7 Best Minerals for Bone Health

Have you recently broken a bone? Are your bones weak or brittle? Do you have ongoing bone pain? Is there anything you can do right now to create stronger healthier bones? Yes, there is!

Minerals are very important for bone health. Minerals can help to protect, rebuild, and strengthen your bones, as well as the supportive cartilage and connective tissues that surround them. Studies have shown that combining nutrition with exercise can improve bone density and overall bone health. Learn the seven minerals that can work together to supply the body with the means to build strong healthy bones.

1) Calcium for Bone Health

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. The skeleton is a reserve of calcium from which the body can draw upon to maintain normal serum calcium. Actually, 99% of your body’s calcium resides in your bones!

These calcium reserves are a vital alkaline buffer salt which the body uses to buffer (neutralize) acids for removal by the body. To access these reserves, the body must borrow from its own structural components in case of inadequate dietary intake, leading to weakened bones.

Consuming too much calcium can lead to increased risk of kidney stones, heart disease, and more due to calcium accumulation in the body. Excess calcium is excreted by the kidneys. If you have impaired kidney function or high levels of calcium in the blood, consult your doctor before taking a calcium supplement. 

Magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin K  are required for calcium to be absorbed in to the body. Calcium cannot function at all without sufficient magnesium levels in the body. Calcium and phosphorus work together in a delicate balance to achieve proper bone density. In the presence of excess phosphorus, the body will draw out calcium stored in the bones, which can lead to reduced bone mass, osteoporosis, and gum and teeth problems. 

Dietary Sources of Calcium

Kale, broccoli, collard greens, turnip greens, Chinese cabbage, oranges, sesame seeds, yogurt, milk, cheese, sardines, salmon and beans. 

Supplement Your Calcium Intake

If you are having trouble eating enough of the right calcium-rich foods every day, a calcium supplement can deliver a quick and concentrated source of highly absorbable bioavailable ionic calcium in an easy to swallow liquid format. Calcium is an ionic mineral supplement in concentrated form with an extremely small particle size that can easily be absorbed into the body.

Learn More About Calcium for Bone Health

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2) Magnesium for Bone Health

Magnesium is one of the most essential elements in the human body, and is an enzyme co-factor in over 300 important metabolic processes. But, its importance is often overshadowed by the much more well-known calcium. In reality, calcium cannot function at all without sufficient magnesium levels in the body.

Magnesium enables the absorption and utilization of calcium, and works as an equal partner in many processes that are often attributed to calcium alone, like building strong bones and teeth. Therefore, if you are taking a calcium supplement, you also need to supplement with magnesium. As long as the kidneys are healthy, any excess magnesium in the body is excreted naturally. 

Dietary Sources of Magnesium 

Spinach, Swiss chard, black beans, quinoa, Brazil nuts, beet greens brown rice, cashews, mackerel, and pumpkin seeds. 

Supplement Your Magnesium Intake

Need more magnesium in your diet? Ionic Magnesium delivers a quick and concentrated source of highly absorbable bioavailable ionic magnesium in an easy to swallow liquid format. Ionic Magnesium is an ionic mineral supplement in concentrated form with an extremely small particle size that can easily be absorbed into the body. Each serving of Ionic Magnesium supplement contains 320 mg (22,000 ppm) of magnesium. 

Learn More About Magnesium for Bone Health

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3) Phosphorus for Bone Health

Phosphorus is one of the most abundant minerals in the body and is a major structural component of bone, where 85% of the body’s phosphorus can be found. Phosphorus also helps to maintain normal acid-base balance (pH) by acting as one of the body’s most important buffers and helps filter out waste in the kidneys.

Phosphorus works together closely with calcium to build strong bones and teeth, heal fractures, and prevent osteoporosis. Too much or too little dietary phosphorus in relation to dietary calcium upsets the delicate balance needed for proper bone density. A high-fructose diet can result in urinary phosphorus loss.

Dietary Sources of Phosphorus

Pumpkin seeds, romano cheese, salmon, scallops, Brazil nuts, lean beef, yogurt, tofu, and lentils. 

Supplement Your Phosphorus Intake

If you need to supplement with additional phosphorus, a phosphorus supplement delivers a quick and concentrated source of highly absorbable bioavailable ionic phosphorus in an easy to swallow liquid format.

Learn More About Phosphorus for Bone Health

Visit our A-Z Health Topic Library to read more about phosphorus in our Phosphorus Health Topic section.

4) Boron for Bone Health

In humans, the highest concentration of boron is in the bones. Boron is important for the prevention of calcium loss and bone demineralization, especially during menopause, and has shown potential in the prevention of osteoporosis.

Boron also plays a role in converting vitamin D into its more active form, thus increasing calcium uptake and deposition into bone. Boron works with calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin D in bone metabolism, growth and development.

Dietary Sources of Boron

Fruits, especially pears, apples, peaches, grapes, and raisins; leafy vegetables; peanuts and other nuts; and beans.

Learn More About Boron for Bone Health

Visit our A-Z Health Topic Library to read more about boron in our Boron Health Topic section.

5) Sulfur (MSM) for Bone Health

Sulfur is used by the body to form collagen and keratin (the basic ingredients of skin, hair, and nails) and strengthens the structure of connective tissues, such as cartilage and tendons, by forming cross linkages. MSM, (methylsulfonylmethane) is a naturally occurring sulfur compound and contains 34% sulfur by weight. In studies, MSM has been observed to cross the blood-brain barrier, evenly distributing throughout the brain. MSM is closely related to DMSO, but lacks DMSO’s distinctive smell and its ability to transport substances across cell membranes. 

Dietary Sources of MSM

Cow’s milk, tomatoes, corn, swiss chard, coffee, tea, beer, alfalfa, and the horsetail herb. 

Supplement Your Sulfur Intake

A MSM supplement delivers a quick and concentrated source of highly absorbable bioavailable ionic MSM in an easy to swallow liquid format. Another excellent option is Lipid Sulfur. Lipid Sulfur is a potent concentrated form of sulfur that has increase bioavailability over other forms of sulfur. Our Revici Lipid Sulfur is based on the original formula of Dr. Emanuel Revici, M.D., the “Doctor Who Cures Cancer”. Each drop of Lipid Sulfur contains 100 mg of sulfur in a lipid format.

Learn More About Sulfur and MSM for Bone Health

Visit our A-Z Health Topic Library to read more about sulfur and MSM in our Sulfur and MSM Health Topic section.

6) Silica for Bone Health

Silica stimulates the formation of collagen, a protein that gives bones their strength and flexibility, joint cartilage its cushioning ability, and a scaffold upon which bone mineralization occurs. Silica also accelerates the process of bone calcification. In the body, silica is found in highest concentrations in connective tissues such as collagen, cartilage, blood vessels, tendons, dental enamel, bone, hair and epidermal skin. Silica is beneficial to bone and connective tissue health and there is a strong positive association between dietary silica intake and bone mineral density. 

Horsetail (equisetum arvense) is a perennial herb which has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years as a wound and bone healer, coagulant, diuretic, astringent, and for kidney and bladder ailments. The horsetail herb contains the highest source of natural silica in the plant world. 

Dietary Sources of Silica

Beer, beets, bell pepers, brown rice, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, root vegetables, alfalfa, and the horsetail plant. 

Supplement Silica Intake

To get more the important mineral silica in your diet, Horsetail Herb Extract delivers a quick and concentrated source in an easy to swallow liquid format. Horsetail Herb Extract is fast-acting and can easily be absorbed into the body. Each serving of Horsetail Herb Extract supplement contains 500 milligrams of horsetail extract.

Learn More About Silica for Bone Health

Visit our A-Z Health Topic Library to read more about silica in our Silica Health Topic section.

7) Strontium for Bone Health

Strontium behaves similarly to calcium in the body, but without some of the same concerns, such as kidney stones due to increased calcium buildup. In studies, strontium was shown to be preferentially taken up by bone. Strontium appears to concentrate at sites of high skeletal metabolic activity, and have a high affinity for areas of osteoblastic metastatic bone. 

Strontium may also be effective for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and other bone-related conditions. Strontium has both anabolic (bone building) effects and anti-resorption (anti-depleting) effects. Experimental data suggests that strontium may also support collagen formation, which could be helpful in osteoarthritis.

Strontium should not be taken simultaneously with calcium. Calcium dramatically decreases the absorption of the strontium in the body.

Dietary Sources of Strontium

Seawater and some mineral waters.

Supplement Your Strontium Intake

There aren’t many easily accessible natural sources of strontium available. A good strontium supplement delivers a quick and concentrated source of highly absorbable bioavailable ionic strontium in an easy to swallow liquid format.

Learn More About Strontium for Bone Health

Visit our A-Z Health Topic Library to read more about strontium in our Strontium Health Topic section.

The 7 Best Minerals for Bone Health

As you can see, while calcium is important, it is not the only mineral involved in bone strength and bone repair. By increasing your intake of these seven important bone and connective tissue building minerals—calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, boron, sulfur, silica, strontium—you are giving your body a set of building blocks it can use to rebuild, repair, and replace weakened or damaged bone tissue naturally.

 

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This article is copyright ©2019 Essense of Life, LLC. All rights reserved. Do not copy without permission.

This information is not medical advice and is certainly not intended to replace the advice or attention of your personal physician or other healthcare professional. Therefore, consult your doctor or healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet or starting a supplement program.

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