IO Genix Vit D3 K2

What is IO Genix Vit D3 K2?

It is a supplement that combines two fat-soluble vitamins in a single plant-based capsule: 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 and 200 µg of vitamin K2 in MK-7 form. The bottle contains 60 capsules, which is two months at one capsule a day.

The formula is pared back to the strict essentials: maltodextrin as a bulking agent, the two vitamins, and a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose shell. The latter is of plant origin, which sets this product apart from most vitamin D products on the market, often sold as bovine gelatine softgels.

Pairing D3 with K2 has become a standard in the vitamin D aisle, and the logic behind it is simple: vitamin D increases calcium absorption, vitamin K plays a part in its use in bone. Both carry authorised claims relating to bones, and that is what justifies bringing them together. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix aisle.

What does one capsule contain?

Other components: maltodextrin (bulking agent), plant-based capsule (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose). NRV within the meaning of Regulation 1169/2011: 5 µg for vitamin D, 75 µg for vitamin K. The percentages above are calculated from these values, as the manufacturer does not publish them in the data provided.

Let us start with vitamin D, and say things as they are. 50 µg per capsule is ten times the nutrient reference value. The figure looks striking, but there is an explanation for it: the European NRV of 5 µg is a very low floor, and the EFSA sets 100 µg a day as the tolerable upper intake level in adults. One capsule therefore represents half that ceiling — a straightforward dose, common on this type of product, and one that stays within bounds provided you do not stack sources.

That is precisely the point to watch. If you already take a multivitamin, cod liver oil or a bone complex, add up the micrograms before adding this capsule. Vitamin D is fat-soluble: it is stored in the body, unlike vitamin C.

The authorised claims are precise, and they are more than enough on their own: vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones, to the maintenance of normal muscle function, to the normal function of the immune system, and to the normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus. As for the second: vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting and to the maintenance of normal bones.

On the MK-7 form, a word of honesty. It is a long-chain menaquinone, known for staying in the body longer than MK-4. We will stop there: claiming a quantified superiority would require a source we do not have, and 200 µg is a high dose for this vitamin — which is also what makes the warning about anticoagulants so important.

How should you take Vit D3 K2?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: during a meal containing fat, preferably in the morning or at midday. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: continuous use is possible, particularly during periods of low sunlight.

The fatty meal is not a detail. D3 and K2 are both fat-soluble: swallowed on an empty stomach with a glass of water, part of the intake is lost. A breakfast with eggs, a few almonds, a drizzle of oil or simply a full-fat yoghurt is enough to change that. It is the most rewarding move on this whole page.

On the time of year, the manufacturer is right to insist: it is from October to April that the question really arises in France. Winter sunshine does not allow synthesis in the skin, and that is where the 60-capsule bottle makes sense — two months, to be repeated two or three times over the cold season.

Two useful combinations to know about. Magnesium is involved in vitamin D metabolism, and a proper calcium intake from food — dairy products, green vegetables, mineral waters — makes more sense than the capsule taken on its own. Zinc, for its part, can be taken at another time of day without interference.

Who is this product for, and who is it not for?

It suits adults living in a country with little winter sunshine, those who work indoors, people with darker skin who synthesise less vitamin D, and indoor athletes. As the capsule is plant-based, it is suitable for vegetarians; note, however, that vitamin D3 is most often of animal origin, and the manufacturer does not specify its source.

It is not advised for people on anticoagulant treatment — warfarin, vitamin K antagonists — without prior medical advice. This is not a token precaution: vitamin K is directly involved in clotting, and these treatments act on precisely that pathway. If this concerns you, speak to your doctor before opening the bottle, not afterwards.

The manufacturer also states that it is not suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women, or for children, or for people on medical treatment without supervision. Traces of GLUTEN (wheat, oats), NUTS, PEANUTS, EGGS, MILK, SULPHITES, FISH and SOYA are possible.

What you should not expect from it. It is not a stimulant: you will feel nothing, and that is normal. Nor is it a product to take blindly over several years — vitamin D status can be measured in a laboratory, and if you supplement all year round, a blood test is the right way to know where you stand. Lastly, it is not a performance product: correcting a low status restores normal muscle function, it does not create extra strength in someone whose status is already adequate.

Vitamin D3 K2 or a multivitamin?

This is the choice that faces more or less everyone in autumn, and it is settled on the dose.

A multivitamin provides vitamin D, but rarely more than 5 to 25 µg, among twenty other nutrients. It is the better choice if your diet is irregular and you want broad cover without having to think about it: B vitamins, vitamin C, trace elements, everything is covered by a single capsule. Its weakness on this particular point: the vitamin D dose is often too low to count for much in the depths of winter, and vitamin K is almost always absent from it.

Vit D3 K2 does the opposite: two vitamins, at a straightforward dose, nothing else. It is the better choice if your need has been identified — a low blood test, a winter without sun, an indoor job — and if you want to manage that one line precisely. It is also the only one of the two that provides K2, which is absent from very nearly every multivitamin.

The trap to avoid is always the same: taking both without counting. A multivitamin at 25 µg plus this capsule at 50 µg is 75 µg a day, still under the ceiling of 100 µg, but adding a fortified fish oil would tip the total over. Do the sum once and it will serve you all winter.

Frequently asked questions

Is 2,000 IU a day too much?

That is 50 µg, half the tolerable upper intake level of 100 µg a day set by the EFSA in adults. It is a high dose relative to the European reference value, which is only 5 µg, but it stays within bounds as long as you do not combine several sources. The only way the question is really settled is with a blood test.

Why combine K2 with D3?

Because both vitamins carry an authorised claim on the maintenance of normal bones, and they act at different stages: D promotes calcium absorption, K plays a part in its use. That is the logic of the combination, and it is sound. We will not go beyond what the authorised wordings allow us to state.

Should it be taken in the morning or in the evening?

The manufacturer advises the morning or midday, with a meal containing fat. What matters is the fatty meal, not the hour: these are two fat-soluble vitamins, and taking them on an empty stomach appreciably reduces absorption. Choose the meal at which you eat the least lightly.

Can it be taken with an anticoagulant?

Not without medical advice. That is the manufacturer's explicit warning, and it concerns vitamin K, which is involved in blood clotting — the very pathway on which vitamin K antagonists act. This question is one for your doctor, who alone knows your treatment and how well balanced it is.

How long does a bottle last?

Two months, at the rate of one capsule a day for 60 capsules. Over a winter season from October to April, allow three bottles to cover the full period. It is the format that best matches seasonal use rather than continuous supplementation.

Is the capsule suitable for vegetarians?

The shell, yes: it is made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, a modified cellulose of plant origin. The manufacturer does not, however, specify the origin of the vitamin D3 itself, which is most often derived from lanolin commercially. If this point is decisive for you, check with the brand before buying.

Can it be taken all year round?

The manufacturer allows it and recommends it above all during periods of low sun exposure. Our position is more cautious: with a continuous intake of 50 µg a day for twelve months, a vitamin D blood test is the only serious way to know whether you are at the right level. In summer, sun exposure is often enough.

Where can you buy IO Genix Vit D3 K2?

The 60-capsule bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. It is one of the least expensive products in the aisle, and one of the few whose usefulness in winter is beyond argument at our latitudes.

At the counter in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, the question we always ask about this product comes down to three words: what else are you taking? Many people do not realise that their multivitamin already contains some, and the sum changes the advice. The rest of the vitamins and minerals can be browsed in our sports nutrition aisle.