Healthy Supplements You’re Not Taking—But Should

“There are two key forms of vitamin K that are important for health: vitamin K1 and vitamin K2,” says Megan Wong, RD, at AlgaeCal. “Both help with blood clotting, but vitamin K2 (especially the MK-7 form) also keeps your bones and heart healthy.”

“You can think of vitamin K2 MK-7 as a traffic controller for calcium—it directs calcium to your bones and keeps it from settling in unwanted places like your arteries,” Wong explains. “This is why vitamin K2 is linked to a lower risk of heart disease as well as prevention of osteoporosis and fractures.”

“It’s hard to get enough vitamin K2 MK-7 through diet alone, as it’s mainly found in cheese and fermented soy foods, which is why a supplement is recommended,” Wong says. Whether you’re eating an arguably healthy diet or one that’s not exactly ideal, vitamin K2 doesn’t tend to show up often in food found in the Western diet, which is why you may need a supplement.

You might think that calcium is something you only need to take when you get older. However, you should actually start taking calcium in your late 20s. “Most adults aren’t thinking about ways to prevent osteoporosis until they’re in their 40s or 50s,” Wong says. “But peak bone mass, which is when your bone density will be at its highest, is reached at age 25-30.”

“The higher your peak bone mass, the better position your bones are in when you get older,” says Wong. “So I recommend young women (since menopause takes a huge toll on bone health) start taking calcium supplements before it’s too late.”

If you decide to take calcium supplements, American Bone Health points out that you should be sure to do so while you’re eating, but not at the same time that you take iron, as they happen to be two supplements that you should never take together.