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Dr. Susan E. Brown

7 top nutrients for bone health

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“But I have always taken my calcium and vitamin D! Why do I have osteoporosis?” 

This is what I often hear from frustrated and disappointed women who have just been told about the results of their declining bone density measurements.  The misconception here is that there are only a small number of important bone nutrients.

In reality, there are at least 20 nutrients that are directly essential for the development and maintenance of healthy bones. If even one of these nutrients is in short supply, bone health will suffer and attaining optimum bone health will be impossible.

How to start boosting bone nutrition

Building stronger bones is a journey. Where do you start? To help you begin increasing your intake of bone nutrients, I narrowed the 20 key bone-building nutrients to the 7 most important ones that you can start working on through your diet or through a supplement. The chart below describes what the bone nutrients are needed for, good food sources, and details on the amount of this nutrient you should consume every day.

If you want additional information about these nutrients, see my article here.  I also encourage you to learn more about my Better Bones Builder formula that contains optimal amounts of key nutrients for bone.

Learn more about all 20 key bone nutrients as researched by Dr. Susan Brown

Click each nutrient to see what she has written on each one!

 

Top References:

Heaney, R., & Weaver, C. 2003. Calcium and vitamin D. Endocrinol. Metab. Clin. N. Am., 32 (1), 181–194, vii–viii. URL (abstract):  (accessed 05.20.2008).

Brown, S. 2008. Vitamin D and fracture reduction: An evaluation of the existing research. Alt. Med. Rev., 13 (1), 21–33. URL (PDF): (accessed 05.22.2008).

Holick, M. 2006. High prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy and implications for health. Mayo Clin. Proc., 81 (3), 353–373. URL:  (accessed 05.13.2008).

Hanley, D., & Davison, K. 2005. Vitamin D insufficiency in North America. Symposium: Vitamin D Insufficiency: A Significant Risk Factor in Chronic Diseases and Potential Disease-Specific Biomarkers of Vitamin D Sufficiency. J. Nutr., 135 (2), 332-337. URL:  (accessed 05.13.2008).

Holick, M. 2005. The vitamin D epidemic and its health consequences. J. Nutr., 135 (11),2739S–2748S. URL:  (accessed 05.13.2008).

Bischoff–Ferrari, H., et al. 2007. Calcium intake and hip fracture risk in men and women: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 86 (6), 1780–1790. URL (abstract):  (accessed 06.17.2008).

Steingrimsdottir, L., et al. 2005. Relationship between serum parathyroid hormone levels, vitamin D sufficiency, and calcium intake. JAMA, 294 (18), 2336-2341. URL:  (accessed 06.17.2008).

Dawson–Hughes, B., et al. 1997. Effect of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on bone density in men and women 65 years of age or older. NEJM, 337 (10), 670-676. URL:  (accessed 06.17.2008).

Dawson–Hughes, B., et al. 1990. A controlled trial of the effect of calcium supplementation on bone density in postmenopausal women. NEJM, 323 (13), 878–883. URL: (accessed 05.13.2008).

Brown, S. 2006. “Bone nutrition.” In Scientific Evidence for Musculoskeletal, Bariatric, and Sports Nutrition, ed. I. Kohlstadt, p. 458. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Knapen, M., et al. 2007. Vitamin K2 supplementation improves hip bone geometry and bone strength indices in postmenopausal women. Osteoporos. Int., 18 (78), 963–972. URL:  (accessed 05.14.2008).

Dr. Susan E. Brown

Zinc is good for fighting colds and building bone

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Do you hear more coughs and sneezing now than you did during the dead of winter? I’m not surprised, given that the change of season can up your chances of catching a cold.

When I feel the sniffles coming on, I load up on zinc. It’s been shown to help to shorten the length of a cold when taken at high doses within 24 hours of exposure to a cold.

This is yet another example of how everything you do for your bones is good for your body, as zinc is one of the key minerals for bone health.

The latest research about zinc

Researchers are constantly adding to the knowledge about the bone benefits of zinc. Most recently, a study in Iran (1) showed that postmenopausal women with osteopenia or osteoporosis had significantly lower than normal levels of dietary intake of zinc as well as calcium and magnesium. On the basis of their results and previously published studies, the researchers suggest “mineral supplementation especially with calcium, magnesium, zinc and perhaps copper may have beneficial effect on bone density in post-menopausal women with low bone density.”

Are you getting enough zinc?

The average person in the U.S. takes in about 46–63% of the recommended daily allowance of zinc. That’s 8 mg a day  (which is the amount found in Better Bones Basics). The common therapeutic range for bone health for the same woman is 12-30 mg a day (with my Better Bones Builder containing 15 mg). And in case you’re wondering how much zinc you need to fight off a cold, zinc lozenges with a dose of 75 mg showed benefits! (2)

 

References:

  1. Mahdavi-Roshan, M. et al. 2015. Copper, magnesium, zinc and calcium status in osteopenic and osteoporotic post-menopausal women. Clinical Cases in Mineral and Bone Metabolism, 12(1):18–21.
  2. Hemilä, H. 2011. Zinc lozenges may shorten the duration of colds: A systematic review. The Open Respiratory Medicine Journal 5:51–58.

 

Better Bones Blog
Dr. Susan E. Brown

Key minerals for bone health — zinc

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In bone metabolism, zinc is needed to produce the matrix of collagen protein threads upon which the bone-forming calcium–phosphorus compound is deposited. It’s also necessary for the production of enzymes that degrade and recycle worn-out bits of bone protein. Proper calcium absorption also depends on zinc, and a deficiency prevents full absorption of calcium. It’s essential for bone healing, and increased amounts are found at the sites of bone repair. Low levels in the body have been closely linked with osteoporosis.

It’s unfortunate that in the face of declining intake and growing deficiencies of zinc in the American diet, authorities have seen fit to lower zinc requirements. Mild — but still clinically significant — zinc deficiency is widespread and far-reaching in its effects. The 2–3 grams of zinc found in the body act as a co-factor in over 200 enzymatic reactions that are instrumental in maintaining not just the health of our bones, but for optimal system-wide functioning.

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