Don’t try to get all
your nutrients from supplements. Try
to get as much of the required amounts as possible from eating whole foods, and
supplement only the difference. For
instance, if you get 800 milligrams of calcium from the good food you eat each
day, you need only supplement another 400 milligrams or so to reach a total of
1200 mg per day. More if your daily
requirements are higher. Be wary of
anything that promises to meet all your needs with just one or two pills. Try approximately
twice as much calcium as magnesium
Look for "hypoallergenic" formulas
made without wheat, yeast, sugar, or milk
These are the Vitamins and Minerals essential for good bone health.
| Vitamin A | Boron |
| Vitamin B6 | Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc |
| Vitamin B12 | Copper |
| Folic Acid | Manganese |
| Vitamin C | Silica |
| Vitamin D | Phosphorus |
| Vitamin K |
And
here are the daily bone building doses and other information on each:
Vitamin A: (as beta carotene)
Recommended bone building dose:
4,000-5,000 IU daily Plays a role in the development of osteoblasts, the cells
that build new bone.
Vitamin
B6: Recommended bone building dose: 50-100 mg
This vitamin is critical for calcium absorption, the strength of connective
tissue, and preventing osteoporosis and heart disease.
Vitamin
B12: Recommended bone building dose: 100-500 mcg
This B vitamin helps your body properly process the amino acid homocysteine. Too
much homocysteine contributes to osteoporosis and heart disease.
Folic Acid: Recommended
bone building dose: 800 mcg
This performs the same functions for bone health as B12.
Vitamin C: Recommended
bone building dose: 500-3000 mg daily. This amazing vitamin is necessary for
the formation of collagen in connective tissue and stimulates cells that build
bone.
Vitamin D: Recommended
bone building dose: 800 IU
This vitamin assists with absorption of calcium and adds bone mass.
Vitamin
K: Recommended bone building dose: 150-500 mcg
Vitamin K reduces calcium loss and keeps bones from becoming fragile and easily
broken.
Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc: Recommended
bone building dose:
Calcium: Ideally, an adult woman without bone loss should get 1,200-1,700 mg
per day if she's not taking estrogen; 1,000-1,500 mg if she is. If you already
have bone loss, you should get 1,500-2,000 mg per day, from a combination of
diet and nutrients. Fat-free
dairy and fish with bones are good examples.
Magnesium, 400-1,000 mg Whole
grains contain more potassium than refined grains. Zinc: 15 mg
Boron:
Recommended bone building dose:
up to 6 mg. Boron is required for
proper metabolism and utilization of other bone building nutrients and hormones.
Choose fruits and vegetables.
Copper:
Recommended bone building dose:
1.5-3 mg This mineral aids in the formation of collagen for bone and connective
tissue.
Manganese: Recommended
bone building dose: 10-18 mg Manganese
plays an essential role in bone cartilage and bone collagen formation, but
it’s easily depleted by foods high in calcium and phosphorus.
Phosphorus: Recommended bone building dose: 1,500 mg You need to balance your phosphorus intake with calcium. Most Americans get too much phosphorus from red meat and soft drinks. To achieve proper balance, decrease the amount of red meat, carbonated beverages, and processed foods you consume, and increase your calcium and silica intake to recommended levels.
Silica:
Recommended bone building dose: 300-400 mg
Not to be confused with the plastic silicone. Whole grains and the skins of
fruits and vegetables are high in silica, as are teas made from horsetail and
oat straw. Silicon, in the form of silica, strengthens the structure of bones
and other connective tissue. A lack
of Silica in the diet may contribute to the onset of osteoporosis and other
degenerative diseases.
Fluoride:
Not a recommended supplement. This is added
to the drinking water in many areas to help prevent the formation of dental
cavities, which it seems to do very well. It can make bones very dense, but not
necessarily stronger. Most
scientists think elevated fluoride levels in bone are deformative.
There is even a disease called fluorosis caused in miners exposed to
fluoride dust, which is very painful and debilitating.
Ipriflavones are a type of
nutrient which have been shown have a hormone-like effect on preventing bone
loss. Furthermore, clinical studies
of Ostivone, a brand of ipriflavone,
showed no side effects. These
bone-building nutrients belong to a family of compounds called bioflavanoid,
which are abundant in most plants cells. Since
it is not a hormone, it does not have the potential to cause cancer, as estrogen
may, says Carl Germano in his book The Osteoporosis Solution.
Not only does ipriflavone
help build bones, it eases the pain of osteoporosis and enhances the body’s
utilization of calcium, a nutrient that is often difficult to absorb.
According to Germano, the secret to ipriflavone’s results is it’s
mimicry of estrogen (which slows down bone loss), without the negative side
effects of estrogen replacement therapy. Like
estrogen, ipriflavones have also been shown to help minimize menopausal symptoms
of hot flashes and, possibly, high blood cholesterol.