Calcium, Vitamin D and Vitamin K for Bone Health

It’s safe to say we all know the importance of calcium for strong bones – thank you, 90s milk ads. What I did not know is that the body removes small amounts of calcium from the bone and replaces it with new calcium. Our skeleton replaces itself every 7-10 years.

Our bones go through this cycle of renewal as we age. The health of our bones is right in our hands and we, at any point in time, can take steps towards improving it. How do we do it? The key is in helping the nutrients get to our bones.

Vitamin K has been identified as the missing link between Vitamin D, calcium and healthy bones. Vitamin K is known to play a role in bone formation while Vitamin D helps the bone absorb calcium.

calcium vitamin d and vitamin k for scoliosis bone health

What you need to know about Vitamin K

There are two forms of vitamin K
- Vitamin K1 is found in plants
- Vitamin K2 is found in animal products and fermented foods
Vitamin K is essential for bone health
- It extracts calcium from the blood and helps it find its way to the bone
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble nutrient
- Give your body some good fats (like coconut oil or avocado) when you have Vitamin K rich foods

Help your body absorb these essential nutrients

In our awareness of how these nutrients play together, we want to pay attention to their bioavailability. A balanced combination of foods makes them easy for the body to extract and absorb their nutrients. Bioavailability is the degree and rate of this absorption. Calcium and Vitamin D are two nutrients that have been associated with bone health for a long time, and new on the scene is our awareness of the vital role played by Vitamin K.

Bioavailable Green Smoothie Equation

When I have my morning smoothie, I try to follow a simple equation as I throw things together:

Leafy greens + Lettuce + Fruit + Gut-friendly bacteria + Nourishing fat + Protein

This takes the guesswork out of the effectiveness of my smoothies for my nutrient needs. If I fill each item group and rotate my food choices from week to week I feel peace of mind about my morning punch of green goodness.