Crucial Nutrients to Support Your Skeleton as You Age
Your bones need more than just calcium to stay strong against the effects of aging. Here are other nutrients to consider, backed by science.
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Osteoporosis is a growing problem in the U.S., affecting 10.2 million adults over 50, with an additional 43.3 million having low bone mass
Calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K2 and magnesium are essential nutrients for maintaining strong bones, with natural sources being the preferred method of boosting intake
Protein, particularly from collagen-rich foods like bone broth, is also crucial for the structural integrity and maintenance of your bones
Weight-bearing exercise and maintaining a healthy weight are additional important factors that help promote bone health and strength
REMS technology provides a more accurate and radiation-free alternative to DEXA scans for diagnosing and monitoring bone density
Osteoporosis, a bone disease characterized by low bone mineral density, is becoming more common among older Americans. According to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 10.2 million people over the age of 50 have osteoporosis. In addition, 43.3 million people have low bone mass, which is a precursor to osteoporosis.1
According to The New York Times,2 your body will break down more tissue than it can rebuild as you age. If this isn't acted upon, it can make you more susceptible to fractures. Before your skeletal health reaches that point, consider increasing your intake of these nutrients, which are crucial to forming strong bones.
Calcium Is Your Skeleton's Foundation
Calcium may be the most well-known mineral associated with bone health. In fact, research points out that 98% of your body's calcium is stored in your bones. Moreover, your skeleton acts as a calcium reservoir, drawing from it whenever needed to maintain other biological processes. For example, calcium is also used for muscle contraction, as well as the receiving and sending of signals throughout the nervous system.3
Regarding calcium intake, the ideal amount depends on your age and other factors. Here are the recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) in milligrams (mg), according to the Office of Dietary Supplements:4
The New York Times recommends meeting your calcium RDA through your diet,5 and this is something I agree with, too. However, your body also needs other nutrients to metabolize calcium properly (more on this later).
As for dietary sources of calcium, The New York Times recommends dairy products, such as milk and yogurt (make sure they're certified grass fed). Leafy greens such as kale and collard greens, as well as sardines are also viable sources.6 In addition to these, I also suggest adding more cheese to your diet.
When made the traditional way using animal rennet, cheese is a veritable superfood. As noted by Ashley Armstrong in her article "Cheese, the Ultimate Superfood," it also contains beneficial bacteria, healthy fats and other nutrients that can support your health. Not to mention, cheese made this way tastes great.
Vitamin D Helps Improve Calcium Absorption
Optimizing your vitamin D level is important for overall health. Research shows it plays a role in a wide variety of processes, such as glucose metabolism, heart health and immune function.7 In the context of skeletal health, it's been shown to influence calcium absorption. If you don't get enough vitamin D, your risk for rickets, a disease marked by skeletal deformities, increases.8
While I've long recommended sun exposure as the ideal method of optimizing vitamin D levels, it must be done properly. Before embarking on a routine of sun exposure at solar noon, I recommend minimizing your intake of linoleic acid (LA) to less than 5 grams a day.
If you can get it below 2 grams, that's even better. The reason for this is because when sunlight interacts with your skin, LA breaks down, which can lead to inflammation and DNA damage. This is one of the primary reasons for sunburn and, over time, skin cancer.
If you've been reducing your LA consumption, you can slowly begin to get sunlight exposure. However, avoid peak sunlight hour around solar noon until you've been off seed oils for at least four to six months. This means staying out of direct sunlight during 11 AM to 3 PM during Daylight Saving Time (10 AM to 2 PM Standard Time) during the U.S. summer.
The best way to gauge whether your sun exposure is appropriate is to monitor your skin. If you don't notice the slightest hint of pink on your skin, that means your sunlight exposure was within a safe range. If you developed redness, you've been overexposed. As you reduce LA in your diet, your risk of sunburn and skin cancer will drop significantly, but stay cautious, especially during the transition period.
Everyone's skin is different, but the common denominator signifying that damage has occurred is sunburn. If you need to spend time in the sun before your body has fully detoxed accumulated seed oils, these compounds can offer valuable support:
Astaxanthin — This powerful antioxidant helps increase your skin's resistance to sun damage. Taking 12 mg daily can neutralize free radicals and reduce inflammation, providing extra protection against UV radiation.
Niacinamide cream (vitamin B3) — Applying niacinamide topically before going under the sun can help improve your skin's barrier and protect against UV-induced DNA damage.
Baby aspirin — When taken 30 to 60 minutes before sun exposure, it may help lower your risk of skin cancer by inhibiting the formation of harmful oxidized linoleic acid metabolites (OXLAMs) in your skin.
Molecular hydrogen (H2) — H2 provides an extra layer of protection against sun damage and mitigates the effects of vegetable oils. It operates at the cellular level by neutralizing harmful free radicals, especially hydroxyl radicals. It can also penetrate cell membranes to target inflammation and oxidative damage directly at the source while preserving beneficial reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Beyond its protective role, H2 boosts energy levels and enhances recovery, making it a valuable support for cellular health, particularly when dealing with sun exposure and dietary challenges from vegetable oils.
Vitamin K2 Works in Tandem with Calcium
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that comes in two bioactive forms — K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinone). Vitamin K1 typically comes from leafy greens, while vitamin K2 is found in animal products, such as dairy.9
Vitamin K is known for its role in blood coagulation,10 but research has shown it also plays a role in bone formation. Specifically, it increases osteoblastogenesis (forming new bone tissue) and decreases osteoclast formation (the breakdown of old bone tissue).11 12
Along with calcium, leafy greens are also rich in vitamin K1. Sources include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, collard greens and kale.13 As for vitamin K2, it's found in organic, grass fed animal foods such as eggs, liver, meat and dairy. Cheese is also a good source of both vitamin K2 and calcium.14
Remember Magnesium in the Equation
Magnesium is another crucial part of bone health. As noted by a study published in Biometals,15 deficiency in this mineral may reduce bone stiffness and increase osteoclast activity. Magnesium also plays an important role in vitamin D activation and synthesis.
Dark green leafy vegetables are reliable sources of magnesium. However, supplementation may be needed by most people, as factors such as alcohol consumption, prescription drug use, sweating and stress16 can affect magnesium homeostasis. Most soils are also depleted of magnesium, which means foods tend to be lower in magnesium today than in years past.
If you opt for an oral supplement, I recommend magnesium threonate, as it appears to be the most efficient in penetrating the cell membranes, including the blood-brain barrier. The RDA is around 310 to 420 mg per day, depending on your age and sex,17 but I believe a more ideal amount is 1,000 to 2,000 mg per day, due to the factors I just mentioned.
You can start with a small dose of 200 mg per day and gradually increase the dosage until you develop slightly loose stools. To use this method, you need to use magnesium citrate, as it's known for having a laxative effect. Once you know your cutoff, you can switch to other forms of magnesium.
Your Bones Also Need Collagen and Protein
While most people frequently associate protein intake with muscle strength, your bones need it as well. In fact, the human skeleton contains lots of protein. A study18 published in the Journal of Frailty, Sarcopenia & Falls succinctly summarizes the role of protein in bone health:
"Protein makes up ~50% of bone volume and approximately one-third of its mass. It provides the structural matrix of bone, whereas calcium is the dominant mineral within that matrix.
Collagen and a variety of noncollagenous proteins form the organic matrix of bone, so an adequate dietary protein intake would seem to be essential for optimal acquisition and maintenance of adult bone mass."
When it comes to collagen, the ideal source is homemade beef bone broth. Using a pressure cooker, you can prepare this scrumptious meal in as little as two to four hours. However, the devil's in the details.
For the best, most nutritious bone broth, you want to make sure that the beef bones come from organic sources. Bones sourced from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) usually contain heavy metals, which can leach out during cooking.
Interestingly, certain bones are better sources of collagen than others. For example, chicken feet and the knuckle bones (knee joint) of cows are particularly high in collagen and are therefore excellent choices for making bone broth.
Now, what's the ideal protein intake? Ideally, it should be about 15% of your daily calories, and of that, one-third should be collagen. I recommend a daily protein intake of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight (the weight you would ideally be, not necessarily the weight you are now), or approximately 0.36 grams of protein per kilogram.
Additional Strategies That Can Help Promote Optimal Bone Health
There's more to supporting healthy bones other than just taking in the right nutrients. Dr. Sara Shippee, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Chicago Medicine, shares other strategies that can help strengthen bones as you age:19
Get regular exercise — Most of us are aware that exercise can boost our fitness level, but did you know that it can make your bones healthier?
"Weight-bearing exercise is particularly good for bone density and bone health and is actually good for your cartilage, too," Wallace said. As one study20 published in 2021 noted, exercise is a crucial factor that can influence bone strength upon reaching adulthood.
Like muscles, bones are living organisms that constantly break themselves down to create newer, stronger bones. And just like muscles that get stronger through training, your bones receive the same benefit, too.
So, what kind of exercises can you do? Moderate-intensity exercise seems to be the best. High-intensity exercise is also viable, but take care not to overdo it.21 For specific exercises that you can do, read my article "How Exercise Can Help Promote Stronger Bones."
Maintain a healthy weight — In relation to the point above, you may have heard the advice that heavier weight may ward off osteoporosis due to the increased impact on your bones as you move.
This may make sense at first, but a closer look reveals that it's not true at all. Obesity is a health issue that needs addressing as it can endanger your health. According to a 2020 study:22
"Mechanical loading has positive effects on bone health, but this may not suffice in obesity. Low-grade systemic inflammation is probably harmful to the bone and increased bone marrow adipogenesis may lead to decreased bone mass in obese individuals. Finally, visceral abdominal fat may exert different actions to the bone compared with the subcutaneous fat."
Get the proper routine scans — One of the most common ways osteoporosis is diagnosed is through DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scans. However, as pointed out by A Midwestern Doctor in "The Great Osteoporosis Scam," this method produces inconsistent results and repeated scans every other year won't provide much benefit.
Moreover, the rise in doctors recommending DEXA scans suspiciously coincides with the release of drug that supposedly reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis.23
Instead, I recommend another way of diagnosing bone mineral density that will not expose your body to ionizing radiation — REMS (Radiofrequency Echographic Multi Spectrometry) technology. According to a study published in Diagnostics,24 REMS technology works by analyzing raw ultrasound signals, and that this approach may be a better alternative compared to DEXA scans.
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