Phyto D 2000

Our unique combination of vitamins D3 and K2 (MK-7) is compounded with Epimedium and Drynaria—two traditional Chinese herbs with long historical usage in the support of proper bone and connective tissue health.

In any increasingly active world, where people are living fast-paced lives in office buildings—oftentimes seeing the sun for mere minutes per day—the opportunity to produce Vitamin D is minimal at best. Even during vacation times, concerns about skin cancer risk often keep people indoors. Physicians have noted increasing levels of Vitamin D deficiency reaching epidemic proportions. At the same time, with increasing toxic exposures and stresses from lifestyle and environment, our need for this essential nutrient has never been greater. A critical pro-hormone necessary to regulate gene expression, Vitamin D has wide-ranging effects throughout the body. From maximizing bone health and reducing cancer risk to stabilizing mood and energy levels, there is no vitamin more essential; yet, average levels have never been lower. Phyto D 2000 is packed with other essential nutrients and synergistic herbs to maximize bone health, improve bone mineral density, and reduce the risk of bone fractures.

Phyto D 2000 comprises 5 synergistic ingredients that provide all of the following benefits and more:

Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol).  Studies showing benefits associated with having higher levels of Vitamin D, or cholecalciferol, seem to be appearing almost daily in the medical literature. Vitamin D is critical to the formation of healthy bones, and it appears to lower the risk of several types of cancer. (1, 2) It helps maintain a healthy immune system and regulates cell growth and differentiation. (3) The evidence has been so overwhelming that even conventional physicians have taken notice and are now measuring vitamin D levels in their patients and recommending supplementation. (4)

We at D’Adamo Personalized Nutrition have found that, in addition to the Vitamin D in your PhytoCal, most people will benefit from taking an additional, separate Vitamin D supplement as well. In fact, recent research suggests that previous fears about potential toxicity were unfounded and that the current RDA of 400IU is far too low. Most daily multiples contain only the 400IU daily, but we have found that many people need to take more Vitamin D than is in their daily multiple to raise blood levels into the desired range (40-100ng/dL is considered “normal,” with 60-80ng/dL being the optimal range).

Oral Vitamin D supplementation has benefits over traditional sunlight exposure in that it helps maintain the youth, integrity, and health of the skin and related connective tissues; helps reduce the risk of malignant melanoma and other skin cancers; and can be supplied in a controlled manner regardless of the season, the time of day, or one’s location on the planet. Unfortunately, Vitamin D is not found naturally in significant amounts in foods. The form that is added as a supplement to milk and other “fortified” foods is Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), the plant form of Vitamin D, which has long been known to be less effective than Vitamin D3, as it requires conversion to D3 to have activity in animals. Many people do not have the capacity to affect that conversion efficiently and effectively. Thus, regular supplementation with the active Vitamin D3 seems the most practical method of obtaining this essential nutrient.

Vitamin K (Menaquinone 7).  Vitamin K2 is the physiologically active form of Vitamin K that is found in food sources; primarily in meat, eggs, dairy, and natto (fermented soy paste). (5) Epidemiological studies show that Vitamin K2 consumption reduces fracture risk; and it has been shown in multiple clinical trials to decrease fracture risk, as well as levels of undercarboxylated osteocalcin (uOC - a marker of increased fracture risk independent of femoral neck bone mineral density), even when taken at a relatively modest daily dose. (6-7) Vitamin K2 has also been shown to work synergistically with Vitamin D to prevent bone loss in the post-menopausal murine model. (8)

Regular Vitamin K2 supplementation has been shown in long term studies to increase bone mineral density by 7.5% relative to controls and to decrease hip fractures in the elderly by up to 87%. (9) In fact, Vitamin K2 has been approved by the Ministry of Health in Japan since 1995 as a prescription treatment for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. (10)

Because of large variations in absorbability and soil nutrient levels, Vitamin K content of foods alone is insufficient to determine whether a person’s intake is adequate. Vitamin K intake also decreases with age, and Vitamin K2 intake is inversely associated with osteoporosis. (11) Vitamin K2 deficiency is also associated with severe aortic calcification and all-cause mortality. (12)

Supplementation with Vitamin K2 bypasses the inhibitory effect of salicylates on the conversion of plant Vitamin K1 into the physiologically active Vitamin K2. Thus, K2 supplementation can alleviate the chronic vitamin K deficiency caused by long-term aspirin use. (13) Vitamin K2 is considered to be safe at all doses with no upper intake limit set, and multiple studies on coagulation in humans showed no significant increase in the risk of clot formation. (14-15)

Vitamin K2 includes several subtypes. The two most studied subtypes are menaquinone-4 (menatetrenone, MK-4) and menaquinone-7 (MK-7). Menaquinone-4 (MK-4) is the most common type of vitamin K2 found in animals, as MK-4 is normally synthesized from plant Vitamin K1 in certain animal tissues (arterial walls, pancreas, and testes).

Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) is different from MK-4 in that it is not produced by human tissue. MK-7, which is abundant in fermented soybeans (natto), stimulates osteoblastic bone formation and inhibits osteoclastic bone resorption. (16) Supplementation of MK-7 has also been shown to cause significant elevation of serum γ-carboxylated osteocalcin concentration, a biomarker of bone formation. (17) In another study, MK-7 also completely prevented a decrease in the calcium content of bone tissue by inhibiting the bone-resorbing factors parathyroid hormone and prostaglandin E2. (18)

MK-7 consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of bone fractures and cardiovascular disorders that are crucial health issues worldwide. Osteoporosis and coronary artery disease are strongly associated with lower levels of MK-7. (19-21) In February of 2011, the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore approved a health supplement that contains vitamin K2 (MK-7) and vitamin D3 for increasing bone mineral density. (22)

Leading research teams from Australia, Japan, and Korea are broadening our understanding of MK-7 and its production. It has been reported recently that MK-7 may be converted in miniscule amounts from Vitamin K1 in the colon by E-coli bacteria. (23) However, bacterially-derived MK-7 appears to contribute minimally to overall vitamin K status. (24, 25) Thus, there is a pressing need for concentrated supplementation of MK-7 in the diet to optimize bone health. We highly recommend regular supplementation with Vitamin K2 (MK-7) as part of a comprehensive bone health and fracture prevention strategy.

Strontium (Citrate).  Strontium is an essential mineral that is sold in Europe and other parts of the world as a medication to both improve bone mineral density and decrease fracture risk. Strontium works by decreasing the activity of osteoclasts, the bone cells that cause breakdown of the bone, and increasing the activity of osteoblasts, the bone cells that form new bone matrix. (26) In one recent, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-response study of two years duration on 353 post-menopausal, osteoporotic women between 45 and 78 years of age, daily Strontium supplementation resulted in 23-29% decreased fracture risk and a roughly 3% increase in bone mineral density per year when compared to placebo. (27)

In another clinical trial of three years duration involving 1442 postmenopausal, osteoporotic women, the Strontium group experienced statistically significant increases in bone mineral density in all monitored areas: long bones, femoral necks, and hips of 8.6-12.7%. Additionally, the women who took Strontium had a 41% lower risk of new vertebral fracture when compared to those in the placebo group. The number needed to treat with Strontium for three years to prevent one patient from suffering a vertebral facture was only nine patients. (28)

People should be aware that strontium has an atomic mass greater than calcium, and it therefore attenuates the X-Rays from a DEXA scan to a greater extent than does calcium. Radiologists should be made aware that the patient is taking strontium, or their DEXA scan will not provide an accurate measure of bone mineral density. (29) The safety profile of Strontium also compares favorably with the other currently marketed antiosteoporosis medications. (30) Thus, Strontium is highly recommended as part of a complete approach to maximizing bone mineral density and reducing fracture risk, especially in post-menopausal women.

Epimedium sagittatum Herb Extract.  Epimedium, more commonly known as “Horny Goat Weed,” is a warming herb, used for centuries in Chinese medicine to tonify yang energy and improve libido, has more recently come to light for its potent bone and bone marrow building effects. In the murine model, supplementation with the polysaccharides from Epimedium has been shown to significantly increase DNA synthesis and cell division in bone marrow cells. (31) Another study on a flavonoid extract from Epimedium found its metabolites to be effective in preventing osteoporosis in the post-menopausal model. (32)

In another study using the post-menopausal model, an aqueous extract of Epimedium increased levels of serum alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme directly associated with improved phosphate metabolism and increased bone formation. Epimedium administration completely corrected the decreased concentrations of calcium and estradiol observed in the serum of the subjects, and histological results showed that the extract had remarkable effect on bone formation rate with both bone volume and bone formation rate significantly increased. (33) One of Epimedium’s key constituents, Icariin, has been targeted by drug manufacturers as a possible basis for a novel antiosteoporotic drug due to its observed bone-strengthening activity via the enhancement of the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stroma cells. (34)

As a promising source of bone marrow building polysaccharides and bone density increasing flavonoids with centuries of safe use in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Epimedium provides a uniquely ideal synergistic component to the vitamins and minerals in Phyto D 2000. Epimedium is a both singularly forward-thinking and effective addition to this comprehensive formula, both in optimizing bone health and in helping to prevent many of the potential ravages of osteoporosis and osteopenia in a society where increasing longevity and prolonged health and ever more potent concerns.

Drynaria fortunei Root Extract.  Drynaria fortunei is a species of fern, known in traditional Chinese herbalism as “Gusuibu,” it has long been known to have therapeutic effects on bone healing. Over the course of the past ten years, researchers have been hard at work elaborating its precise mechanism of action. Initial in vitro studies found that water extracts of Drynaria have an antioxidant effect on osteoblasts, the cells required for bone formation. This antioxidant activity can protect osteoblasts from damage and free radical-induced death and may promote bone recovery under stressed conditions. (35) Subsequent studies have shown that in addition to these protective effects, Drynaria extract directly stimulates cell proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts by regulating bone differentiation-related gene expression and defending against nitrosative stress-induced apoptotic insults. (36, 37) In another study of ten different Chinese medicines purported to exert beneficial effects on bone health, only Drynaria had a universally beneficial effect on bone cell metabolism, which researchers believed was probably mediated by the induction of apoptosis of the osteoclast cell population. (38) Osteoclasts are the cells responsible for the “remodeling” or breakdown of bone, also known as “bone resorption.” Several follow up studies have reported observing similar inhibition of bone resorption and promotion of bone regeneration when comparing the effects of Drynaria preparations to the actions of well elaborated molecules that are known to play a key role in bone matrix degradation during bone resorption. (39-41)

In a recent trial using a Drynaria extract in the murine model, consumption of the extract increased the bone volume/tissue volume ratio by 6.45% over controls. The bone trabeculae, the structural “struts” of the bone, were increased by 10% such that the bone density was also increased. (42) Japanese researchers have recently isolated eleven different flavonoids from Drynaria that show antiosteoporotic activity and confirmed their proliferative activity in osteoblast-like cells. (43)

The inclusion of Drynaria extract in Phyto D 2000 is yet another factor that sets it a step ahead of other “bone support supplements.” While there are many supplements that provide the basic nutrients needed to promote bone health, Phyto D 2000 is the only bone support nutraceutical physician-formulated to take advantage of the latest research from both East and West. Dr. D’Adamo’s unique perspective has allowed us to provide this innovative product that should be a key component in the most comprehensive possible approach to bone mineralization and fracture prevention.

Regular supplementation of the nutrients found in Phyto D 2000 help via:

• Inhibited breakdown and improved formation of bone
• Increase bone mineralization and density
• Decrease risk of osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fracture risk
• Improve mood and decrease risk of depression
• Improve energy levels and decrease fatigue
• Inhibited development of cancer cells and decrease cancer risk

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