Strontium

Thanks to @johnbishop, I found the information you referred to.
Always seeking more natural interventions for health and wellness, I read both with a great deal of curiosity. I am learning a lot! Enough to be encouraged that there may be answers on the horizon.

Here is my analysis of the MOTS (Melatonin-micronutrients Osteopenia Treatment) Study:
This was a well-designed and executed small study of a population having osteopenia, not osteoporosis, and no high cholesterol, high blood pressure, inflammatory/autoimmune disease. So, a typical first-round population.
The regimen tested was a combination of melatonin (5mg), strontium citrate, Vitamin D3 & Vitamin K2 (MSDK) Dosages of the other 3 not disclosed in the report
It yielded impressive results in the 11 people who completed the trial, compared to the 11 on placebo, and they stated, "... In our study, osteopenic women taking MSDK for one year had a significant improvement in their left femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD and demonstrated a lower risk for a major osteoporotic fracture risk compared to women taking placebo. This is consistent with previous studies that demonstrate an increased BMD using melatonin alone [12], strontium alone [13, 14] or combination vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 [17, 18] or combination strontium citrate, vitamins K2 and D3 [20]. MSDK was found to be less effective in improving hip BMD, perhaps due to the kinetics of bone remodeling in long vs. flat bones [52]"

My takeaway:
There should be Phase 2 & 3 clinical studies to evaluate effectiveness in typical populations and those who already have osteoporosis. Also a follow-up after 5 years of supplementation to demonstrate long-term efficacy.
We need to be careful about "grabbing onto" hope based on small studies, and taking supplements in different combinations and concentrations than are tested. We also need to know if they are effective when other conditions/medications enter the mix. And whether they are safe and effective long-term.

I don't have time right now, but will look at the COMB study on a different day.
Sue

Hi I was wondering if anyone has updates on the strontium for bone health. a before and after bone density test would be best. thanks! (or anything else that helped their bone density)

In the MOTS study I found this: "Treatment capsules, referred to as “MSDK” were formulated using 5 mg melatonin, 450 mg strontium (citrate), 2000 IU vitamin D3 and 60μg vitamin K2, divided into two capsules. Identical placebo capsules matching in size, shape and color contained plant fiber. Study capsules were formulated and manufactured according to the principal investigators' specifications and supplied by Pure Encapsulations, Inc. (Sudbury, MA, USA)."
Personally I am unconvinced that increases in BMD via strontium equate to stronger healthier bones. It supposedly makes DXA scans report higher density than you actually have. Plus, just because strontium and citrate are natural doesn't mean that high doses are safe. Many trace minerals are damaging in high doses. 450 mg of strontium is a roughly 100 times higher dose than you might get from your diet. I'm unconvinced but it seems there is no definitive answer about strontium at present.

@awfultruth
The new TBS and Rems bone scan information is putting the concern of stronger healthier bones for strontium users to rest.
Please review the current strontium research which shows good bone density and quality with a high protect of fractures and low side effects.
Also, review the bone biopsises of strontium users.

I see over and over again incorrect information about strontium and bone health tied to no research.

Probably the best way to counter this incorrect information is with the new TBS scores to measure bone quality. I have been a user of strontium for many years, with no fractures and no side effects. I now show a "normal" bone density with dexa and a good microarchitecture according to TBS .

It really is time to stop with the poor and unsupported information which research does not support.
Research on strontium and bone health:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7210412/
Bone biopsies of strontium patients showing good bone health, density and quality.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1359/jbmr.071012

@awfultruth
The new TBS and Rems bone scan information is putting the concern of stronger healthier bones for strontium users to rest.
Please review the current strontium research which shows good bone density and quality with a high protect of fractures and low side effects.
Also, review the bone biopsises of strontium users.

I see that the links to the research on bone health and Strontium involved Strontium Ranelate. Algae Cal uses Strontium Citrate. Just wondering what difference this would make? My understanding is that strontium ranelate was withdrawn from the market due to cardiovascular issues, while strontium citrate has not undergone as much testing but is still available for over the counter. Does this mean I won't take Algae Cal with strontium citrate? Absolutely not. I would rather that then reclast or prolia. I just hope it works as well as the strontium Ranelate studies showed.

@blueberre
Well let's cover this one by one:
Firstly, strontium ranelate vs strontium citrate and other strontiums and how to view the research. Strontium is the only part of those compounds that has ever been tied to bone health. The ranelate, citrate etc are additives attached to the strontium for various reasons. The ranelate is attached so the company may patent the product. So if you look at side effects you need to look at the ranelate, citrate etc additives but if you look at bone health you need to view the strontium research. So basically all strontium research is bone research for all of strontium.

Secondly, Strontium Ranelate and the now notorious one population study that caused cardio concerns. If you are familar with research then you know that population studies are not the best way to draw conclusions about any drug. There are frequently no hard standards, just self reporting and no control groups. So that one study taken in an older more fragile population of people using strontium ranelate showed a higher rate of cardio event. Showed a higher rate of cardio events in a population of existing heart patients which were not excluded. Recognizing the problems with that study, Denmark and the UK conducted their own more controlled population study with both lasting for over a year I believe (ck the research links which I provided). They found no increased risk of cardio events linked to strontium in all subsequent studies. So many consider that original study poorly performed and an outlier.

Next, strontium citrate testing etc. First, strontium citrate is found in most of the world's gound water and seafood. Think of it like calcium which it closely resembles, but used at therapeutical levels for us with osteoporosis. But yes, no supplement is ever going to be studied the way that a pharma drug is. Still, there are several studies on just strontium citrate, and they show good results. The Inspire links will give you lots of this research.
Does strontium work? Well my dexa tech tells me that I am one of only 2 people which she has seen in 20 years that no longer have osteoporosis. in addition, I have no side effects and no fractures. My recent dexa taken 2025 December, showed normal bone density and normal TBS or bone quality.
If you go on Inspire you will find a community of us with the same results.
I do believe because strontium citrate works in a more "natural" way than pharm drugs that strontium citrate does best with osteoporosis cases that aren't as drastic as some. But we have people on Inspire who were suffering spontaneous fractures from pharma drugs that have used strontium citrate with good results.
My endocrinologist released me years ago saying that I no longer needed him, but he warned me to change nothing. I have never known a doctor to tell a strontium user after seeing their good results to go off of strontium.
I do wish that there were more studies also.