Looking for best natural supplements for osteoporosis

@mwallj - I've spent months researching any medical publications, studies, etc that I could find on strontium citrate (not to be confused with strontium ranelate). The medical forum Inspire has provided personal testimony as well as links to numerous studies. If you go to the topic of osteoporosis and then dig a little deeper into the discussions on strontium citrate you will find perspectives and experiences and links to studies and articles on that forum. A couple of studies that come to mind are COMBS and MOTS.

While not everyone on Inspire promotes SC, here's a link to a summary of success stories: https://www.inspire.com/m/Kathleen1314/journal/d69831-strontium-users-stories-3-alternative-to-pharma-meds/

Of course, you would want to explore more of the topic than just the success stories in order to get a bigger picture of perspectives and intelligent discussions. Kathleen1314 is worth following due to her extensive and well-articulated research. BoneLady is also a strong well-researched contributor worth following.

To keep with the theme of this thread, I will add that I take most of the supplements that others have mentioned: Vit D, K2-7, Calcium, Magnesium, trace minerals, etc. that help with bone integrity. I also participate in an exercise class patterned after the Liftmor/Ornero protocol.

Some of these decisions are easy - some are not. It's wonderful to have forums like these to learn what others have discovered. Thanks for your question. I know you'll find the specific answers embedded in the Inspire posts stated by those who can explain/summarize them much better than myself.

@singingbones Hello, What are the trace minerals?

@here4health - I noted the minerals include in the AlgaeCal product and found a few products that included these and additional trace (small amount) of minerals that are supposed to be beneficial for bones. I did not want the product to include Calcium or Magnesium or Iron because I want to choose the type/quantity of those on my own.

From the Internet - Trace minerals that support bones (mainly by helping form mineralized tissue, collagen, and by influencing calcium/vitamin D metabolism) include:

Zinc: helps with bone formation and normal osteoblast activity.
Copper: required to form collagen cross-links (lysyl oxidase is a copper-dependent enzyme), which is important for bone strength.
Manganese: involved in cartilage/bone matrix formation and connective-tissue enzymes.
Boron: influences bone-related mineral metabolism (e.g., vitamin D/calcium handling) and may affect markers of bone turnover.
Iodine (indirectly): via thyroid function, which affects bone remodeling.
Iron (indirectly): supports oxygen delivery for active tissues; severe deficiency can impair normal bone processes.

Key Trace Minerals for Bone Health
Trace Mineral Role in Bone Health
Zinc Essential for collagen synthesis and bone mineralization. Supports osteoblast activity, which is vital for bone formation.
Copper Involved in collagen cross-linking, providing tensile strength to bones. Low levels are linked to osteoporosis.
Manganese Supports the formation of bone cartilage and is crucial for enzyme activation related to bone health.
Boron Although not classified as essential, it may help enhance the effects of vitamin D and estrogen, both important for bone density.

My product also includes Selenium and a few others. I take an additional Boron supplement because there's not enough in the Trace Mineral Complex that I'm using right now.

@singingbones which Brand do u use for those trace minerals?

I tried using just supplements but it didn't work; in fact, I got worse. My Dexa scan showed a severe deterioration despite using supplements with exercise etc. I was 69 by this point. I feel I lost valuable time relying on just supplements instead of seeing a specialist and getting prescription treatment. My mother had multiple fractures in her 80s and was on narcotics for a spinal fracture for the last year of her life. I don't want that to happen to me. I'm built like her. My Dexa scan results are actually worse than hers were.

I use Citracal Max Plus which has Vit D and all of the other minerals in it.

I've been told by multiple doctors that supplements will not rebuild bone. They will only help to maintain what's there. If you have osteopenia or maybe mild osteoporosis, you might "get away with" using supplements for a time...but you might be only delaying the inevitable. It's hard to say. A friend of mine has mild osteoporosis in her hip and was able to maintain with 1500 mg of calcium every day (and exercise), but I don't know what her most recent results show.

It depends on the person. If your body is actively losing bone, then supplements will not treat that process.

I don't know if many people on this blog understand that there are several underlying causes of bone loss which supplements cannot treat. I'm glad I finally went to a specialist because she did a workup of causes. For example, celiac disease, parathyroid hormone and autoimmune disorders can be associated with osteoporosis. I did learn that I have an abnormal protein called an M protein in my blood. I had to get a further workup for this by oncology.

So, treating yourself with just supplements may not be the best choice for you. You will not rebuild bone and may even have a severe deterioration. You may have underlying disorders that are exacerbating the bone loss. I regret not going to a specialist when I was first diagnosed with mild osteoporosis. Like I said, it does depend on the person. It depends on your family history, etc.

What medical specialty addresses bone issues?