BoneHealth Supplements to Support Healthy Bones

At Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, calcium supplements were found to provide a significant reduction in large-bowel adenomas, which are likely precursors of most colorectal cancers.

Vitamin D3 Increased vitamin D levels appear to improve muscle strength and physical function for vitamin D-deficient patients with knee osteoarthritis, according to research presented at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in San Antonio in November 2004. The researchers said they measured changes in pain, physical function, muscle strength and serum levels of vitamin D twice or more times across a 15-and 30-month period in a group of 221 patients, aged 67 years old on average.

Vitamin D, which comes primarily from exposure to sunlight, increases the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in bone mineralization, growth and repair. Sources of vitamin D are available to a lesser extent from dietary sources typically found in fortified margarine, oily fish, liver, fortified breakfast cereals and dairy products. However, the elderly are less efficient at producing vitamin D from sunlight and absorbing it from food.

Zinc is essential for skeletal development and has antioxidant effects and functions in the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (copper-zinc SOD). Zinc levels are typically reduced in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Some of the studies demonstrated a positive therapeutic effect in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.


Magnesium is important for maintaining strong bones. The human body contains about 21 to 28 grams of magnesium, 60 percent of which is in the bone. Magnesium supplementation is as important as calcium supplementation in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. People with osteoporosis have lower bone magnesium content and other indicators of magnesium deficiency than people without osteoprorosis.