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When it comes to maintaining healthy bones, many are familiar with vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium needed to strengthen skeletons. But while D remains the star, in recent years researchers have documented the importance of other vitamins in protecting against fractures and osteoporosis, a bone-weakening disease.
A recent journal article that reviewed numerous laboratory and observational studies, as well as a handful of human clinical trials, revealed critical aspects evidence supporting the importance of vitamins A, B, C, E and K.
“The stage of research is different from vitamin to vitamin,” but they point to the fact that bone formation is a complex process that requires multiple nutrients, says Bess Dawson-Hughes, senior scientist at the Nutrition Research Center on Aging. from Tufts University. She was not involved in the review but has long studied the impact of nutrition on bones.
When it comes to these vitamins, more is not always better. Supplementation with high amounts of certain vitamins compromises bones, the review article states.
While it’s important to go from low to optimal levels, increasing intake much beyond that interferes with the bone-building process, says Dawson-Hughes. However, exactly what those optimal levels are for vitamins beyond D has not yet been determined.
That’s why people without severe vitamin deficiencies, detected by blood tests, should get their vitamins through food rather than supplements, says Lucette Talamas, a registered dietitian at Baptist Health South Florida in Miami. It is difficult to overdose on any vitamin this way. This is especially important for fat-soluble vitamins that are stored in the body rather than excreted, including vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Studying vitamins in people is challenging, since each person starts with a different blood level of the nutrient, Dawson-Hughes says. Even research on vitamin D supplements have not been consistently shown to prevent bones from breakingprobably because many participants have sufficient levels from the beginning.
Bones are constantly remodeling
Human bones grow noticeably in childhood, as the skeleton extends from less than two feet to five or more feet by adolescence. Even after growth stops, bones continue to strengthen into your 30s. After this point, they are stronger than ever.
Even so, skeletons remain dynamic throughout life and periodically undergo a process called remodeling, which is triggered not only by breaks but also by everyday stresses on our bones.
(Lifting heavy weights can help mitigate osteoporosis. Here’s how to get started.)
“Walking on Earth is a stressor, as is reaching for a new kitchen cabinet or performing a new exercise like running. The skeleton must remodel itself to withstand any unusual stress,” says Clemens Bergwitz, an endocrinologist and bone expert at Yale Medicine.
These movements are detected by bone cells called osteocytes that are responsible for maintaining bone health. They summon other cells called osteoclasts to secrete acid that dissolves some of the calcium in the bone, causing the osteoblasts to attract new minerals to the now-empty spaces. The bone remodeling process takes months, as anyone who has broken a bone knows, Bergwitz says.
Numerous vitamins are required for all stages of this process.
Here are the 5 additional vitamins that are best for bones
1) vitamin A is found in sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, green leafy vegetables and fortified milk.
Sufficient amounts of a metabolite of vitamin A called transretinoic acid plays a role in forming early bone tissue. The vitamin also participates in the dissolution of bone during remodeling.
The body can also make vitamin A from carotenoids, the yellow, orange, and red pigments in vegetables and fruits. Eating more of these colorful foods is associated with fewer hip fractures in men (but so far not in women).
2) vitamin B—especially B6, B9 (folic acid), and B12—is found in salmon, beef, tuna, chickpeas, and dairy products.
The fundamental scaffolding of bones is collagen, which Dawson-Hughes describes as “the backbone of bone.” Collagen is strengthened when the amino acids that make it up are twisted like a rope. B vitamins are integral to that twisting process; Without these vitamins, “you don’t get strength,” he says.
Laboratory studies have found that B6 deficiency causes dysfunction during bone formation. And genetically modified female mice with low levels of vitamin B12 not only They had weak bones, but also their offspring.
It’s still unclear exactly how this translates to people. Studies that aim to supplement with B vitamins have not found a reduction in fractures in postmenopausal women, a group at high risk for bone weakening after estrogen reduction, but the women may not have been deficient when they enrolled.
3) vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts and kale.
It is probably important for both breaking down and rebuilding bone. Like B vitamins, it also plays a role in twisting collagen fibers in bones.
Scientists who combined the results of 17 observational studies involving almost 20,000 people found that those with the highest vitamin C intake had 34 percent fewer hip fractures than those with the lowest amounts.
Have low levels of vitamin C It is especially risky for smokers.. “The risk increases severalfold in smokers with low vitamin C levels, but it is not clear why,” says Dawson-Hughes.
4) Vitamin E It is found in almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, spinach, and red peppers.
The vitamin affects cellular proteins responsible for the breakdown and formation of bones. It is also an antioxidant and research shows that it has antioxidants. improve communication between cells involved in bone development and repair.
Higher blood levels of a-tocopherol, a form of vitamin E, They have been linked in people with higher bone mineral density.. Meanwhile, very low levels were associated with more than 50 percent higher risk of breaking a hip.
5) Vitamin K It is found in kale and other leafy greens, avocados, kiwi, soybeans, and pumpkin seeds.
Laboratory studies make it clear that vitamin K plays a crucial role in attracting and binding the calcium needed to mineralize bones.
In research in people, one of the three forms of vitamin K, K2, positively impacted bone mineral density and risk of fracture. But previous research that used another form, K1, I didn’t find these benefits. Whether one is truly better than the other requires additional research.
The best is a varied diet
The Mediterranean diet, long associated with the prevention of chronic diseases and increasing longevity, also benefits bones. “The Mediterranean dietary pattern is very rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, with protein as a topping” – all foods necessary to obtain these vitamins, says Talamas.
(The Mediterranean diet has stood the test of time for a reason: it works)
The best way to maximize vitamin intake is to not overcook foods. That’s especially the case for heat-sensitive vitamins like A. “Avoid boiling foods or cooking them on the highest temperature of the stove. A stir fry is perfect,” says Talamas.
To get all of these bone-strengthening vitamins, you need to eat a variety of foods. “Variety is important, because different nutrients are present in different amounts in foods,” says Talamas. “Brown rice, chicken and broccoli are healthy, but if you eat them week after week you are missing out on a lot of nutrients.”