We’ve long been told that strong bones require lots of calcium. But what if more calcium isn’t the solution — and in some cases, might even contribute to the problem? This is the basis of what scientists call the "calcium paradox."

The calcium paradox is, in essence, what happens when your body accumulates more calcium than it needs for optimal functioning. Without the brakes of magnesium to help it find its proper home, the excess calcium is now left to go where it shouldn't: into your arteries, around your joints or in your soft tissues. The result? A muddle of fragile bones and stiffened arteries. A brief breakdown of how this happens—and how Vitamins D3 and K2 may help prevent it.

The calcium paradox is the puzzling phenomenon that aging adults can experience both osteoporosis (weakening of bones) and arterial calcification (hardening of arteries) simultaneously. How can that be? Shouldn’t high calcium intake protect your bones and your heart?

Not quite. It’s not really the calcium, though, that’s the issue. Without the proper co-nutrients to manage and harness it, calcium can circulate in your bloodstream and deposited in soft tissues, rather than your bones.

A lot of people, especially women over 40, have been told to take calcium supplements to protect their bones. But consuming calcium alone, or in high amounts, can also backfire. Too much calcium with insufficient supporting nutrients may result in:

• Arterial plaque and calcification
• Increased risk of kidney stones
• Calcium deposits in joints or tendons

This is even more pronounced if your body is also deficient in the crucial vitamins that assist in metabolizing and directing calcium where it needs to go – specifically, Vitamins D3 and K2.

Vitamin D3 fuels your intestines to pull calcium from the foods and supplements you digest. You won’t absorb enough calcium from even the best calcium supplement if you don’t get enough D3. But more absorption of calcium is not necessarily a good thing if your body doesn’t know what to do with it.

That’s where K2 comes in.

Vitamin K2 acts like a traffic controller. It activates proteins including osteocalcin and matrix GLA protein (MGP) that transport calcium into bones and teeth and inhibit it from accumulating in arteries and soft tissues. Without sufficient K2, the excess calcium driven into your system by D3 will land in the wrong places.

Together, D3 and K2 work synergistically:

• D3 increases calcium absorption
• K2 ensures calcium is deposited in bones, not arteries

This synergy is also what’s behind resolution of the calcium paradox: you receive the bone-strengthening benefits of calcium without the cardiovascular risk.

• “Isn’t all calcium good calcium?” Not if it ends up in your arteries. It needs direction.
• “Can’t I get enough K2 from food?” Most Western diets lack sufficient K2, unless you're eating a lot of natto or aged cheeses daily.
• “If I take a multivitamin, isn’t that enough?” Multis often lack bioavailable forms or adequate ratios of D3 and K2.

• We formulated our Vegan Vitamin D3 + K2supplement to give your body exactly what it needs to use calcium wisely. Plant-based, bioavailable, and balanced for absorption and safety, our formula helps support bone density and cardiovascular health in one daily dose.

   

• PlantFusion Plant-Based Calcium is formulated with calcium from red algae (not limestone or chalk), magnesium, and a clinically aligned dose of D3 + K2—so your body actually knows what to do with all that calcium.