Bones tend to deteriorate over age, elevating the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Especially in women, the hormonal fluctuations after menopause contribute to accelerated bone loss. Regardless of gender, calcium deficiency can also cause reduced bone mineral density and thinning of the bones in people. Even while specific age-related bone issues cannot be prevented, you can manage them with particular approaches, two of which are exercise and meeting nutritional requirements. This leads to the need for vital supplements to supply the required minerals and vitamins to maintain healthy bones.
Essential bone health supplements
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, followed by magnesium; most of it is found in the bones and teeth.
“Vitamin D and micronutrients like selenium are vital for calcium absorption and bone formation,” says Dr. Mohan Karisankappa Puttaswamy, senior consultant orthopedics at Fortis Hospital, Bengaluru. “Calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin K are essential supplements to regulate bone health.”
Bone health supplements are used for two purposes. Dr Pavan Chebbi, senior consultant and orthopedic surgeon at Apollo Spectra Hospitals, Bengaluru, says, “While some people use supplements for maintaining their bone health, others use it for a therapeutic purpose in conditions like osteopenia and osteoporosis, where the bone density is reduced.”
Why is it crucial to take bone health supplements?
An average adult requires 1000 mg of calcium per day. This might vary based on factors such as the person’s age, health, and if they are lactating or pregnant.
“An Indian diet provides an average of 600-700 mg of calcium, giving way to the deficiency. Even though pulses like raagi [finger millet] and rajma are excellent sources of calcium, the deficiency can be replenished by taking supplements,” says Dr Puttaswamy.
“Bone health supplements are unavoidable in the treatment of bone-related conditions such as osteoporosis, osteopenia, post orthopedic surgeries, joint replacements, ligament reconstruction surgeries, and also to maintain bone health in the elderly and those with weak bones,” says Dr Chebbi.
How is the calcium + vitamin D3 combination effective
Experts advise taking calcium supplements along with vitamin D3 for better calcium absorption.
“Calcium supplements taken alone are not effective for healthy bones. The supplement should contain at least 500 mg of elemental calcium along with 200 international units of vitamin D,” says Dr Puttaraju.
Because the gut does not absorb much calcium, supplementing other essential vitamins and minerals is required for enhanced calcium absorption.
“Minerals such as magnesium and vitamins such as vitamin D3 are required to take calcium across the gut and into the bloodstream, where it is subsequently metabolized and added to the bone to increase bone density,” says Dr Chebbi.
Several calcium combinations with magnesium are available in the market today to help treat magnesium deficiency. Another choice is to take multivitamin tablets containing magnesium and other micronutrients like boron.
Age and bone health supplement requirements
As the years advance and overall health starts deteriorating, bone health supplements become more crucial for the elderly.
“In women, bone health supplements can be taken when there is an increased demand — in case of pregnancy, lactation or menopause,” says Dr Chebbi.
“In men, it is taken above the age of 45 years to maintain overall bone health and density. However, early on, it can also be prescribed for the conditions that affect the body’s skeletal structure, such as fractures, nutritional disorders, infections, carcinomas, congenital diseases, and metabolic diseases,” he adds.
In some individuals, there are specific metabolic conditions that may lead to an increase in the density of calcium and minerals in the bone. Bone health supplements should be avoided in such cases.
The risk of excessive supplement intake
Calcium does not get absorbed well when consumed excessively. High doses of supplements may also have negative impacts.
“Excessive use of calcium supplements can cause kidney and liver failure, kidney stones, bone pain, and dehydration,” says Dr Chebbi.
“Excess calcium intake by healthy individuals, those who do not require it, increases the risk of heart attack and strokes by 5-10 per cent. It may also result in constipation. When vitamin D is taken in excess and reaches toxicity levels, it causes headache, vomiting, or nausea,” says Dr Puttaswamy.
Thus, monitoring the dosage of the supplements is exceptionally crucial.
“Factors such as the reason for taking the supplements, the duration, the condition for which it is taken, and the age from when one started taking supplements should be reviewed by the specialist at least twice a year. So that the supplements can be stopped or regulated based on the current requirement,” says Dr Chebbi.
Takeaways
- Bone health supplements such as calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and vitamin K, to a certain extent, are required to maintain bone health and reduce the risk of developing issues such as osteopenia and osteoporosis in the long run.
- Since there are natural sources for these minerals and vitamins, the supplements should be taken only to address the deficiency.
- Excess intake of bone health supplements has negative health impacts. When calcium is taken in excess, it increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks, and vitamin D toxicity causes headaches, vomiting, or nausea.
- It is essential to monitor the dosages of bone health supplements regularly.
