Over the past 30 years that I have been practicing, probably the most confusing and controversial issue that still plagues Americans has been Calcium for the bones. Many do not realize there are more than five types of calcium and each is better consumed at a different age. However, Glucosamine for the joints has been a close second for media coverage the past decade. Now the newest research brings vitamins D and K into the limelight. We are hearing a lot of compelling research data about Vitamin D and Vitamin K that everyone should be aware of and I thought it was a good time to present you a thumbnail sketch of what is happening in the nutrition world.

How do you get vitamin D? A common answer from many is milk, because milk for many years was promoted as being fortified with vitamin D. However, the true answer is the sun. Virtually no food contains vitamin D, except oily fish usually consumed in large amounts in the tradition Eskimo and Icelandic diets.

Practically no one in the industrialized world consumes enough vitamin D if they do not get enough sunshine. Research clearly indicates that the average adult throughout the modern world is deficient in vitamin D. There are three such vitamin D’s, 1-2 and 3.

To find out about vitamin D, you can contact your doctor or do a vitamin D test. The optimal range is 40-60mg/ml, and most people do not take enough vitamin D3 supplements, they usually range 10-30mg/ml for each supplement. The form of vitamin D used to determine if body levels are adequate is known as 25(OH)D3.

Experts feel knowing your vitamin D level may actually be more important for determining long-term health than cholesterol and other test. Indeed, low vitamin D levels are associated with diverse diseases such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, autism, osteoporosis, infections and the list goes on.

In recent years, scientists have discovered that low vitamin D3 levels can promote the expression of chronic pain, such as, bone pain, joint pain, muscle pain and fibromyalgia. If you have, or suffer from nagging pain that never seems to leave vitamin D maybe a consideration for you.

The chronic diseases mentioned earlier are often classified as long latency diseases. In other words, they develop slowly and without symptoms until it seems too late. Osteoporosis and heart disease are two examples, and this brings us to another point. Recent research in the field of nutrition indicates that supplementing the diet with vitamin K 2 may be protective and preventive. Vitamin K 1 is the most well know and is needed for proper blood clotting time and is derived primarily from dark leafy green vegetables. Vitamin K2 is very different because it is required to activate special proteins that improve bone density and prevent vascular calcification. In the diet we get a subtype of vitamin K2 called MK-4 from meat consumption, so this is not a problem for most individuals. However, MK-7 through MK-10 are additional subtypes of vitamin K2 and we get these from eating fermented foods, such as cheese and yogurt. A recent study from the Netherlands indicates there was an almost 50% reduction in mortality from heart disease in subjects with the greatest amount of K2 intake, the primary source was a high quality cheese.

When I lived in Japan, a fermented soybean called Natto was consumed in particular areas. Natto is known to be one of the richest dietary sources MK-7. Interestingly, in the rich planting regions of Japan where Natto is consumed in greater amounts the University of Kyoto found there is also a greater bone density and less fractures among residents. Supplementation with MK-7 appears to be the easiest way to insure adequate amounts of intake of vitamin K2 to support cardiovascular and bone health.

In summary, research indicates that there is a substantial health benefit from following the correct eating plan of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and supplementing our diets with good quality protein and organic whole foods supplements for added prevention and health benefits.

Any questions, comments or suggestions the reader may have please feel free to contact the author at the following e-mail address: bamashogun@aol.com, www.alternative-concepts.com.