LINUS PAULING INSTITUTE

BONE HEALTHYour bones work hard. Give them the support they need to keep you going strong.

The Skeleton’s Major Functions
1. Enables us to move
2. Supports and protects the body

3. Contains bone marrow
4. Stores large amounts of calciumand phosphorus

Strong Bones Need
Essential Nutrients
Build and maintain bone tissue

Bone Biology
BONE IS MADE OF
Type 1 Collagenthat constitutes the interior scaffolding of bone
Calcium and Phosphorus Crystals
that add strength to bone
Bone Cells
that are responsible for bone (re)modeling

BONE MASS OVER A LIFETIME
Bones grow throughout childhood, adolescence,and well into adulthood. Around age 34, there is aninevitable loss of bone mass with age, accelerated
with menopause in women.
Modeling
During childhood and adolescence, bones grow insize and shape.
Remodeling
During adulthood, new bone replaces brittle bone,
cracks, and deformities.

Balanced Lifestyle
Keeps bones strong throughout alllife stages

Balanced Lifestyle

Drinking 2–3 cups of coffee a
day is safe for bone health.

*30–60 min of daily
moderate-to-high physicalactivity is recommended tostrengthen bones and muscles.

Eating a balanced diet isessential to support bonehealth.

Light drinking is safe for bonehealth, but excessive amounts
are harmful.

Most people consume toomuch sodium; reduce yoursodium intake to prevent its
harmful effect on bone health.

Quitting smoking improvesbone health and lowers other
health risks.

Avoid soft drinks in place ofmilk and other calcium-richfoods.

*Any amount of physicalactivity is better than none andwill bring some benefits to bonehealth throughout life.

Essential Nutrients* Calcium and Vitamin D are of primary
importance for bone health

Recommendation for dietary intake of essential nutrients:
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
1. Covers the needs of ~98% of the population in a given gender and life-stage group
2. Can be used as a goal for intakes by individuals
Adequate Intake (AI)
1. Used when an RDA cannot be determinedEssential Nutrients Continued
CALCIUM

VITAMIN D

FLUORIDE

Good Sources to help meet therda for Calcium

Good Sources to help meet therda* for Vitamin D

Good Sources to help meet the aifor Fluoride

1,200 mg

Women >50 years, 1,200 mg/day
Men >70 years, 1,200 mg/day

20 µg

Women ≤50 years, 1,000 mg/day
Men ≤70 years, 1,000 mg/day

All Adults >70 years, 15 µg/day

4 mg

All Adults 18–70 years, 15 µg/day

Women, 3 mg/day

Salmon (3 ounces)
11.6 µg

Plain Yogurt (1 cup)
415 mgSupplements
10 µg

Sardines (1 can)
351 mg

0 mg

5 µg

mg = milligram

1 mg

Milk, Fortified(1 cup)2.5 µgCollard Greens(½ cup)
300 mg

200 mgMen, 4 mg/day

0 µgµg = microgram, 1 µg = 40 IU

Fluoridated Water(1 cup)
0.2–0.3 mgBlack Tea (1 cup)
0.2 mg0 mg

mg = milligram

Functions

Functions

Function

1. Calcium is a major structuralcomponent of bones.

1. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble
vitamin that promotes bone healththrough regulating calcium andphosphorus balance in the body.

1. Fluoride increases thestructural stability of bones
through interacting with calcium
phosphate salts.

2. Severe deficiency in children
and adults results in serious
skeletal disorders.

Fluoride exposure throughcommunity water fluoridation(<3.4mg/day) has no benefit in theprevention of osteoporosis andfracture.

2. Calcium in bone can be releasedin the blood when the need arises.
Children with low calcium intakes
will not reach their maximum
bone density and strength.
Low calcium intakes in adults canaccelerate bone loss and increase
the risk of osteoporosis andfracture.
Supplemental calcium (andvitamin D) primarily benefit
elderly adults in nursing care.
Whether calcium intakes beyond
the RDA can reduce risk incommunity-dwelling older adults
is debated.

Older people are at high riskof poor vitamin D status due
to little sun exposure, a lower
capacity for vitamin D synthesis
in skin, and reduced dairy intake.
Supplementation has been
recommended to support bonehealth and help prevent falls inthis population.
* The LPI recommends 50 µg (2,000IU)/day of vitamin D for adults. In
a 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum test,
you should aim for at least 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L).

Fluoride supplementation is not
approved for use in the prevention
or treatment of osteoporosis.

Essential Nutrients Continued
MAGNESIUM

POTASSIUM

PROTEIN

Good Sources to help meet therda for Magnesium

Good Sources to help meet the aifor PotassiumGood Sources to help meet therda for Protein

5,000 mg

60 g

450 mgMen >30 years, 420 mg/day
Men 19–30 years, 400 mg/day

All Adults, 4,700 mg/day

Men, 56 g/day

Women, 46 g/day
Women >30 years, 320 mg/day
Women 19–30 years, 310 mg/day
Spinach (1 cup)
157 mgPotato with Skin
(1 medium)
926 mgBrown Rice (1 cup)
86 mg
Almonds (1 ounce,23 nuts)
77 mg

50 mg
0 mg

mg = milligram

Turkey (3 oz)
25 g

Prunes (½ cup)
637 mg1,000 mg

0 mg

Banana (1 medium)422 mg
mg = milligram

Peanuts (½ cup)
17 g
10 g

0g

Pinto Beans (½ cup)
11 g
g = gram

Function

Function

Function

1. About 60% of magnesium isfound in bone, which can supply
the body when need arises.

1. Potassium salts may prevent
calcium release from bone andloss of calcium in the urine thatare caused by the consumptionof diets with high sources ofacid (fish, meat, cheese) and low
in sources of alkali (fruit andvegetables).

1. Proteins are essential to build
strong bones.

Higher magnesium intakes arelinked to lower risk of poor vitaminD status.
There is no evidence thatmagnesium supplementation
could help prevent osteoporosis
and fracture.

Adopting a diet that increases
potassium intake and reduces
sodium intake (i.e., high in fruit,
vegetables, and dairy; low in meat)might help support bone health.

Adequate protein intakes areneeded to maintain muscle massand limit falls and fractures inolder adults.
Higher protein intakes are likely
to be protective unless calcium
intakes are inadequate, in whichcase higher protein intakes may be
harmful.

Essential Nutrients Continued
VITAMIN A

VITAMIN C

VITAMIN K

Good Sources to help meet therda for Vitamin A

Good Sources to help meet therda for Vitamin C

Good Sources to help meet the aifor Vitamin K

1,000 µg rae

400 mgAll Adults, 400 mg/day

500 µgMen, 900 µg rae/day

Kale (1 cup)
472 µg

Women, 700 µg rae/day
Sweet Potato,Canned (½ cup)
555 µg rae

Sweet Red Pepper(½ cup)95 mg

Carrot (½ cup)
534 µg rae
200 µg rae

100 mgEgg (1 large)
80 µg rae

0 µg rae

Kiwifruit(1 medium)
90 mg
Strawberries(1 cup)85 mgµg = microgram; RAE = retinol activity equivalents

0 mg

mg = milligram

Spinach (1 cup)
145 µg100 µg

0 µgMen, 120 µg/day
Women, 90 µg/day
Canola Oil (1 tbsp)
25 µgµg = microgram

Function

Function

Function

1. Vitamin A (retinol) is a fatsoluble vitamin involved in thegrowth and differentiation ofvirtually all cells in the body.

1. Vitamin C is required during
the synthesis of collagen, whichconstitutes 90% of the bonematrix upon which bone minerals
are deposited.

1. Vitamin K is essential for theactivity of several bone proteins
involved in bone formation andturnover.

Striving for the RDA for vitamin
A is a safe goal for optimizingbone health. Habitual vitamin A
intakes greater than the RDA may
increase the risk of osteoporosis
and fracture.
Vitamin A supplements should
be reserved for undernourishedpopulations and those withevidence of vitamin A deficiency.

The evidence is too limited tosuggest a benefit of vitamin C
supplements in the prevention ofbone loss.

There is little evidence
supporting a benefit of vitamin K
supplementation in the preventionof osteoporosis.
Taking vitamin K supplements canbe dangerous for people at riskof blood clots and those taking
blood-thinning medications.

Essential Nutrients Continued
VITAMIN B6

FOLATEVITAMIN B12Good Sources to help meet therda for Vitamin B6

Good Sources to help meet therda for Folate

Good Sources to help meet therda* for Vitamin B122 mg

Pregnant Women, 600 µg DFE/day

600 µg DFE

85 μg

Clams (3 oz)
84 μg

Men (>50), 1.7 mg/day
2.5 μg

Women (>50), 1.5 mg/dayAdults (19–50), 1.3 mg/day

Lentils(½ cup)
179 µg DFE

Turkey (3 ounces)
0.7 mg

0.5 mgSalmon (3 ounces)0.65 mg

Spinach(½ cup)
131 µg DFE

Pistachio Nuts
(1 ounce)
0.5 mgEnriched Sliced
Bread(1 slice)
84 µg DFE

100 µg DFE

0 µg DFE0 mg

Adults (19–50), 2.4 μg/day

Adults, 400 µg DFE/dayµg = microgram; DFE = Dietary Folate Equivalents

mg = milligram

Turkey (3 oz)
0.8 μg0.5 μg0 µg

Functions of B vitamins
1. Vitamin B6, folate and vitamin B12 work together to lower
blood homocysteine concentration.
2. Too much homocysteine in the blood is associated with
reduced bone mineral density and osteopenia.
Meeting recommended intake levels for B vitamins withfood and/or supplements helps to lower homocysteine
concentration in blood.
However, B-vitamin supplementation does not reduce therisk of fracture.
*For adults over 50, the LPI recommends 100–400 µg per dayof supplemental vitamin B12.

lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic© 2019 Linus Pauling InstituteEgg (1 large)
0.4 μgµg = microgram