TrainedbyJP D3 K2 - Vegan Bioavailable Vitamins D3 and K2

What is TrainedByJP's D3 K2?

TrainedByJP D3 K2 combines two fat-soluble vitamins in one vegetable capsule. The vitamin D3 here is of plant origin, extracted from algae, and the vitamin K2 comes in a patented menaquinone-7 form. The bottle holds 60 capsules, at one a day: two months of use.

Pairing these two vitamins has become common in recent years, and for a precise reason. Vitamin D improves the intestinal absorption of calcium; vitamin K, for its part, is involved in the proteins that play a role in fixing it into bone. The two work on the same ground, at two different stages.

The point that really sets this product apart is the origin of the vitamin D3. In the vast majority of supplements, cholecalciferol is extracted from lanolin, the grease from sheep's wool — which rules those products out of a vegan diet. Here, the D3 comes from algae, and the capsule is made of hypromellose. The formula is therefore vegan from end to end, which remains rare. The rest of the British range can be browsed in our TrainedByJP section, and the other products in the category in our vitamin D section.

What does one D3 K2 capsule contain?

Data missing from the manufacturer's file, and it has to be said plainly: the doses of vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 per capsule have not been disclosed to us. On this type of product, those are nonetheless the only two figures that count. We will not invent them and we will not infer them from a competing product. They appear on the packaging you will receive, and this page will be updated as soon as the official values are passed on to us.

What is established, on the other hand, are the authorised claims, and they are solid for these two vitamins. For vitamin D: it contributes to the normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus, to the maintenance of normal bones, to the maintenance of normal muscle function, to the normal function of the immune system and to the maintenance of normal blood calcium levels. For vitamin K: it contributes to normal blood clotting and to the maintenance of normal bones. These are the exact wordings of the European framework. Those claims are conditional on a minimum intake, which we cannot confirm as we do not know the doses.

A word on the form of vitamin K2 chosen: menaquinone-7, also written MK-7. It differs from MK-4 in staying present in the blood for markedly longer after being taken, which makes a single daily serving sufficient where MK-4 would call for several. It is the form most used in current supplements, and it is a coherent formulation choice.

As for algal vitamin D3, it is chemically identical to cholecalciferol from lanolin: the same molecule, obtained by another route. The difference is ethical and dietary, not biological.

List of ingredients

Plant-based vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol from algae), vitamin K2 (patented menaquinone-7), maltodextrin, vegetable capsule (hypromellose).

Data missing from the manufacturer's file: the list of allergens present in the manufacturing facility is not disclosed. Refer to the packaging you receive.

How should you take D3 K2?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a glass of water. Timing: during a meal containing fat, preferably in the morning or at midday. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: a course of 3 months minimum, continued if needed from October to March.

Taking it with a fatty meal is not optional with this product, and it is the first thing to remember. Vitamins D and K are fat-soluble: swallowed on an empty stomach with a glass of water, a substantial part does not cross the intestinal wall. A little olive oil, half an avocado, a handful of almonds or an oily fish in the same meal is more than enough. It costs nothing, and it changes what you get out of the bottle.

The manufacturer advises the morning or midday rather than the evening. That is a preference for comfort more than a physiological constraint: some people report poorer sleep with vitamin D taken late. If that does not apply to you, the time hardly matters.

The time of year counts for more than the time of day. At our latitudes, the skin makes virtually no vitamin D between October and March, the sun being too low on the horizon. That is the window in which supplementation makes full sense, and the 60-capsule bottle covers two months of it. Even in Montpellier, where the sunshine is generous, winter is still winter.

The manufacturer suggests pairing this product with an intake of magnesium, a mineral involved in the metabolism of vitamin D. It can also be taken with the same meal as an omega 3, which provides the fatty support the two vitamins need for absorption.

Who is D3 K2 for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed first and foremost at people following a vegan or strict vegetarian diet: it is one of the few vitamin D3 products they can take, since almost the whole market comes from sheep's lanolin. It also concerns anyone with little sun exposure, working indoors, or living through the autumn-winter period in northern Europe.

It is not recommended for people on anticoagulant or vitamin K antagonist medication without prior medical advice, and that is a contraindication to take seriously. Vitamin K antagonist medicines work precisely by opposing the action of this vitamin; supplying it through a supplement can upset the balance of the treatment. If this applies to you, the question goes to your doctor before the purchase, not after.

It is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women without the advice of a healthcare professional, and it is not intended for children.

What you should not expect from it. You will feel nothing when you take it, and that is normal: these two vitamins have no perceptible effect. They do not improve sporting performance, muscle mass or mood in any immediate way. And supplementation does not replace a blood test: if you are wondering about your vitamin D status, a work-up prescribed by your doctor will answer far better than a bottle bought at random. Finally, watch out for stacking: a multivitamin already contains vitamin D, and intakes add up.

D3 on its own, or D3 combined with K2?

A frequent question in the shop, and the answer depends above all on what you are looking for.

Vitamin D on its own does the main job very well: making up for the shortfall in sunshine during the cold season. It is the best-justified supplement in this whole catalogue for a European population, and it costs little. If that is your only aim, standalone vitamin D exists in a range of doses, often for a smaller budget, and a vitamin C will usefully round out the winter period.

Adding vitamin K2 answers a logic of complementarity where bone is concerned. Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium, vitamin K is involved in the proteins that play a role in fixing it. The combination makes sense if your concern is specifically bone capital, and it saves buying two bottles.

In which case is D3 on its own the better choice? If you are on anticoagulant medication — in which case K2 is precisely what to avoid without medical advice — or if budget is the deciding criterion. And if your aim is broader, a multivitamin already provides both, in more modest amounts. For all-round bone support, our collagen section and our zinc section rest on other mechanisms and are best read alongside.

Frequently asked questions

What are the doses of D3 and K2 per capsule?

The manufacturer has not disclosed them to us and we will not invent them. They are nonetheless the only two figures that count on this type of product. They appear on the packaging you will receive; this page will be updated as soon as the official values are passed on to us.

Is this vitamin D3 suitable for vegans?

Yes, and it is the product's main selling point. The vitamin D3 here is extracted from algae and not from sheep's lanolin, as is the case in almost every supplement on the market. The capsule is vegetable, made of hypromellose. The formula is therefore vegan from end to end.

Why take it during a fatty meal?

Because vitamins D and K are fat-soluble. Taken on an empty stomach with a glass of water, a substantial part is not absorbed. A drizzle of oil, half an avocado or a few almonds in the same meal are enough to genuinely change what you get out of the product.

Can it be taken on anticoagulants?

Not without medical advice, and the warning is categorical. Vitamin K antagonist medicines work by opposing the action of this vitamin: supplying it through a supplement can unbalance the treatment. If this applies to you, talk to your doctor before buying.

What is menaquinone-7?

It is a form of vitamin K2, written MK-7. It stays present in the blood for much longer after being taken than the MK-4 form, which makes a single daily serving sufficient. It is the form most used in current supplements.

Should it be taken all year round?

The period in which supplementation is most justified runs from October to March: at our latitudes, the skin makes virtually no vitamin D in winter, the sun being too low. The rest of the year depends on your actual exposure. If in doubt, a blood test settles it better than an assumption.

Can it be stacked with a multivitamin?

First check what your multivitamin contains: most already provide vitamin D, and intakes add up. With a fat-soluble vitamin, which is stored in the body, it is better to do the sum than to discover a build-up after several months.

Where can you buy TrainedByJP's D3 K2?

The 60-capsule bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, it is the product we bring out when a vegan customer asks us for a vitamin D: the question of origin comes up every time, and answers are rare in this category. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition section.