Osteoporosis: Supplements & Food Sources of Bone Nutrients Part 2

Disclaimer: Please consult your health care provider before adding any supplements to your regimen, as they can interfere with your medications or health conditions.

In Part 2 of Osteoporosis, I’ll cover supplements, and food sources of bone nutrients for healing osteoporosis. If you missed Part 1, you can read it here: https://www.upbeatliving.net/osteoporosis-causes-treatment-options-part-1/

Osteoporosis Bone Nutrient Supplements

Many minerals and vitamins play a role in bone health. Below, I’ll discuss the most important.

Calcium

First, calcium is one of the most important nutrients needed for strong bones and teeth. According to The Cleveland Clinic:

“Calcium is the healthy bone mineral. About 99 percent of the calcium in the body is stored in the bones and teeth. It is the mineral that makes them hard and strong. The remaining 1 percent is needed for many activities that help keep the body functioning normally. Calcium helps blood vessels contract (narrow) and expand, makes muscles contract, helps send messages through the nervous system and helps glands secrete hormones.”

When we don’t eat enough calcium-rich foods, our body takes calcium from the bones in order to help muscles contract. etc. as noted above.

How much calcium do we need each day? This chart is from The Cleveland Clinic article above.

Daily Suggested Calcium Intake For Adults

• Adults 19-50 years: 1,000 mg
• Adult men 51-70 years: 1,000 mg
• Adult women 51-70 years: 1,200 mg
• Adults 71 years and older: 1,200 mg
• Pregnant and breastfeeding teens: 1,300 mg
• Pregnant and breastfeeding adults: 1,000 mg

Experts agree that our bodies absorb calcium better in food than from supplements. Therefore, it’s more important to eat a healthy diet than to focus just on supplements. Please check out this Cleveland Clinic article for more-indepth information about calcium, including what foods/drinks are beneficial, and the habits that slow down calcium absorption.

Osteoporosis Prevention With Calcium Treatment

Vitamin D

Next, “Also called “the sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D is calcium’s best friend. Vitamin D helps our bodies absorb and use calcium. When your body senses calcium, a hormone sends a message to your kidneys to activate vitamin D. Then vitamin D takes care of calcium business! It helps to move calcium through the intestines so it can be absorbed, and it kick-starts the circulation of the calcium that has been locked up in the bones. You should be getting 600 IU of vitamin D per day (800 IU if you are older than 71) from the sun, supplements, or foods like eggs, fatty fish, cheese, or fortified milks and cereals.” from How To Boost Your Body’s Calcium Absorption.

Many people who live in the northern hemisphere are deficient in Vitamin D due to lack of enough sunshine year round. A simple blood test can help you know if you need to supplement.

Vitamin K

The next nutrient is Vitamin K. According to this Healthline article, there are some concerns about calcium supplements causing calcium deposits in blood vessels. It says about Vitamin K, “When it comes to calcium metabolism, vitamins D and K work together. Both play important roles.”

Vitamin K helps calcium to go into our bones, and it keeps it from being deposited in the kidneys or blood vessels. The following article explains how this works, and discusses the research about this topic. It also lists good sources of vitamin K and some caveats.

Is Vitamin D Harmful Without Vitamin K?

Picking Quality Supplements For Osteoporosis

Finally, the following Healthline article will help you choose high-quality supplements. How to Choose High Quality Vitamins and Supplements

Stay Hydrated

Also, every tissue and organ in our bodies need water to function well. Our bones and joints need water as well. This article explains more about this topic. Doctors recommend drinking enough water to have pale yellow urine. If the urine is colorless, drink less. If it’s dark yellow, drink more. However, consult your doctor about fluid intake if you have kidney disease.

How Proper Hydration Affects Bone Health

The older we get the less our sense of thirst works. So, an elderly person can get dehydrated quite easily.

Also, sometimes we think we’re hungry, when we really are thirsty. So when you feel hungry between meals, drink a glass of water first.

Food Sources Of Bone Nutrients To Heal Osteoporosis

The best sources of these nutrients is from the food we eat, because our bodies absorb them from foods better than from pills. The National Osteoporosis Foundation has a great article about foods that are high in calcium, and other bone nutrients. You can read it here:

Food and Your Bones — Osteoporosis Nutrition Guidelines

The following article lists good sources of Vitamin D:

7 Healthy Foods That Are High In Vitamin D

Osteoporosis Wrap-Up

Finally, your doctor can best advise you if you need to supplement your diet to get enough of the above minerals, and vitamins. I hope these two posts have given you enough information to get you started on improving your bone health. It’s never too early or late to do so.

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Till next time, Kathy