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Thinning and brittle bones give rise to fractures. This affects a third of women and one out of every twelve men. It is a major cause of death.

Bone mass reaches a peak at about the age of 35. After that it declines, especially for women who have 10 % - 15% less bone mass than men at skeletal maturity. There is then an accelerated loss of bone for up to a decade around the menopause when there is a decline in hormone levels. The answer is not Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). This increases the risk of heart attack, strokes, blood clots and cancer.

Calcium Can Cause Problems

Calcium is important. But osteoporosis is not disease caused by calcium deficiency. Just taking calcium supplements is not the answer. There is no guarantee is will be absorbed into the bone. It could remain in the blood and be delivered to non bone tissues where it may create its own problems. Vitamin D improves the absorption of calcium but it is also works in synergy with other minerals.

Magnesium Is Also Important

Two-thirds of the magnesium in the body is found in the bones. It plays a vital role in the metabolism of calcium and bone. A deficiency of magnesium decreases the strength of bone, its volume and its development. It is positively associated with bone mineral density (BMD) as has been demonstrated in a number of population studies.

Strontium Can Stimulate Bone Formation

Early in the 20th century, studies were carried out that demonstrated that strontium in combination with calcium was more effective in mneralising bone that using calcium alone.

Boron Helps Bones To Heal

Boron is important in retaining calcium. According to Dr Rex Newnham, a world authority on the mineral, boron “will help broken bones mend in about half the normal time.”

Manganese Is Needed For Bone Growth

Manganese is needed to mineralize the bones. Osteoporotic women were found to have blood manganese levels at only 25% of the level of women without osteoporosis. Abnormal bone and cartilage growth can arise with deficiencies. There may also be degeneration of the vertebral discs.

You Need Copper, Zinc & Silicon

Silicon is a rigid substance and the body uses it at the calcification sites of bones. Zinc is required for bone to form normally. Copper works in association with zinc. A lack of this mineral can lead to defects in the bone and calcium loss. Iron may also have a role to play in bone formation.

Let’s Not Forget Those Important Vitamins

Vitamin D facilitates active calcium absorption in the intestines. It is also involved in bone turnover. Vitamin D status declines with age so deficiency in the aged is not uncommon.

Vitamin K is also important in the metabolism of bone. It is required for bone formation, remodelling and repair. Epidemiological studies have shown that those people who lack vitamin K in the diet or in the circulation have a lower BMD or an increase in fractures.

Bone health can certainly be added to the long list of conditions that vitamin C can treat. It is required for the collageneous structure of the bone. Vitamin C may also protect the skeleton from oxidative stress especially for cigarette smokers. Smoking greatly increases the risk of hip fracture.

Vitamin A is important in the bone remodelling process. Deficiencies are known to be detrimental to bone health.

There is an increased requirement for folic acid at the menopause, studies suggest. This happens because the efficiency of converting homocysteine - a toxic byproduct of protein metabolism - to less toxic compounds becomes impaired. Other nutrients that protect against the damaging effects of homocysteine include vitamin B6 and B12, so these may be helpful too.

And Finally

In conclusion, bone health depends on a wide range of nutrients that goes well beyond just supplementing with calcium. This approach is likely to achieve more success than current orthodox treatments for osteoporosis.

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