Which vitamins are good for your arteries?
When your arteries are healthy, their elasticity allows them to expand and contract with each heartbeat. However, as you age, your arteries begin to lose their elasticity and become less efficient at expanding and contracting. The phrase that’s often used to describe this process is “hardening of the arteries”, and it is a good predictor of heart attacks and strokes.
Factors that contribute to loss of arterial elasticity include hypertension or high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, increased salt intake, obesity, and aging. Another cause of arterial stiffness that is less understood is arterial calcification.
Calcification occurs when calcium builds ups in body tissues, blood vessels, or organs. When calcification occurs in the arteries, your heart has to work harder to push the blood through rigid vessels reduced in diameter. This leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular events.
A report published in 1999 highlighted the importance of vitamin K2 with respect to slowing the progression of or even reversing arterial calcification. Further studies have shown a lower prevalence for arterial calcifications and coronary disease in people with a higher intake of vitamin K2.
Yes, Vitamin K
Calcium is an essential mineral needed by your body to build and maintain strong bones and teeth. In addition, your heart, muscles, and nerves need calcium to function properly. Some studies have demonstrated that calcium, taken in conjunction with vitamin D3, offers protection against cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
In a healthy body, 99% of the body’s calcium is stored in bones, providing structural support. Vitamin K2 activates proteins that bind calcium to bones, thereby regulating that amount of calcium that is allowed into the bloodstream.
A lack of sufficient amounts of vitamin K2 affects the body’s ability to regulate the levels of calcium circulating in your bloodstream. This negatively impacts your arteries and heart health because it can lead to calcification of your arteries and heart valves and increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
In combination with D3
Arterial calcification is a leading co-factor of cardiovascular disease. When taken in adequate doses, vitamin K2 has been shown to reduce the progression of arterial calcification and even reverse existing levels in your arteries.
Vitamins K12 and D3 are considered to be the best vitamins for your heart. D3 helps the body to absorb calcium which is necessary for strong bones and teeth as well as proper functioning of your heart, nerves, and muscles. Vitamin K2 helps to bind calcium to your bones to prevent too much of the mineral from circulating in your bloodstream and causing problems with hardening of the arteries.
At Vegan Life Nutrition, our D3 and K2 supplements are made from the best plant-based ingredients and do not contain any traces of animal byproducts. Our D3 and K2 supplements provide the RDA of these important vitamins and are made from the purest organic plant sources available.
