Bone health depends on more nutrients than calcium

March 20, 2024

Bone loss? Here are the nutrients you NEED… that AREN’T calcium tablets

Friend, it’s one of the EASIEST aspects of your health to IGNORE. 

That is, until something goes horribly WRONG with it… and you can no longer turn a BLIND EYE to it. 

I’m talking about your bone health. 

We take it for granted that our bones will effortlessly support us as we sit… stand… and move about during our daily lives. 

But as we get older, sometimes our bones begin to become THIN and FRAGILE…  

And a fracture could put you in the crosshairs for disability… or even a LOSS of independence. 

A broken bone is a surefire wake-up call to pay attention to your bone health…

But you DON’T want to let it get that far. 

Here’s what you can do NOW to support bone health… and stay strong well into your “golden years.”

And it’s NOT necessarily what you might think!

If your doc recommends you start taking bone meds… run the other way!

Not only are those drugs DANGEROUS… sometimes, in fact, INCREASING fracture risk…

But according to the latest science, one of the most CRITICAL aspects of maintaining bone density and strength is… drum roll, please…

NUTRITION. 

I know, I was SHOCKED to see the MedPage Today headline myself…

Not that I don’t totally AGREE with it…

But because it’s so rare for a mainstream publication to focus on NUTRIENTS as opposed to MEDICATIONS!

Here’s the real KEY to the equation…

ZEROING IN solely on your bone mass… and HYPERFOCUSING on your DEXA bone scan numbers… is only a FRACTION of the story of your total risk for devastating bone breaks. 

Because OTHER elements play a KEY role in your stability… and REDUCING your fall risk…

Like how strong your muscles are… how coordinated your movements are… and how flexible your range of motion is. 

Those bone meds could actually send your fall risk SOARING…

While getting the right nutrients… including protein, vitamins, and minerals… could help you keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. 

Now, there’s a lot of debate about there about calcium tablets – and they might seem like a “common sense” natural alternative to an Rx med.

Well, it may SURPRISE you… but my advice is usually to AVOID calcium supplements altogether!

That’s not to say that calcium ISN’T an essential mineral for bone health. It’s just that supplementing with calcium may actually HARM your heart, according to research out of Johns Hopkins. 

What you want to do is BALANCE a calcium-rich diet… that is, get your calcium supply from the food you eat… 

With a healthy boost of vitamin D, which helps your body more efficiently ABSORB the calcium you consume. I recommend supplementing with 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily…  as it’s nearly IMPOSSIBLE to get all the D we need from food alone. 

Unfortunately, many Americans are WOEFULLY deficient in D… especially if they don’t spend much time outdoors (where they can get a nice dose of the “sunshine vitamin”).

But don’t stop there. 

Vitamin K2 is a good companion to D. It helps your body USE calcium where it’s needed most (a.k.a. your bone-building cells)… 

And it helps your body ELIMINATE it where it’s not needed… which helps PROTECT your heart health. 

Finally, there’s ONE mineral that folks too often FORGET… but is associated with GREATER bone density…

And also helps your body USE the calcium you consume. 

I’m talking about magnesium. 

Believe it or not, 60% of the magnesium in your body is stored in your bones. 

But according to research, as much as 75% of Americans AREN’T getting enough of this mineral… 

Yet they have NO CLUE that they might be deficient!

It’s been dubbed the “invisible deficiency”… 

So don’t SLEEP on this “forgotten mineral.” 

Depending on your specific situation, you might benefit from supplementing between 400 and 800 mg of magnesium daily. 

Check with your doc about what dosage might be best… and which form of magnesium is ideal for you.

For better health,

Dr. Marc S. Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D.

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