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The vitamin duo that beats depression and anxiety: K2 + D3
Sad, listless, blue, unhappy, melancholy, desolate…
Those are just a few of the words that describe people living with depression or anxiety…
And, since it’s estimated that at least 350 million suffer from depression worldwide, odds are that you’ve experienced the feelings of apathy, hopelessness, loss of interest and hopelessness that can go along with the disorder.
You may even live with anxiety, a common component of depression… 40 million people in the U.S. alone do.
If you’ve been to your doctor, you’ve likely been prescribed prescription antidepressants.
And, while they may help, unfortunately, those drugs come with a hefty dose of side effects as well, including nausea, weight gain, constipation, fatigue, diminished sex drive and blurred vision.
If your doctor was more proactive, they may have even tested your vitamin D levels and told you to get more sun and take the vitamin to help you beat back the depression that’s been ruling your life.
But even if they were that knowledgeable, more than likely, there’s one thing they missed…
One vital nutrient that most doctors never even think about using to help their patients in the battle against depression and anxiety…
It’s not just for blood clotting
Most doctors only think about vitamin K when they’re worried about your blood clotting, like when they put you on blood thinners.
But, this little-known vitamin does so much more. Since its discovery, scientists have uncovered five different compounds that make up the vitamin K family. And one of the most compelling is vitamin K2.
In fact, here’s what Dr. John Cannell at the Vitamin D Council has to say about it…
“If you asked practicing physicians, I bet 99% would say vitamin K is only involved in blood clotting. However, there are vitamin K-dependent proteins in multiple human tissues.
Blood clotting is simply the most urgent function of vitamin K, so, if vitamin K intake is restricted (as it is in most people who don’t consume five servings of vegetables every day), vitamin K is first used by the liver to handle blood clotting so you don’t bleed to death.”
And, one of those tissues that utilize vitamin K that Dr. Cannell talks about is your brain, which is why studies have shown that supplementing with vitamin K version, known as K2 can prevent both depression and anxiety by feeding your brain the proteins and lipids it needs to function optimally.
The natural prescription for depression and anxiety: K2 and D3
In fact, in order to defeat depression, you need both vitamin D and vitamin K2.
According to the Vitamin D council, to get the most benefit from vitamin D, you must have other cofactors in your body, one of the most important being vitamin K.
By now you’re probably wondering how much of each you need to help lift your depression, boost your mood and overcome your anxiety.
Here’s the answer…
Since your body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight, it’s best to use brief sunbathing when appropriate and supplement with 5,000 IU/day of D3 with 600 mcg of vitamin K2.
You should also increase your intake of green leafy vegetables to get more vitamin K from your diet.
If you’re taking blood thinners, talk to your doctor before taking vitamin K2 as it does affect clotting.
Good sources of vitamin K2 include:
- Kale
- Spinach
- Collard greens
- Scallion
- Natto (fermented soy)
- Brussel sprouts
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Kefir
- Prunes
So, if you’re living with depression and anxiety, don’t suffer in silence or from the unwanted side effects of prescription antidepressants, combine the power of the new vitamin on the block, vitamin K2, with your daily dose of vitamin D and take back your life.
Editor’s note: While you’re doing all the right things to protect your brain as you age, make sure you don’t make the mistake 38 million Americans do every day — by taking a drug that robs them of an essential brain nutrient! Click here to discover the truth about the Cholesterol Super-Brain!
Sources:
Depression and Mental Health by the Numbers: Facts, Statistics, and You — Healthline Media
Facts & Statistics — ADAA
Coping With Side Effects of Depression Treatment — WebMD
Vitamin K2 Improves Anxiety and Depression but not Cognition in Rats with Metabolic Syndrome: a Role of Blood Glucose? — Folia Medica
Vitamin K and brain function — Seminars in Thrombosis and Hemostasis