamin-d-omega-3-test-kit-for-consumer-sponsored-research>. 
This is done in the convenience of your home.

To make sure your vitamin D level and immune system function are 
optimized, follow these three steps:

*1. First, measure your vitamin D level — *Once you know what your blood 
level is, you can assess the dose needed to maintain or improve your 
level. The easiest way to raise your level is by getting regular, safe 
sun exposure, but if you’re very dark-skinned, you may need to spend 
about 1.5 hours a day in the sun to have any noticeable effect.

Those with very light skin may need only 15 minutes a day, which is far 
easier to achieve. Still, they too will typically struggle to maintain 
ideal levels during the winter. So, depending on your situation, you may 
need to use an oral vitamin D3 supplement. The next question then 
becomes, how much do you need?

*2. Assess your individualized vitamin D dosage — *To do that, you can 
either use the chart below, or use GrassrootsHealth’s Vitamin 
D*calculator <https://www.grassrootshealth.net/project/dcalculator/>. To 
convert ng/mL into the European measurement (nmol/L), simply multiply 
the ng/mL measurement by 2.5. To calculate how much vitamin D you may be 
getting from regular sun exposure in addition to your supplemental 
intake, consider using the DMinder app.^22

Vitamin D - Serum Level

*3. Retest in three to six months — *Lastly, you’ll need to remeasure 
your vitamin D level in three to six months, to evaluate how your sun 
exposure and/or supplement dose is working for you.

Not only will optimizing your vitamin D be an important strategy for you 
and your family, but it would be really helpful to start thinking about 
your community as well.

If you can, speak to pastors in churches with large congregations of 
people of color and help them start a program getting their congregation 
on vitamin D, and if you have a family member or know anyone who is in 
an assisted living facility, meet with the director of the program and 
encourage them to get everyone tested or at least start them on vitamin D.

I am currently in the process of writing a comprehensive resource book 
to help you in this effort. We really need an army of people to make a 
difference and build up the immune resiliency of the population before 
the next wave hits in the fall. This will work FAR better than any 
unsafe and untested vaccine that will most likely never be ready by the 
fall anyway.

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