Posted on 17 January 2023
Best vitamins for bones in 2023
Are you concerned about your bone health? You’re not alone. Millions of women and men across the world are looking for ways to improve their bone health in 2023.
Increasing exercise, improving your diet, cutting down on alcohol, and stopping smoking are all essential for bone health. But you must also ensure that you’re getting the vitamins and minerals you need – which is why many people are choosing to take bone health supplements.
But what are the best vitamins for bones in 2023? How much should you take? And why should you invest in high-quality bone health supplements?
We answer these questions (and more) in this guide to essential bone health supplements for 2023.
Why calcium and vitamin D are critical for stronger bones
We all know that calcium is essential for stronger bones. It’s why we all used to get milk at school.
Your bones are made of tissue that’s constantly regenerating. To do this, you need to ensure that your body is getting enough calcium and vitamin D. Calcium is critical for improving bone health, but without vitamin D, your body can’t absorb it.
Vitamin D enables the body to absorb calcium from the gut. If your body isn’t getting enough vitamin D, you won’t be able to absorb enough calcium. Over time, that could cause your bones to lose strength.
In the UK, the NHS recommends that all adults take a vitamin D supplement during spring, autumn, and winter. Millions of us follow this advice, but many don’t – and they could be at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency.
Official figures suggest that 1-in-6 of us are vitamin D deficient. This means that we’re not getting the vitamin D that our bodies aren’t getting the vitamin D we need to build stronger bones.
Alongside calcium and vitamin D, we should also ensure that we’re getting other vitamins that can help improve our overall health and wellbeing. Let’s look at the essential bone health supplements for 2023.
Essential vitamins for bones
We know that calcium and vitamin D are critical to getting stronger bones, but they’re not the only ones you should ensure you’re taking. Here are some of the essential vitamins for bones in 2023 (and 2024, 2025, etc…)
Calcium
We all know that calcium has a role in building stronger bones. If you’re as old as we are, you’ll remember the daily free milk at schools!
Adults should get at least 700mg of calcium a day, which you should be able to get from your diet. We probably don’t need to tell you, but you can get calcium from dairy (milk, cheese, yoghurt etc.) and leafy green vegetables.
So why bother with a supplement? Older people require more calcium but often eat less. This means they’re at risk of not getting enough calcium from their diet.
As a result, many older people and those worried about their bone health take a calcium supplement. This ensures that they’re getting the optimum amount of calcium every day to build stronger bones.
Vitamin D
The NHS recommends that everyone (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) should take a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D every day. And who are we to argue?
Vitamin D plays a critical role in the body, ensuring your body can absorb the calcium you’re consuming and transform it into new bone. If you’re not getting the vitamin D you need, then your bones won’t be as strong and healthy as possible.
In fact, many of us struggle through the year with a vitamin D deficiency – until we get enough sun in the spring and summer.
As a result, vitamin D supplements are a low-cost way for all of us to build healthier bodies and stronger bones. Even better, vitamin D supplements are available as tablets, sprays, and even gummies – so there’s no excuse for failing to get your daily dose of the sunshine vitamin.
Magnesium
Magnesium is important to build bones. Studies have shown that people who have enough magnesium have greater bone density. Simply put, they have stronger bones.
Experts have found a link between magnesium deficiency and osteoporosis, which is why it’s essential you get enough magnesium.
It’s important that the body gets enough magnesium, but too much can be damaging. A healthy dose of magnesium is 300mg a day for men (19 to 64 years) and 270mg a day for women (19 to 64 years), says the NHS.
Thankfully, a magnesium supplement shouldn’t tip you over the top as long as you regulate your intake.
Zinc
Scientists know that zinc plays a role in bone regeneration, but (so far) they don’t understand exactly why. Academics are working on new studies to assess how zinc affects our bones, but they’re clear there’s a relationship.
Every adult should aim to get 9.5mg a day for men (aged 19 to 64 years) and 7mg a day for women.
You can find zinc in a whole range of foods, including meat, shellfish, dairy, cereal, and bread – as well as in supplement form. You’ll also find zinc as a part of many multivitamin tablets.
While zinc plays an important role in bone regeneration, taking too much can damage your bones – so be careful about the supplements you take and seek professional advice before starting to take a new supplement.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K activates the proteins involved in bone formation, making it an essential bone-building supplement.
Great sources of vitamin K include dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, cabbage and broccoli, but you’ll have to eat a lot to ensure you’re getting enough.
Many people at-risk of poor bone health take a vitamin K supplement for bones (or a combination supplement with added vitamin K).
The amount of vitamin K you need is related to the size of your body. You should aim to take 1 microgram per kg. (So, someone who weighs 70kg should take 70mg a day, for example.)
Scientists don’t know the long-term health impacts of taking too much vitamin K for bones, but taking too much of everything is a bad idea, so be careful about the bone health supplements you take in 2023.
Collagen
Scientists have found that collagen plays an important role in the way our bones regenerate. Some studies have linked a lack of collagen to osteoporosis and diabetes.
We don’t know a great deal about collagen and its impact on the body and bones. Your body can produce collagen by eating a diet rich in chicken, beef, dairy, and fish – but many people also choose to take a collagen supplement.
The market for collagen supplements has been taken over by cheap and inferior products. If you choose to take a collagen supplement for bones, invest in a high-quality supplement that you can be confident will deliver the positive impact you want.
Turmeric (Curcumin)
Turmeric is a naturally occurring substance that contains curcumin. You’ll find turmeric added as a spice to meals, but to have an impact on your bone health, you need to take it in much higher levels than you’d consume through food.
Turmeric supplements for bones provide a concentrated boost that could help improve bone-building processes within the body.
Information about the benefits of turmeric is emerging as scientists learn more, but initial results seem positive.
Can you get the vitamins you need from your diet?
Yes! In most cases, eating a varied and healthy diet will ensure you get the vitamins and minerals you need (with the possible exception of vitamin D).
At Stronger Bones, we’re all about better bone health and urge everyone concerned about the health of their bones to eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, and other healthy foods.
We also believe that supplements can play an important role in helping to improve bone health. Bone health supplements ensure that you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals you need in the right quantities.
Taking vitamins for bones and bone health supplements can provide peace of mind that you’re getting everything you need every day. And that can’t be bad…
Buy the best vitamins for bones and bone health supplements
We know that you only want the best vitamins for bones and bone health supplements, and you can find them at Stronger Bones. We stock the UK’s best selection of bone health supplements from some of the world’s biggest brands.
You’ll find all the vitamin D and calcium bone health supplements alongside a huge range of others – and all at least 20% lower than high-street prices. Spend over £25, and you’ll get free shipping with Royal Mail in the UK.
Throughout 2023, we’ll be posting news, information, updates, and in-depth updates on how to build stronger bones in our blog. You can check it out here!
