Looking for best natural supplements for osteoporosis

@singingbones Curious what research led you to take strontium. Everything I’ve read says that strontium is not naturally part of our bones and while it does improve your number on a Dexa, that is a false reassurance, as it does not make your bones stronger or prevent fractures.

@gmj7375

When you are speaking of supplements what result are you after? What are your latest dexa scores and have you taken osteoporosis drugs and if so, what ?

@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.

@kaybollinger79

I just started investigating ocean essence. I had a dexca done 2 weeks ago and my outcome was not the greatest
I'm 73 and have no physical issues. I'm very active and my weight is great. But my doctor wants me to start on medication like prolia. I don't want to be on medication. I have a Dr appointment next month to discuss my options. I really want to try natural ways to see if it helps. I take vitamins.. Including vit k and just started on osteo shield supplement. Still researching natural remedies and thinking about seeing a naturopath for suggestions. Any suggestions or info would be appreciated. Sucks to get old.. LoL

@singingbones @mwallj I also spent months researching Strontium and it was a close decision for me to not take it yet. I suspect that it does help.

Details matter. For example, the Combination of Micronutrient for Bone (COMB) study referenced above did not mathematically correct its bone mineral density (BMD) readings for the higher atomic weight/number of strontium. Another example: the Algaecal people have some kind of money-back guarantee that your BMD readings will improve or something like that if you do their full and expensive supplement combo that includes strontium, but also no mention of correction for strontium being a heaver atom than calcium.

Among the things that may change my mind about taking strontium would be:
1) insufficient progress with my HRT and weight lifting that I am trying now
2) significantly worse T-scores than my just-into-OP ones now
3) finding any reputable doctor knowledgeable of osteoporosis who recommends strontium
4) having wide practice of correcting DEXA scan results for strontium

The key thing that keeps me from taking strontium is the skewed BMD readings. This could affect how insurance companies evaluate/approve one for other drugs. I may one day need anabolic bone building drugs, and having my DEXA appear too good to qualify because of the strontium.

@kfhoz - I totally understand the hesitation for now--especially the concerns about future insurance coverage. I was tempted to include a link to an explanation of the skewed BMD readings, but clearly you're staying on top of this with an open mind if you don't progress sufficiently--and I'm not here to convince, but only to share my journey.

A woman whom I met in my Liftmor/Onero type exercise classes (given at a medical wellness facility) told me that she was not able to take any of the bone drugs because of compromised teeth & jaw issues. I hesitantly shared what little I learned about strontium. She mentioned it to her dr who was familiar with it and encouraged her to try it since there was nothing else she could offer her. My new friend (who dropped the class) told me that she was going to start taking SC, but was disappointed that her dr didn't bring up the option at any prior appts. Her dr is in the same medical group as mine but located in another city. There are at least 2 contributors that I recall from the Inspire.com forum who had drs recommend SC. It's not a prescription and it's not well-studied as we know, so I understand.

Have you considered vitamin K2 (MK4) 15 mg 3X/day? That is the Japanese prescription dosage for osteoporosis.

Also, I am very encouraged by reports on both forums of HRT and/or weight lifting being sufficient to improve bone density. I wish I had started down those paths before committing to a drug - but partnering with fear changed everything for me.

As long as my bone turnover markers show improvement, then I am willing to stay with HRT and SC until the next DXA. If I monitor them every few months initially to reflect the impact of HRT and exercise, then I'll feel confident that things are going in the right direction. I do have baseline BTMs, so I should see a pattern emerge. I can always revert to Plan B to use a follow-up drug.