Calcium: It is not enough by itself

Calcium is often sold to us as the magic bullet for strong bones. Drink milk or take supplements, and you will not develop osteoporosis.

But the truth is more nuanced. 

Calcium by itself does not know where to go. It needs direction, almost like traffic lights guiding cars on a busy road. Without that guidance, calcium can harden the wrong tissues, your arteries.

If your total cholesterol is high chances are that there is already too much calcium floating around.

So what does calcium need to do its job?

First Vitamin D3. It increases the absorption of calcium from your gut into the bloodstream. Without it, most calcium is wasted. But absorption is only half the story. 

Once in the blood, calcium must be told where to settle. That instruction comes from vitamin K, particularly vitamin K2.

Vitamin K activates proteins such as osteocalcin and matrix Gla protein (MGP). Osteocalcin pulls calcium into bone, strengthening it. MGP prevents calcium from depositing in arteries. 

Without vitamin K, these proteins remain inactive. The result is misplaced calcium. Hardening arteries while bones remain fragile. 

In effect, supplements meant to strengthen bones accelerate vascular aging.

Scientific studies confirm this paradox. A 2009 paper in Thrombosis and Haemostasis showed that inactive MGP correlates with arterial calcification. 

Another review in Nutrients (2017) highlighted how combined D3 and K2 supplementation improves bone mineralization and reduces vascular risk. 

The mechanism is clear: vitamin D loads calcium into the blood, while vitamin K ensures its proper delivery. 

Without both, calcium becomes a toxin.

This is why populations with high calcium intake but low K2, like in the west, show high rates of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease together. 

Contrast this with Japan, where natto which is rich in K2 and arterial calcification is low. 

Health is always balance. Calcium alone is imbalance. You need calcium along with D3 and K2. One of the important reasons we recommend whole complete meals cooked at home. Focus on that instead of quick wins. 

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