Bone Health and Osteoporosis Prevention

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Maintaining bone mass health is a crucial part of healthy aging. Incorporating supplements into your daily routine based on the needs of the body can help ensure healthy living.

You might have never realized how crucial your bone health is until you are among the millions diagnosed with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is an illness that will affect 1 out of 3 women and 1 out of 5 men after 50 years of age. Maintaining bone mass health is a crucial part of healthy aging. Osteoporosis is a state of health where bones turn weak and brittle with time, thus placing the individual at risk for fractures. 

If you have osteoporosis, then even a simple fall can result in a hip fracture, and a hard cough can result in a vertebral fracture. It is crucial to point out here that these fractures are not only painful and debilitating but can even be life-threatening. Also, older adults who are suffering from a hip fracture have a 3–4 times higher risk of dying within 12 months as compared to the general population. Below are the details of the top 5 supplements that exhibit some good evidence to enhance bone density.

Top 5 supplements for bone strength

Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body and is essential to bone density. To maintain healthy bones, it is recommended that adults consume 1,000 to 1,500 mg of calcium daily, including both dietary and supplement sources. Most individuals consume at least 500–600 mg of calcium daily; therefore, the remaining 500–1000 mg should be taken in supplement form. 

You must take a maximum of 500mg of calcium in one serving because this is the maximum quantity of calcium that the body can absorb at once. Calcium is available in several forms, the most common of which is calcium carbonate or calcium citrate. Calcium citrate can be absorbed by the body with or without food, but calcium carbonate must be taken with food to maximize absorption.

The risks of calcium levels below the required level

If you are not receiving enough calcium, you can be prone to health problems related to weak bones.

• Children, for instance, might not reach their full potential as adults.

• Adults can have a low bone mass. This can be a risk factor for osteoporosis development.

Calcium and diet

The human body does not produce calcium. Therefore, it is essential to get it from other sources. Calcium can be found in several dietary products, for example:

• Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt

• Green leafy vegetables, like kale and broccoli

• Calcium-fortified nutritional products and beverages, like cereal, soy products, fruit juices, and milk alternatives

• Fish with edible soft bones, like canned salmon and sardines

Who should incorporate calcium supplements into their daily routine?

If you are eating  a healthy, balanced diet, even then it can be difficult for your body to get the right amount of calcium if:

• You are a vegan.

• You have lactose intolerance and thus do not consume enough dairy products.

• If your diet contains a lot of sodium or protein, your body may excrete most calcium.

• You are being given long-term therapy with corticosteroids.

• Certain digestive or bowel diseases, such as inflammatory bowel or celiac disease, considerably lower the body's ability to absorb calcium.

In such cases, calcium supplements can enable you to meet your required calcium level. You must talk to your physician about calcium supplements that can be proven helpful to you.

Do calcium supplements have risks?

Calcium supplements are not for every individual. For example, if you suffer from a health condition that results in excess calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia), you should not consume calcium tablets.

However, research has not yet established intake and heart attack. The evidence is mixed. Thus, it cannot be stated with confidence that there is a connection between calcium supplement intake and the possibility of an o

Even in cases of calcium and prostrate cancer, mixed results are obtained from research. Until these possibilities are clear, one should be cautious about taking excessive amounts of calcium supplements, and consulting a physician may be the right decision.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as a conductor and directs calcium to the bones. Without the required amount of vitamin D, the human body does not know how to deposit calcium in the bone; therefore, even a high calcium intake can result in a progressive thinning of bone density. 

Supplementing with vitamin D3 at a dose of 1,000 to 5,000 IU is recommended, depending on the lab report. In most cases, one must get their 25-OH vitamin D level checked and target a 40–70 ng/mL level.

Magnesium

Magnesium is the second-most common mineral in the human body and a crucial building block for bone strength. Adults are recommended to take a supplement of 250–400 mg daily. Magnesium glycinate or magnesium gluconate has the best absorption rate and is less likely to exhibit the laxative effect present with magnesium oxide or citrate.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that works with vitamin D to strengthen bones. There are two types of vitamin K: K1 and K2. K2 has been proven to improve bone density. It is generally recommended that people take a 45- —to 180-mcg vitamin K2 supplement daily.

Isoflavones

Isoflavones are biologically active complexes found in beans, especially soybeans. Ipraflavone is a type of semi-synthetic flavone taken as a supplement. Research has proven that 200mg daily helps enhance the bone density of older women with osteoporosis. It has exhibited the most significant advantages when taken with sufficient daily calcium.

In conclusion, the top 5 supplements that exhibit good evidence to enhance bone density can be incorporated into your daily routine based on the body's needs. They can help ensure healthy living beyond a regular diet could unfold. However, dosage and physician recommendations are essential to their incorporation.  

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