Kreider notes that the average product requires a minimum of two (and often up to six) tablets or capsules a day. One problem facing bone health supplement users is tablet and capsule overload. “We believe that it is the responsibility of the supplement manufacturer to not only create a therapeutic formula, but also one that is as easy to use as possible,” he says. Fortunately, manufacturer innovation and education can combine to both provide more appealing products and convince consumers how vital it is to give bone health a chance.ĭan Chapman, founder and CEO of Redd Remedies, Bradley, IL, says compliance and consistency of use are not just a bone health issue. Several factors can hurt consumers’ compliance with bone health supplement regimens. But despite these obstacles, Levin says the vegan/vegetarian market within the bone health category is growing, as manufacturers take advantage of new materials that are friendly to these diets.ĭelivery and compliance. This includes ingredients like vitamin D3 and chondroitin sulfate. In this category, vegetarians and vegans often find their choices limited, as raw material and capsule options are often animal-based. Levin points out another trend relating to supplements. “Higher protein intake needs to be matched by an intake of alkaline minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and potassium from green vegetables,” he says. However, Clouatre says it remains accepted that a high-protein/low-alkaline mineral diet can negatively impact bone health. One recent study found that dairy protein sources like whey and yogurt improve bone health, as they include other bone-supporting nutrients besides protein (3). Further, in the elderly, intake of animal (but not plant) protein is now linked with better bone mineral density (BMD). Today, he says, it is recognized that adolescents and elderly people, as distinct groups, seem to consume less protein than is optimal. Conventional wisdom once held that protein, especially animal derived, can damage bones by co-opting calcium to neutralize the acid from protein digestion, thus robbing bones of their most vital nutrient. He feels the industry and retailers in particular must emphasize that full-spectrum nutrient support for bone health, including other nutrients besides calcium, is both safe and effective.īesides the calcium controversy, Clouatre says the most significant change in direction for bone health recently involves the role of protein. “No consensus has emerged in the scientific literature on this point, but enough of the debate has become public to confuse many shoppers regarding the health risks and benefits of taking bone health products,” says Dallas Clouatre, Ph.D., consultant for R&D to Jarrow Formulas, Inc., Los Angeles, CA. The authors also touted several strengths of their study over other similar reports, including the large number of cardiovascular events confirmed by medical record review, large sample size, long-term follow-up, detailed and repeated assessment of calcium supplement use that allowed for the examination of a dose–response relationship and assessment and inclusion of other disease risk factors (2). In fact, calcium supplement use was associated with lower coronary heart disease risk. The study authors noted that calcium supplement intake was not linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers analyzed data collected from more than 74,000 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study.
“Interestingly, a recent study billed as the most rigorous to date in terms of size and control of relevant variables has cleared calcium supplements of their supposed role in heart disease risk,” Levin says. Levin, CCN, DANLA, nutrition education manager for NOW Foods, Bloomingdale, IL.
The controversy over calcium safety has made supplements a target, says Neil E. “Emerging research suggests that 500 mg may be the optimal amount of calcium supplementation,” Dennis says. This is due to some new research that suggests high calcium intake may be associated with negative effects on the cardiovascular system and other aspects of one’s health. Calcium supplementation is decreasing, says Julie Dennis, national science educator for Source Naturals/Planetary Herbals, Scotts Valley, CA. Calcium has long been at the forefront of an attempt to supplement the diet with bone-health nutrients, but the tide may be changing.
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