What supplements should I consider for bone health?

Introduction

Bone health is a critical aspect of overall well-being, particularly as individuals age. Various dietary supplements have been studied for their potential to improve bone mineral density (BMD) and reduce the risk of fractures. This synthesis examines the effectiveness of different supplements, including calcium, vitamin D, and other nutrients, in promoting bone health.

Key Insights

Calcium and Vitamin D Combination:
- Supplementation with calcium and vitamin D significantly improves bone mineral density and reduces bone turnover in various populations, including military personnel, older adults, and postmenopausal women .
- This combination also reduces the incidence of fractures in older adults.
Calcium Alone:
- Calcium supplementation alone can prevent bone loss and reduce bone turnover, particularly in older adults and postmenopausal women .
- In children, calcium supplementation increases bone mineral density, especially in prepubertal children.
Vitamin D Alone:
- Vitamin D supplementation alone has a moderate effect on bone health, primarily by improving calcium absorption and reducing secondary hyperparathyroidism.
Calcium with Other Nutrients:
- Combining calcium with other nutrients like leucine-enriched whey protein or multivitamins (including zinc) shows additional benefits in improving bone health markers and BMD in older adults and children .
Food-Based Calcium:
- Calcium from food sources, such as dairy products, may be more effective in increasing bone mass compared to calcium tablets, particularly in children and adolescents.

Conclusion

For optimal bone health, a combination of calcium and vitamin D supplements is highly recommended, as it consistently shows significant improvements in bone mineral density and reductions in bone turnover and fracture risk. Calcium alone is also beneficial, particularly in older adults and children. Additionally, incorporating other nutrients like leucine or zinc with calcium can provide further benefits. Food-based calcium sources, such as dairy products, may offer superior benefits in younger populations.

What supplements should I consider for bone health?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Calcium and vitamin D supplementation maintains parathyroid hormone and improves bone density during initial military training: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial.

Supplemental calcium and vitamin D maintain bone health and improve bone density during initial military training compared to placebo.

A Vitamin D, Calcium and Leucine-Enriched Whey Protein Nutritional Supplement Improves Measures of Bone Health in Sarcopenic Non-Malnourished Older Adults: The PROVIDE Study

A vitamin D, calcium, and leucine-enriched whey protein supplement for 13 weeks improved vitamin D levels, suppressed parathyroid hormone, and had small positive effects on bone mineral density in sarcopenic non-malnourished older adults.

Effect of calcium or 25OH vitamin D3 dietary supplementation on bone loss at the hip in men and women over the age of 60.

A daily 750 mg calcium supplement effectively prevents bone loss at the hip, reduces femoral medullary expansion, secondary hyperparathyroidism, and high bone turnover in elderly individuals without serious adverse events.

Calcium supplementation and increases in bone mineral density in children.

Calcium supplementation in prepubertal children with adequate dietary calcium intake can increase bone mineral density and reduce fracture risk.

Effects of calcium, dairy product, and vitamin D supplementation on bone mass accrual and body composition in 10-12-y-old girls: a 2-y randomized trial.

Consuming cheese is more beneficial for cortical bone mass accrual than taking tablets containing a similar amount of calcium in girls aged 10-12 years.

A controlled trial of the effect of calcium supplementation on bone density in postmenopausal women.

Increased calcium intake to 800 mg per day significantly reduces bone loss in healthy older postmenopausal women, with calcium citrate malate being more effective than calcium carbonate.

Bone Health Nutrition Issues in Aging

Food-based interventions and educational strategies positively impact bone health in aging individuals, with less economic impact and less risk of physiological side effects.

School-based calcium-vitamin D with micronutrient supplementation enhances bone mass in underprivileged Indian premenarchal girls.

School-based calcium supplementation with or without multivitamins and zinc significantly improves bone health and related Z-scores in underprivileged premenarchal girls in Pune, India.

Effect of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on bone density in men and women 65 years of age or older.

Dietary supplementation with calcium and vitamin D moderately reduced bone loss and the incidence of nonvertebral fractures in men and women 65 years of age or older.

Long-term effects of calcium supplementation on bone loss and fractures in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial.

Calcium supplementation reduces bone loss and fractures in healthy postmenopausal women over a 4-year period.

Try another search