Vitamin K2 and D3, the Pair That Works on Calcium Together
Vitamin K2 and D3 help keep your bones working normally, pairing 120 micrograms of vitamin K2 as MK-7 with a thousand units of vitamin D3 in a single softgel. Sixty softgels to a bottle, from Natural Factors.
Two nutrients, one job, and two different stages of it. The vitamin K2 here is MK-7, which is the form worth paying for, and at a hundred and twenty micrograms, it is the strongest vitamin K product on our shelf. Here is what each one contributes in its own right, why they belong in the same softgel, what MK-7 means and why the form matters, how to take it, and the one conversation to have with us before you start.
What Vitamin K2 and D3 Do
Both carry approved European health claims, and between them they cover the whole sequence from the calcium in your food to the calcium in your skeleton.
- Vitamin D3, 1000 IU or 25 micrograms, which is five hundred per cent of the daily reference intake. Contributes to the normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus, to normal blood calcium levels, to the maintenance of normal bones, teeth and muscle function, to the normal function of the immune system, and has a role in the process of cell division. The D3 here is cholecalciferol, the same form your skin makes in sunlight and the one that raises blood levels more dependably than D2.
- Vitamin K2, 120 micrograms, which is a hundred and sixty per cent of the daily reference intake. Contributes to the maintenance of normal bones, and to normal blood clotting. These are the two authorised vitamin K claims and they are the two this product rests on.
Calcium has a journey to make. It has to be absorbed from the gut, carried in the blood, and laid down in bone. Vitamin D opens the door at the start of that journey, which is why a calcium supplement taken by someone short of vitamin D achieves less than the label suggests. Vitamin K2 carries the authorised claim for the maintenance of normal bones alongside it, which is the stage a plain calcium and vitamin D tablet leaves unaddressed.
That is the honest version of why these two are sold together, and it is a good enough reason without embellishment.
Why MK-7 Is the Form to Look For
Vitamin K comes in two families and the difference is worth a minute of your time, because it is what separates this softgel from a cheaper one.
Vitamin K1 is the form abundant in green leafy vegetables. Your liver takes most of it and uses it for clotting.
Vitamin K2 appears mainly in fermented foods and some animal products, and it exists in several sub-forms called menaquinones. MK-4 is short-acting, measured in hours. MK-7, which is what this product uses, stays in circulation far longer, which is why a single daily softgel is enough and why MK-7 is the form carried by the published vitamin K2 bone research.
A hundred and twenty micrograms of MK-7 is a generous amount by any standard. For comparison, the other bone formulas on our shelf that include vitamin K2 carry between thirty-five and forty-five micrograms. This is the strongest vitamin K product we stock, by a wide margin, and that is both the reason to choose it and the reason for the conversation in the caution list below.
How to Take Vitamin K2 and D3
One softgel daily, with a meal containing some fat. Both vitamins here are fat-soluble, so this matters more than with most supplements: a softgel taken with eggs, avocado, nuts or a meal cooked in oil gets considerably more of both nutrients into you than one taken with tea.
Timing is otherwise yours, and consistency matters more than the hour. With vitamin K in particular, a steady daily intake is worth more than a precise one, which is the point our pharmacist will make if you take warfarin.
Sixty softgels at one a day is two months.
Count the vitamin D in everything else you take. A thousand units is a comfortable everyday amount and leaves plenty of room under the four thousand unit upper intake level for adults. But bone formulas, calcium tablets, joint supplements and multivitamins commonly contain vitamin D, several of ours do, and we also stock daily softgels at five and ten thousand units and a weekly capsule at sixty thousand. Bring us the list and we will total it in a minute.
Bone responds over seasons rather than weeks. Take it steadily and judge it by what is measured rather than by how you feel.
Who This Suits
Anyone already taking calcium who wants both of the vitamins that act on it rather than only one. Adults past fifty, when bone turnover shifts and dietary calcium starts to matter more than it did. Women after the menopause, for the same reason, more sharply. Anyone whose diet is light on fermented foods, which is where vitamin K2 mostly comes from and which describes most people. Adults who work indoors through daylight hours, which in Nairobi describes a great many. And anyone who would rather take one softgel than a separate vitamin D and a separate K2.
Is Vitamin K2 and D3 Right for You?
One item on this list matters more than everything else on the page, so please talk to our pharmacist before you start.
- IF YOU TAKE WARFARIN OR ANY OTHER VITAMIN K ANTAGONIST, SPEAK TO YOUR DOCTOR FIRST, OR TO OURS, BEFORE YOU BUY THIS. Warfarin works by acting against vitamin K, and at a hundred and twenty micrograms this is the highest vitamin K dose we stock. That makes it the single most important interaction in our whole bone range. It does not rule the product out, and the usual clinical approach is a steady daily intake with INR monitoring while things settle rather than avoidance, but that decision belongs with a doctor and we would rather arrange it than sell past it. Our doctor is here and can see you the same visit.
- Add up every other vitamin D and vitamin K you take. Several of our bone formulas carry both, and we stock vitamin D at five, ten and sixty thousand units elsewhere. Bring us the list.
- If you take a prescribed vitamin D medicine, bring the prescription in. Some contain the activated form, which acts far more strongly on blood calcium, and our doctor will look at it with you.
- If you have kidney disease, or a history of high blood calcium or kidney stones, speak to your doctor first, or to ours. These are the situations where vitamin D needs supervising at any strength, and the doctor already treating you should know about it.
- Pregnant, breastfeeding, or buying for a child? Ask us, and our doctor can see you the same visit. This is an adult softgel and children are dosed differently.
Storing It
Keep the bottle tightly closed in a cool, dry place away from direct light and heat, below 25 degrees, and out of reach of children. A cupboard rather than a windowsill or the shelf above the cooker. Softgels are more sensitive to warmth than tablets, and both vitamins here are light-sensitive, so the cupboard matters. On a two-month bottle, check the expiry date when you buy more than one at a time.
Where to Buy Vitamin K2 and D3 in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. A bottle is two months at one softgel a day, so most customers outside Nairobi order two at a time and we pack them to travel together.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Some countries cap the vitamin K permitted in a food supplement, and at a hundred and twenty micrograms this is the highest we stock, so tell us the destination and we will confirm the paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. A two-month bottle is a sensible thing to send, and the vitamin D here is at the everyday strength. On this one we would ask a single question first: does the person taking it use warfarin or any other blood thinner? If so, we need a doctor to look at it before the parcel ships, and ours can. Otherwise tell us how many months you want covered and we will set up the repeat.
Why Buy Your Vitamin K2 and D3 from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will ask about warfarin before anything else, explain what MK-7 is and why the form is worth paying for, total the vitamin D and vitamin K across everything else in your cupboard, check it against any prescribed vitamin D medicine, and explain why the fat-containing meal matters here more than usual. Our doctor is here too, for the warfarin conversation and for a blood test if you would rather know your vitamin D level than estimate it.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Vitamin K2 and D3 used for?
It is a daily bone support softgel for adults. Vitamin D contributes to the normal absorption and utilisation of calcium, to normal blood calcium levels and to the maintenance of normal bones, teeth and muscle function. Vitamin K contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and to normal blood clotting.
What is in it, and how much?
Per softgel: vitamin K2 as MK-7 menaquinone-7, 120 micrograms, which is a hundred and sixty per cent of the daily reference intake; and vitamin D3 as cholecalciferol, 1000 IU or 25 micrograms, which is five hundred per cent. Sixty softgels to a bottle, so two months at one a day.
Why are vitamin K2 and D3 taken together?
Because they act at different stages of the same job. Vitamin D contributes to getting calcium absorbed from the gut and to normal blood calcium levels, and vitamin K carries the authorised claim for the maintenance of normal bones alongside it. A plain calcium and vitamin D tablet leaves the second of those out.
What is MK-7, and does the form matter?
It matters a good deal. Vitamin K2 exists in several sub-forms called menaquinones. MK-4 is short-acting, measured in hours. MK-7 stays in circulation far longer, which is why one softgel a day is enough, and it is the form used in the published vitamin K2 bone research. This product uses MK-7.
Can I take it with warfarin?
Speak to your doctor before you buy, or to ours, who is here at the pharmacy. Warfarin works by acting against vitamin K, and at a hundred and twenty micrograms this is the highest vitamin K dose we stock, which makes it the most important interaction in our whole bone range. The usual clinical approach is a steady daily intake with INR monitoring while things settle rather than avoidance, but that decision belongs with a doctor and we would rather arrange it than sell past it.
Is 120 micrograms of vitamin K2 a lot?
It is generous. The daily reference intake is seventy-five micrograms, so this is a hundred and sixty per cent of it, and the other bone formulas we carry that include vitamin K2 contain between thirty-five and forty-five micrograms. For anyone not taking a blood thinner that is simply a well-dosed product; for anyone who is, it is the reason to see a doctor first.
How should I take the softgel?
One daily with a meal containing some fat. Both vitamins here are fat-soluble, so this matters more than with most supplements: taking it with eggs, avocado, nuts or a meal cooked in oil gets considerably more of both into you than taking it with tea.
Can I take it with my calcium tablet?
That is one of the better reasons to take it. This softgel supplies both of the vitamins that act on calcium and no calcium of its own, so it pairs cleanly with a calcium supplement rather than overlapping with one. Tell us which calcium you take and we will check the total.
Can I take it alongside another vitamin D supplement?
Tell us what the other one is first. A thousand units here is a comfortable everyday amount, but we also stock daily softgels at five and ten thousand units and a weekly capsule at sixty thousand, and several bone formulas contain vitamin D too. Our pharmacist will add up the total with you in a minute.
How long before it makes a difference?
Bone responds over seasons rather than weeks and there is nothing to feel day to day. Take it steadily and judge it by what your doctor measures rather than by how you feel.
Where can I buy Vitamin K2 and D3 in Kenya?
From HealthAlone, online for delivery countrywide or over the counter at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We deliver across Nairobi — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Kasarani, Roysambu, Githurai, Ruaka and Banana Hill — and to Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru, Ngong, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kitale, Embu, Meru, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Makueni, Voi, Taveta, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu. Outside Kenya we have delivered to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and Malawi, and we quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa on request.
