20 key bone-building nutrients — an overview

by Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD

Depending on how we count them, there are at least 20 bone-building nutrients which are essential for optimal bone health — “essential” in that our bodies cannot manufacture them, so we must get them from our food and drink. Let’s take a quick look at them, one by one, so you can get a better idea of their roles in bone health and how much of each you should be getting. Remember, none of these nutrients does its work in isolation — you need some of each and every one, so they can all work together to keep your bones standing strong all your life long.

(Click on individual nutrients to learn more...)

Table of 20 essential bone-building nutrients
Nutrient	Adult RDA or AI*	Common therapeutic range for bone health (daily intake)	Dietary considerations concerning adequacy of average daily intake	Your intake
Calcium (Ca)	1000–1200 mg	1000–1500 mg	Typical diet is inadequate, averaging 500–850 mg.
Phosphorus (P)	1250 mg 9–18 yrs 700 mg adults	800–1200 mg	Inadequate intake is rare except in elderly and malnourished. Excess intake common with use of processed foods and soft drinks — ~ 1500 mg/day in men and ~1025 mg/day in women.
Magnesium (Mg)	420 mg adult males 320 mg adult females	400–800 mg	Intake generally inadequate among all ages, sexes, and classes except children under the age of 5; 40% of total population and 50% of adolescents consume 66% of RDA ; and 56% of all Americans have intakes below Estimated Average Requirement (EAR).
Fluoride (F)	4.0 mg adult males 3.0 mg adult females	Unknown	Intake generally ranges 0.2–3.4 mg. Fluoride overdose has occurred through ingestion of fluoride toothpaste and high-fluoride waters.
Silica (Silicon — Si)	No values set to date	Not yet determined	Intake significantly higher in men (30–33 mg/day) than in women (~25 mg/day), yet generally suboptimal. Silica is the first element to go in food processing.
Zinc (Zn)	11 mg adult males 8 mg adult females	20–30 mg	Average intake is 46–63% of RDA. Marginal zinc deficiency is common, especially among children.
Manganese (Mn)	2.3 mg (AI) adult males 1.8 mg (AI) adult females	10–25 mg	Intake generally inadequate, at 1.76 mg adolescent girls; 2.05 mg adult females; and 2.5 mg adult men.
Copper (Cu)	900 mcg adults (0.90 mg)	1–3 mg	75% of diets fail to contain RDA. Average daily intake is below the RDA.
Boron (B)	No RDA established	3–5 mg	Common daily intake is only 0.25 mg, to possible optimum of 3.0 mg.
Potassium (K)	4700 mg adults	4000–6000 mg	Adult intake averages 2300 mg for women and 3100 mg for men.
Strontium	No RDA established	3–30 mg (supplements) up to 680 mg (in medications)	Daily dietary intake thought to vary from 1 mg to more than 10 mg.
Vitamin D	200 IU infancy–59 yr 400 IU 51–70 yr 600 IU >70 yr	800–2000 IU and up, as needed	Numerous experts say that a billion people worldwide are deficient today. Deficiency is especially common among people who are elderly, dark skinned, and those with little UV sunlight exposure. A simple, inexpensive blood test for 25(OH)D is the best way to determine vitamin D status and need.
Vitamin C	90 mg adult males 75 mg adult females	Oral 500–3000 mg (and upward to bowel tolerance), as needed.	Average daily intake is about 95 mg for women and 107 mg for men. Based on US survey of nearly 9000 people, intake for 31% of population is below Estimated Average Requirement (EAR).
Vitamin A	2997 IU adult males 2331 IU adult females	5000 IU or less	44% of US population has intake below EAR.
Vitamin B6	1.3–1.7 mg adult males 1.3–1.5 mg adult females	25–50 mg	Studies indicate widespread inadequate vitamin B6 consumption among all sectors of the population; >50% of population consume 70% RDA.
Folic acid/folate (vitamin B9)	400 mcg adults (0.4 mg)	800–1000 mcg (0.8–1 mg)	Inadequate intake common among all age groups; although improving with food fortification, 49% of participants in NHANES survey had intakes below Estimated Average Requirement (EAR).
Vitamin B12	2.4 mcg adults	10–1000 mcg	Up to 40% of US population have marginal B12 status. Older people and vegans are especially at risk.
Vitamins K1 and K2	K1: 120 mcg adult males 90 mcg adult females K2: No recommended intake	K1: 1000 mcg K2: 45–180 mcg MK-7 (menaquinone-7)	K1: Averages 45–150 mcg, which is well below the recommended AI. K2: Average US intake 9–12 mcg (if any)
Fats	Should comprise minimum of 7% total calories. General recommendation is not to exceed 30% of caloric intake	20–30% of total calories is perhaps more ideal	Average American consumes ~33% of his/her calories in fat. Consumption of essential fatty acids (EFA’s), however, is frequently inadequate.
Protein	0.8 g/kg per day adult males and females 125–lb person = 45 g 175–lb person = 63 g 56 g adult males 46 g adult females	1.0–1.5 g/kg	Daily intake commonly exceeds 100 g, but the elderly and some women often have very deficient intake. Higher protein intake should be balanced with higher RDA level potassium intake from food sources.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)
Adult Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)
Adequate Intakes (AI)
Estimated Average Requirements (EAR)

The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) is a system of nutritional guidelines developed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the US National Academy of Sciences. It was first introduced in 1997 to broaden the set of existing Recommended Daily Allowance, which is the system currently still in use in food nutrition labeling. The DRI includes two sets of values that serve as goals for nutrient intake (from the National Academy of Sciences). These are the RDA and Adequate Intake (AI).
RDA represents the daily dietary intake of a nutrient regarded to be sufficient for meeting the requirements of nearly all (97–98%) healthy individuals in each age and gender group. The RDA reflects the average daily amount of a nutrient considered adequate to meet the needs of most healthy people. If there is insufficient evidence to determine an RDA, an AI is set.

Adult RDA figures come from: National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, and the Food and Nutrition Board, through the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Information Center website. Dietary Reference Intakes for individuals (PDF): http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/21/372/0.pdf.
AI values are more tentative than RDA, but both may be used as goals for nutrient intake.
In addition to the values that serve as goals for nutrient intakes, the DRI includes a set of values called Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL). The UL represent the maximum amount of a nutrient that appears safe for most healthy people to consume on a regular basis.
The Estimated Average Requirement (ERA) calculations are the average daily nutrient intake level estimated to meet the requirement of half of the healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group. They are established by the Institute of Medicine (IoM).

Keep in mind that these are values that are meant to cover adequacy for most folks, not for optimizing health! The common therapeutic dose for bone health may be significantly higher in “special need” cases.

Our Personal Program is a great place to start

At the Center for Better Bones we promote an all-natural approach to bone regeneration and repair that includes nutrition, diet, exercise, and lifestyle guidance. Our Personal Program is a convenient, at-home version of this approach.

To assess your fracture risk and the health of your bones, take our free, on-line Fracture Risk and Bone Health Profile.
To learn more about the guided, at-home Program we have developed with America’s premier women’s health clinic, Women to Women, go to The Personal Program for Better Bones.
For more information about the at-home program for Better Bones, please call The Personal Program toll-free at 1-877-200-1269.

For a fully referenced PDF of this article, please click here.

Original Publication Date: 04/11/2000
Last Modified: 04/01/2009
Principal Author: Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD

If we treat our bodies well...

Maggie had a total hysterectomy at the age of 23. By the time she was 40, doctors told her she had the bones of a 72-year-old. After trying Fosamax and Actonel and reading about “dead jaw syndrome” she found Dr. Brown.

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