According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, 1 in 3 women over 50 and 1 in 5 men may have an osteoporotic fracture over their lifetimes. Every fracture is an indication of an upcoming one. Osteoporosis is a disease of weak and fragile bones. It does not show any clinical symptoms until a fracture occurs. Fractures significantly increase the risk of morbidity and death, particularly in women.
Additionally, osteoporosis lowers quality of life, reduces mobility, and places a heavy financial burden on an individual. Osteoporosis can be avoided by early detection of the condition, measurement of bone mineral density, and appropriate therapy.
Adequate calcium intake is crucial to maintain strong and healthy bones. However, consuming calcium alone is insufficient to regenerate bone tissues up to optimal level. This is due to calcium absorption potentially being impeded throughout the body. Therefore other vitamins such as vitamin D and vitamin K play a vital role in maximizing calcium absorption into bone.
VITAMIN D
Function
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. Our body naturally produces vitamin D when it is directly exposed to sunlight.
The major function of vitamin D in bone health is catalysing bone mineralization through increasing calcium absorption in the intestine. Abundant of medical research has reported that the presence of vitamin D highly affect calcium absorption into the bone. Supplementation of vitamin D together with calcium speeds up the bone mineralization process by two to threefold and therefore increases bone mineral density in a shorter time as compared to taking calcium alone.
Sources of vitamin D
Apart from getting vitamin D from sun exposure, other examples of vitamin D-rich foods are as follows:
- Salmon
- Egg yolk
- Cod liver oil
- Sardines
- Tuna
- Herring (Ikan Patin)
- Milk
- Yoghurt
VITAMIN K
Function
Another pivotal support in maintaining healthy bone is vitamin K as it helps to multiply the efficiency of calcium absorption into the bone. There are two types of vitamin K which are K1, phylloquinone, and K2, menaquinone. The active form of vitamin K is in the form of K2 or menaquinone.
While vitamin D promotes intestinal absorption of calcium, vitamin K2 is essential to aid calcium absorption from blood vessel to the bones. Without vitamin K2, remaining calcium might reside within the blood vessel and may adversely calcify the lining of the blood vessel. The calcification process can harden the blood vessel. This event is dangerous as it disrupts blood flow and increases the risk of heart diseases such as heart failure.
In short, the function of vitamin K2 is unique in this process as it helps to support healthy bones and prevent the occurrence of heart disease at the same time. Some medical researches have supported the fact that supplementation of vitamin K together with calcium and vitamin D yields better outcomes to strengthen the bone as compared to taking calcium alone or calcium with vitamin D only.
Sources of vitamin K
Most food contains vitamin K1 but when digested will be converted into vitamin K2. Here are some examples of vitamin K-rich food:
- Green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach & broccoli
- Canola oil
- Soybean
- Chicken/chicken liver
- Kiwi
- Avocado
- Beef liver
BOTTOM LINE
Vitamin D and K play a vital role in promoting strong and healthy bone thus preventing osteoporosis.
Summary of role of vitamin D and K to prevent osteoporosis:
REFERENCES:
- Khalil, Z., Alam, B., Akbari, A. R., & Sharma, H. (2021). The Medical Benefits of Vitamin K2 on Calcium-Related Disorders. Nutrients, 13(2), 691. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020691
- Iwamoto, J., Yeh, J. K., Takeda, T., Ichimura, S., & Sato, Y. (2003). RETRACTED: Comparative effects of vitamin K and vitamin D supplementation on prevention of osteopenia in calcium-deficient young rats. Bone, 33(4), 557–566. https://doi.org/10.1016/s8756-3282(03)00249-7 (Retraction published Bone. 2023 May;170:116708)
- Ellison, D. L., & Moran, H. R. (2021). Vitamin D: Vitamin or Hormone?. The Nursing clinics of North America, 56(1), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2020.10.004
- Sözen, T., Özışık, L., & Başaran, N. Ç. (2017). An overview and management of osteoporosis. European journal of rheumatology, 4(1), 46–56. https://doi.org/10.5152/eurjrheum.2016.048
