{"id":184656,"date":"2025-10-08T04:49:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T04:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/184656\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T04:49:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T04:49:19","slug":"do-you-need-bone-health-supplements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/184656\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Need Bone Health Supplements?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we age, we lose bone density<\/a>. So, it\u2019s important to take care of your bone health<\/a> as early as possible. It\u2019ll make sure those bones remain strong for years to come. But at what point should you consider supplements and vitamins for an extra boost? And who benefits most from supplements?<\/p>\n

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Rheumatologist Linda Mileti, MD<\/a>, explains the answer to these questions and why any changes to your eating habits should be brought to your doctor\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

Bone health supplements and vitamins<\/p>\n

Bones hold our bodies together. They provide the framework for everything we do. But when it comes to supplements, you can sometimes have too much of a good thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore is not always better,\u201d stresses Dr. Mileti. \u201cStudies have shown when you have too much calcium, it can get deposited into the coronary arteries, which can lead to a buildup of plaque and increase your risk of a heart attack.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is just one reason why Dr. Mileti strongly urges people interested in bone health supplements to talk with their healthcare providers first. Providers can tailor their recommendations to a person\u2019s health needs.<\/p>\n

In most cases, Dr. Mileti routinely recommends calcium and vitamin D supplementation for people with:<\/p>\n

Osteoporosis, especially women<\/a> who\u2019ve completed menopause<\/a> and older menLimited sun exposureDiagnosed vitamin or mineral deficienciesMalabsorption issues caused by conditions like Crohn\u2019s disease<\/p>\n

That said, you can usually get most of the nutrients you need just by eating nutritious foods. Dr. Mileti breaks down which nutrients are most helpful for bone health and where to find them.<\/p>\n

Vitamin D<\/p>\n

Out of all the nutrients for bone health, Dr. Mileti says vitamin D<\/a> is one of the most important. That\u2019s because without it, our bodies can\u2019t absorb calcium. And without calcium, we end up with permanent loss of bone density, resulting in conditions like osteoporosis<\/a> and an increase in fractures and broken bones.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be careful, though, because too much vitamin D can start to raise your blood calcium levels,\u201d warns Dr. Mileti. \u201cI usually check vitamin D levels first, but for most people, I recommend about 1,000 IUs to 2,000 IUs. If they\u2019re low, I may give them more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Mileti assures that, in most cases, you can get your daily dosage of vitamin D from sun exposure and vitamin D-fortified foods<\/a>. But if you\u2019re not getting enough from those sources, your healthcare provider may recommend a safe, daily allowance for vitamin D supplements that works best for you.<\/p>\n

Calcium and phosphorus<\/p>\n

Calcium<\/a> and phosphorus are essential for bone health. Together, they help mineralize (or strengthen) our bones. But you also need calcium for other functions, too, like building and supporting muscle mass, nerves and different body systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t get enough calcium in your diet, your body will do what it needs to do to keep your blood calcium normal,\u201d explains Dr. Mileti. \u201cYour body will pull the calcium it needs from your bones, causing them to become brittle.\u201d<\/p>\n

For women who\u2019ve completed menopause and have osteoporosis, Dr. Mileti tends to recommend 1,200 mg a day. For older men with osteoporosis, she recommends 1,000 mg a day. But again, these recommendations may change based on a variety of factors.<\/p>\n

Phosphorus can also be dangerous for people with kidney issues, so it\u2019s always important to keep your doctor informed about what you\u2019re taking and what you\u2019re interested in. Recommendations will vary on a case-by-case basis.<\/p>\n

Magnesium<\/p>\n

Magnesium stimulates bone-building cells. It also helps with vitamin D absorption. For this reason, healthcare providers may suggest combining vitamin D supplements with magnesium supplements, but only if you\u2019re deficient.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people aren\u2019t going to be magnesium deficient if they\u2019re eating a balanced diet,\u201d Dr. Mileti states.<\/p>\n

Other supplements for people with deficiencies<\/p>\n

Calcium, vitamin D and magnesium are the only regularly recommended supplements Dr. Mileti turns to when bone health is a concern. Occasionally, others might be recommended if someone has a specific deficiency. Some examples include:<\/p>\n

Vitamin C: This helps with the formation of bone-building cells and collagen. But Dr. Mileti doesn\u2019t recommend vitamin C if you\u2019re eating a balanced diet.Vitamin E: This is an antioxidant that can decrease inflammation, which leads to bone breakdown. \u201cVitamin E<\/a> deficiency is rare,\u201d Dr. Mileti says. \u201cIt\u2019s in lots of cooking oils, nuts, seeds, fish and vegetables.\u201dVitamin K: Someone with conditions like Crohn\u2019s disease or ulcerative colitis may have absorption issues. This could lead to a deficiency in vitamin K<\/a>, which helps prevent low bone density and calcium buildup in blood vessels.B Vitamins: \u201cIf you\u2019re deficient in B vitamins<\/a>, you can start to have more bone breakdown as opposed to bone formation,\u201d Dr. Mileti asserts. \u201cBut supplementing B vitamins in addition to a healthy diet has not been shown to prevent fractures<\/a>, because most people get enough of this nutrient from food.\u201dZinc: This mineral also helps with collagen production, with women needing 8 mg a day and men needing about 11 mg a day under current recommendations<\/a>. \u201cThere are so many sources of zinc<\/a>,\u201d Dr. Mileti notes. \u201cSo, it would be pretty uncommon to have a zinc deficiency.\u201dProtein: There\u2019s usually no need to supplement protein, either, advises Dr. Mileti. Although it\u2019s the building block for skeletal muscle<\/a>, there are abundant sources<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some people claim copper, potassium, silicon and boron are also helpful for bone health, but there\u2019s not enough research to suggest their benefits (if any). For this reason, Dr. Mileti suggests avoiding these supplements unless your healthcare provider says otherwise.<\/p>\n

Final note<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re concerned about your bone health, really hone in on improving your nutrition. It\u2019s better (and safer) to get your nutrients from whole foods instead of supplements<\/a>. \u201cBeing sedentary has adverse effects on bones, too, so sometimes it even helps to incorporate exercises that get you on your feet,\u201d Dr. Mileti highlights.<\/p>\n

She also recommends testing for bone density if:<\/p>\n

You\u2019re 65 or olderYou\u2019ve completed menopauseYou have other risk factors like a history of rheumatoid arthritis, long-term corticosteroid use, liver disease, smoking or osteoporotic fractures (breaking a bone after a fall from standing height)<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re considering a supplement or looking for recommendations, your healthcare provider will guide you through that process.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re here to help anyone who\u2019s worried about their bone health,\u201d Dr. Mileti emphasizes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As we age, we lose bone density. So, it\u2019s important to take care of your bone health as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":184657,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[102,6636,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-184656","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-nutrition","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184656"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184656\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/184657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}