Airey says that vitamins D, E, and K “it's just not efficient to take them together, since the body's ability to absorb the vitamins will be reduced if you take them together.”. Vitamin D and vitamin K (especially K) complement each other, Dra. Vitamins D, K, and E are similar to other essential vitamins and nutrients in that they help promote healthy body function. However, this trio of powerful vitamins may not be the perfect team when taken together.
If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you should not take vitamin D supplements without first talking to your health care provider. Estrogen: Hormone replacement therapy with estrogen seems to increase blood levels of vitamin D; this may have a beneficial effect on calcium and bone metabolism. In addition, the use of vitamin D supplements along with estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) increases bone mass more than ERT alone. However, this benefit may be lost with the addition of progesterone.
Isoniazid (INH): INH, a drug used to treat tuberculosis, can increase blood levels of vitamin D. Thiazide: Diuretics in this class (such as hydrochlorothiazide) increase vitamin D activity and may cause inappropriately high levels of calcium in the blood. Antacids: Taking certain antacids for extended periods can alter vitamin D levels, metabolism, and availability. Calcium channel blockers (such as verapamil): These drugs, which are used to treat high blood pressure and heart conditions, can decrease the body's production of vitamin D.
Cholestyramine: This cholesterol-lowering medication, known as a bile acid sequestrant, interferes with the absorption of vitamin D (as well as other fat-soluble vitamins). Phenobarbital, phenytoin, and other anticonvulsant medications: These drugs can speed up the body's use of vitamin D. In addition, vitamin D may increase the effects of doxorubicin, a drug used to treat various types of cancer. Some doctors recommend closely monitoring calcium levels if vitamin D is taken with digoxin, a medication used to treat irregular heart rhythms.
This is because vitamin D improves calcium absorption. Calcium, in turn, may increase the chance of a toxic reaction to this medication. Weight loss products: Orlistat (also known as alli), a drug used to lose weight, and olestra, a substance added to certain food products, are intended to bind to fat and prevent the absorption of fat and associated calories. Because of their effects on fat, orlistat and olestra may also prevent the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin D.
Given this concern and possibility, the Food and Drug Administration is now requiring that vitamin D and other fat-soluble vitamins (namely, A, E, and K) be added to food products containing olestra. It's not clear how well the body absorbs and uses vitamin D from these food products. In addition, doctors who prescribe orlistat add a multivitamin with fat-soluble vitamins to the regimen. Research indicates that the two fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin D and vitamin K) work synergistically to ensure that bones absorb calcium instead of accumulating in the arteries.
The recommended daily amount of vitamin D is 400 international units (IU) for children up to 12 months old, 600 IU for people aged 1 to 70 years, and 800 IU for people over 70 years old. This is because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is best absorbed with food, while B-12 is a water-soluble vitamin that should be taken on an empty stomach, says Dr. Your body absorbs some of its vitamins better with food, so you may want to take it with a meal or a snack. Vitamin D isn't found naturally in many foods, but you can get it from fortified milk, fortified cereals, and fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines.
Depending on where you live and your lifestyle, vitamin D production may decrease or be completely absent during the winter months. While measurement of serum levels of several vitamins is widely available, testing for deficiencies is generally not necessary. For example, many vitamins for older people contain more calcium and vitamins D and B12 than younger people need. The joint intake of certain vitamins can affect their absorption into the body, sometimes worsening bioavailability and other times improving bioavailability.
While vitamin supplements can provide many benefits, especially for people with vitamin deficiencies, combining the wrong ones can lead to nutrient absorption problems at best and serious health problems at worst. .
