# Vitamin D3 and K2 Supplements Compared: Choose the Dose Before the Brand

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Vitamin D3 and K2 Supplements Compared: Choose the Dose Before the BrandA D3/K2 supplement should be compared by vitamin D amount first, not by the largest number or the most elaborate combination. In the products reviewed here, NOW supplies 1,000 IU D3 per capsule, Pure Encapsulations supplies 4,000 IU, and Solaray supplies 5,000 IU. Those are materially different amounts, not three equivalent servings to rank by brand alone. [1] [2] [3] For US adults, 4,000 IU—or 100 mcg—per day is the upper limit for routine total vitamin D intake, not a recommended target. The 5,000 IU Solaray capsule exceeds that level before other vitamin D sources are counted. Clinician-directed treatment can involve different amounts, but that does not make a high-dose product the default for everyone. [4] Compare the formulas before the photos Product and reviewed size D3 per capsule K2 per capsule Other declared minerals Main decision point NOW D3 & K2, 120 capsules 25 mcg / 1,000 IU 45 mcg MK-4 None listed Lower D3 amount among this set Pure Encapsulations D3 & K2, 120 capsules 100 mcg / 4,000 IU 100 mcg MK-7 None listed D3 alone reaches the US adult upper limit Solaray D3 + K2, reviewed 120-capsule label 125 mcg / 5,000 IU 50 mcg MK-7 Calcium 110 mg; phosphorus 85 mg Higher D3 amount and additional minerals These are manufacturer label facts, not personal dose recommendations. The K2 forms and amounts differ as well as the D3 amounts, so a single cost-per-capsule ranking would miss much of the decision. [1] [2] [3] Solaray Vitamin D3 + K25,000 IU D3 + 50 mcg K2 per capsule. 120 capsules reviewed. High-dose D3; not a routine default. Choose the reviewed 120-count size.Read the product reviewCheck price at HerbsProWe may earn a commission from this link. Why 1,000, 4,000, and 5,000 IU are not interchangeable One microgram of vitamin D corresponds to 40 IU. That is why 25 mcg equals 1,000 IU, 100 mcg equals 4,000 IU, and 125 mcg equals 5,000 IU. The two units describe the same vitamin amount, not two ingredients to add together. [4] The relevant question is the amount appropriate to your circumstances after considering food, existing supplements, health conditions, and any clinician-directed plan. A bottle’s full serving is not a diagnosis of deficiency. A larger amount is not automatically preferable because a product is described as “bone support” or contains K2. The lower NOW amount may be a useful product specification to examine, but it is not a blanket recommendation that every reader take 1,000 IU or add K2. The need for supplementation and the choice of a combined formula remain separate questions. NOW: a lower-D3 capsule with MK-4 The reviewed NOW formula supplies 25 mcg D3 and 45 mcg K2 as menaquinone-4 in one capsule. Its 120-capsule bottle is identified by SKU 0369 and UPC 733739003690. Other ingredients include rice flour, a hypromellose capsule, maltodextrin, ascorbyl palmitate, modified starch, and silicon dioxide. [1] This exact product should not be confused with NOW’s higher-dose Mega D3/MK-7 products. “NOW D3 and K2” is a family-level description, not a sufficient formula identifier. Check the D3 amount and whether the K2 is MK-4 or MK-7 on the actual label. Pure: MK-7 with 4,000 IU D3 Pure Encapsulations’ reviewed product supplies 100 mcg D3 and 100 mcg K2 as MK-7 per capsule. Its label lists a cellulose-and-water capsule and cellulose as other ingredients. The larger K2 number is a formulation difference, not proof of a better clinical outcome. [2] The more important caution is that the D3 amount alone reaches the US adult upper limit for routine total intake. A multivitamin or a separate D supplement would add to that amount. It should not be described as a low-dose choice simply because another product contains 5,000 IU. [4] Solaray: a higher-dose formula with extra minerals The reviewed Solaray 120-capsule image provides 5,000 IU D3, 50 mcg K2 as MK-7 from chickpea, 110 mg calcium, and 85 mg phosphorus per capsule. This is a combined formula with additional minerals, not just D3 and K2. [3] It may be a product to discuss within a specifically indicated higher-dose plan, but it is not the default option in this comparison. The page has multiple bottle sizes, and older descriptive ingredients do not perfectly match the reviewed image. Match the bottle version before relying on the exact inactive ingredients or a displayed price. [5] [3] Does MK-7 make a high vitamin D amount safe? No evidence presented here establishes that adding K2 cancels the risks of excessive vitamin D. Vitamin D toxicity can involve high calcium levels; a K2 ingredient should not be treated as permission to exceed an appropriate intake. [4] MK-4 and MK-7 are different forms of vitamin K2. That distinction may matter for matching a studied intervention, but the form name alone is not a universal quality ranking. Nor can a higher K2 amount turn an otherwise unsuitable D3 amount into an appropriate product for every shopper. [6] Prices that can be assigned to exact bottles The following displayed one-time prices were checked on September 27, 2026, excluding tax, shipping, and subscription or coupon conditions. [1] [7] Exact product Bottle price Labeled servings Cost per capsule NOW D3 & K2, 120 capsules $14.99 120 About $0.125 Pure D3 & K2, 120 capsules $35.50 120 About $0.296 Solaray reviewed formula $31.99 for 120 capsules 120 in reviewed image About $0.267 Cost per capsule does not make the formulas equivalent. We have not chosen a “best value” by cost per IU, because purchasing more vitamin D than needed is not a meaningful value advantage. Vitamin K and medication deserve a separate check Vitamin K intake is particularly relevant to warfarin and similar vitamin K antagonists. The important issue can be consistent intake and management of the treatment, not a general instruction to avoid all vitamin K foods or to stop medicine. Tell the prescriber or pharmacist before adding a K2 product. [6] Do not assume that every medicine described informally as a blood thinner works the same way. A label’s broad caution is not a substitute for checking your specific medication and dose. A practical way to finish the comparison First establish whether a D supplement is appropriate and what amount fits your plan. Then decide whether you need a combined D3/K2 product rather than a separate D supplement. Finally compare the exact K2 form, other ingredients, minerals, package, and price. Within this set, NOW is the lower-D3 option to examine, Pure reaches the US adult upper limit in one capsule, and Solaray exceeds it. Those are objective dose categories, not declarations that one brand is suitable for everyone or that another has no legitimate use. Related reading For the reviewed 5,000 IU formula and variant limitations, see our Solaray D3 and K2 label review. For the arithmetic behind capsules, servings, and nutrient quantities, see our serving-size and dose guide. ReferencesNOW Vitamin D3 & K2 Capsules.Pure D3 & K2: 120-capsule label.Solaray D3 + K2: 120-capsule label.NIH ODS: Vitamin D, Health Professional Fact Sheet.Solaray Vitamin D3 + K2, 125 mcg.NIH ODS: Vitamin K, Health Professional Fact Sheet.Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3 & K2.
