For example, if you gained a modest 1% after taking strontium and you reduce that score by 10%, you STILL GAINED .9% of new bone. That’s a big win when you normally would have been losing bone density! If you’re not getting enough zinc in your diet, a zinc supplement may help support your bone health, although more research is needed. If a healthcare professional recommends a zinc supplement, we suggest Thorne Zinc Picolinate. It’s NSF Certified for Sport, a rigorous third party certification that tests for purity, potency, and any banned substances by sport. Zinc is the only ingredient, which is not the case for many zinc supplements, so you’re only getting what you need. It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free. In fact, low body weight is the main factor contributing to reduced bone density and bone loss in this age group ( 47, 48). Suggested Use: To improve bone mineral density and maintain strong bones, when incorporated into a regimen with AlgaeCal Plus. Raloxifene (Evista) mimics estrogen's beneficial effects on bone density in postmenopausal women, without some of the risks associated with estrogen. Taking this drug can reduce the risk of some types of breast cancer. Hot flashes are a possible side effect. Raloxifene also may increase your risk of blood clots.

The drug also appears to lower calcium levels. Patients with low blood calcium levels should not take Prolia until the condition is corrected. Rebuilding Bone It should come as no surprise that soda would find its way onto this list — but you might be surprised as to why. Yes, sugar isn’t the best (and we’ll cover that shortly), but the problem with soda is actually the mineral phosphorus. Vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals. Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional. Accessed June 8, 2021. Wei P, Liu M, Chen Y, et al. Systematic review of soy isoflavone supplements on osteoporosis in women. Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2012 Mar;5(3):243-248. doi:10.1016/S1995-7645(12)60033-9Veronese N, Stubbs B, Solmi M, et al. Dietary magnesium intake and fracture risk: data from a large prospective study. Br J Nutr. 2017 Jun;117(11):1570-1576. doi:10.1017/S0007114517001350 This is especially the case in postmenopausal women who have lost the bone-protective effects of estrogen. The truth is, strontium does weigh much more than calcium, and its mass does impact DEXA readings…but only a little. Ilesanmi-Oyelere BL, Kruger MC. The Role of Milk Components, Pro-, Pre-, and Synbiotic Foods in Calcium Absorption and Bone Health Maintenance. Front Nutr. 2020 Sep 23;7:578702. doi:10.3389/fnut.2020.578702

Bone density is a measurement of the amount of calcium and other minerals found in your bones. Both osteopenia (low bone mass) and osteoporosis (brittle bones) are conditions characterized by low bone density. While weight loss typically results in some bone loss, it is usually less pronounced in obese individuals than normal-weight individuals ( 51).

Föger-Samwald, Ursula, et al. “Osteoporosis: pathophysiology and therapeutic options.” EXCLI journal 19 (2020): 1017. Joyce, if you are taking additional D3, then your requirement for vitamin K2 also increases. These two vitamins work hand in hand to deliver calcium directly to your bone. Vitamin D3 helps absorb calcium into your bloodstream, then vitamin K2 directs the calcium from your blood into your bones. This is why, if you take additional D3, let us know the amount and we can recommend the amount of K2 you should take with it.

A recent 10-year study of 1,567 people found that although high calcium intake from foods decreased the risk of heart disease overall, those who took calcium supplements had a 22% greater risk of heart disease ( 30). Summary: Gröber U, Schmidt J, Kisters K. Magnesium in Prevention and Therapy. Nutrients. 2015 Sep 23;7(9):8199-226. doi:10.3390/nu7095388 DiNicolantonio, James J., et al. “Not salt but sugar as aetiological in osteoporosis: A review.” Missouri medicine 115.3 (2018): 247. Soy foods are often recommended for postmenopausal women because of the phytoestrogens (known as soy isoflavones), which may provide some estrogen-like effect in the body as estrogen levels decrease. Because estrogen plays an important role in bone density, researchers have looked at the connection between eating soy foods, bone density, and osteoporosis.

Make lifestyle changes

Studies have shown that diets providing fewer than 1,000 calories per day can lead to lower bone density in normal-weight, overweight or obese individuals ( 41, 42, 43, 44). Hopefully that helps! If you have further questions about scheduling, you may find it easiest to give our Bone Health Consultants a call at 1-800-820-0184 🙂