On the surface, nutrition seems so simple. Some foods make you healthier. Some foods make you sick or unhealthy. Stick with what you know is right and optimal health is yours.
Not so fast.
The more we learn about how the body works, the more details that reveal themselves. The more we learn about health and nutrition, the more we see how all the pieces of the health puzzle are interconnected. This has led to Optimal Health Systems taking a very careful and thorough approach when it comes to formulating supplements.
It takes hundreds of hours poring over decades of research studies to justify both the inclusion of some ingredients and the exclusion of others. This is most prevalent in our Opt-Blend delivery system, along with our whole food cultured media (see page 3), and it subtly shows up in ever last formula, including Optimal Longevi-D-K2.
Said formula contains a synergistic trio of nutrients: vitamin D, CoQ10, and vitamin K2. These were not thrown together simply because they sounded good; they work as a team in the name of cardiovascular health and, indirectly (but it’s connected), mental health. The start of the synergy comes from all three being fat-soluble, meaning they need fats for cellular delivery.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D has gotten a lot of attention in recent years, and has even been nicknamed “the nutrient of the decade” by many scientists and researchers because it’s been associated with so many health benefits.
It’s essential to the health of most organs, including the brain, heart, skin, reproductive glands, prostate gland and mammary glands. It’s involved in your immune system, plays a role in bone strength, reducing tumor growth, reducing your chances of developing cancer, MS, and even diabetes. It’s linked to protecting you from heart disease, weight gain, depression, and so much more. To put it simply: vitamin D helps you from head to toe.
This flip side of this is the average levels of Vitamin D have dropped over the past decade to the point that, according to a recent study, 77% of Americans have insufficient amounts. Obesity is one of the reasons for this increase because fat retains Vitamin D, making it less available to the rest of the body. Fat cells are notorious for stealing nutrients from all over the body.
There’s also one other link to this deficiency, and that’s how vitamin D works in conjunction with vitamin K2.
Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 is an important accompaniment to Vitamin D, without which Vitamin D cannot work properly. And the form of K2 is critical. Only the MK-7 form lasts a long time in the bloodstream. The MK-4 version is a synthetic product that lasts only a third as long as MK-7, which comes only form whole foods. Any high potency Vitamin D formula without vitamin K2 in MK-7 form can create deficiencies.
Vitamin K2 mainly works to keep blood vessels free of calcium buildup and ensures calcium is used in the bones. It helps protect you from osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, and more. Teaming up with vitamin D, they activate what’s called the Matrix GLA Protein (MGP), which helps clear calcium deposits out of your arteries.
So, even if you do get ample sunshine, you can become vitamin D deficient if you don’t have enough vitamin K2 to back it up.
CoQ10
Originally called Ubiquinone, CoQ10 is used by every cell in the body. It ignites the cellular energy needed for each and every cell to do its job. It is concentrated mostly in the heart because the heart requires a constant energy flow to keep it beating and keep us alive.
It is very important to understand that the body doesn’t use CoQ10 in the Ubiquinone form. The body actually breaks down Ubiquinone down into Ubiquinol. If the body is already under stress, it is hard for it to break down the Ubiquinone. Without enough CoQ10 to get your cells going, you become more susceptible to heart failure and many forms of cancer.
Benefits of vitamin D
- Reduces chances of cardiovascular diseases
- strengthens bones and muscles
- Helps prevent cancer
- Can add up to 7 years to lifespan
Benefits of CoQ10 (in ubiquinol form)
- Keeps heart strong and healthy
- Protects against neurodegenerative AND neuromuscular diseases.
Benefits of vitamin K2
- Works to prevent calcium buildup in blood vessels
The Power of Three
These three whole food nutrients complete and balance out the health equation, delivering a high potency formula that excels at taking care of your cardiovascular health, bone health, mental health, and so much more.
Together these three nutrients help ensure all the vitamins and minerals you get from everything you eat and drink have a better chance of going where they’re needed, instead of getting stored in fat cells (especially if you’re overweight/obese).
If the nutrients are going to the right places, then you’re healthier from head to toe and have a better shot of dropping those extra pounds because you’re nutritionally starving fat cells. And as your waist-to-hip ratio reaches healthier ranges, your risk of disease takes a steep drop, which means you’re potentially adding years full of energy and vitality to your life; not years of being stuck in a wheelchair or an assisted living facility.
Being at a healthier waist-to-hip ratio means less stress on your heart and body in general, which leads to fewer aches and pains, healthier blood flow, stronger bones, and potentially getting sick less often. The reduced strain on your heart further increases your chance of living longer.
Finally, since vitamin D does so much for the body, it affects the mind as well. Researchers don’t yet understand this vitamin’s exact role when it comes to mental health, but there’s an irrefutable positive correlation between vitamin D and depression. Those suffering from clinical depression are almost always vitamin D deficient. So, supplementing with whole food vitamin D paired with vitamin K2 and CoQ10 can help that dark cloud looming over your head finally go find somewhere else to park.
Optimal Longevi-D-K2
Complete Cardiovascular Health Support
This potent formula incorporates three fat-soluble nutrients proven to increase longevity and lower the risk of many diseases. Hundreds of studies have established the importance of vitamin D, CoQ10, and vitamin K2 with health and longevity as it supports bone and cardiovascular health.
The ingredients come from whole foods, not synthetics, and the formula utilizes vitamin K2 and CoQ10 so vitamin D works properly, meaning it pulls calcium out of the bloodstream and deposits it back in bones. This has been proven to be extremely beneficial to overall longevity and quality of life. The formula also contains a higher potency of vitamin D not found in similar whole food products.