Boron | May
enhance calcium absorption and estrogen metabolism. | Not
applicable. | Raw
avocado, nuts, peanut butter, bottled prune juice. | |
Copper | Copper
helps certain enzymes and local regulators function properly so
that we can form the optimal bone matrix or structure for bone
strength. | RDA is
900 μg for men and women over age 30. Daily intakes over 10,000
μg are not recommended. | Organ
meats, seafood, nuts, seeds, wheat bran, cereals, whole grain
products, cocoa products. | Calcium supplementation may result in lower levels of
copper. |
Fluoride | Fluoride stimulates the formation of new bone. Necessary for
skeletal and dental development. | RDA is
4 mg for men over age 30 and 3 mg for women over age 30. Daily
intakes over 10 mg are not recommended. | Fluoridated water, teas, marine fish, fluoridated dental
products. | |
Iron | Iron
helps certain enzymes and local regulators function properly so
that we can form the optimal bone matrix or structure for bone
strength. | RDA is
8 mg for men over the age of 19. The RDA for women is 18 mg
between the ages of 19 and 50 and 8 mg over age 50. Daily
intakes over 45 mg are not recommended. | Non-heme sources include fruits,
vegetables and fortified bread and grain products such as
cereal. Heme sources include meat
and poultry. | |
Isoflavones | Isoflavones have been shown to have a protective effect on bone
in animal studies. Evidence in humans, however, is
conflicting. | Not
applicable. | Primarily found in soybeans and soy products, chickpeas and
other legumes. | Ipriflavone, a synthetic isoflavone, has been linked to a
reduction in lympocytes, a type of white blood cell that fights
infection. |
Magnesium | 60% of
the magnesium in our bodies is found in our bones in combination
with calcium and phosphorus. Magnesium appears to enhance our
bone quality. Studies suggest that it may improve bone mineral
density, and not getting enough may interfere with our ability
to process calcium. | RDA is
420 mg for men over 30 and 320 mg for women over 30. Daily
intakes over 350 mg are not recommended | Good
sources include green leafy vegetables such as spinach,
potatoes, nuts, seeds, whole grains including bran, wheat, oats,
and chocolate. Smaller amounts are found in many foods including
bananas, broccoli, raisins and shrimp. Also found in
magnesium-containing laxatives and antacids. | Magnesium deficiency is rare in US adults. Magnesium
supplements are not recommended for most people. |
Manganese | Manganese helps certain enzymes and local regulators function
properly so that we can form the optimal bone matrix or
structure for bone strength. | RDA is
2.3 mg for men over age 30 and 1.8 mg for women over age 30.
Daily intakes over 11 mg are not recommended. | Nuts,
legumes, tea, whole grains and drinking water. | Manganese supplements may not be a good choice for everyone,
including people already consuming high levels of manganese from
diets high in plant foods and people with liver disease who are
especially susceptible to the adverse effects of excess
manganese intake. |
Phosphorus | Phosphorus is a component of every cell in our bodies and
supports building bone and other tissue during growth. About 85%
of the phosphorus in our bodies is found in our bones. In fact,
phosphate, a form of phosphorus, makes up more than half of our
bone mineral mass. | RDA is
700 mg for men and women over age 30. Daily intakes over 4,000
mg for adults up to age 70 and over 3,000 mg after age 70 are
not recommended. | Milk,
yogurt, ice cream, cheese, peas, meat, eggs, some cereals,
breads, cola soft drinks and many processed foods. | |
Potassium | | There
is no RDA established for potassium. Scientists recommend a
daily intake between 1,600 mg and 3,500 mg. | Milk,
yogurt, chicken, turkey, fish, many fruits such as bananas,
raisins and cantaloupe, and many vegetables such as celery,
carrots, potatoes and tomatoes. | |
Protein | Proteins are our bodies’ building blocks. We use protein to
build tissue during growth and to repair and replace tissue
throughout life. We also need protein to help heal fractures and
to make sure our immune system is functioning properly. | RDA is
56 g for adult men and 46 g for adult women. Nutritionists
recommend that 10% to 35% of our calories come from protein.
(The rest come primarily from carbohydrates and fats.) | Complete protein comes from animal sources
including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese,
yogurt. Incomplete protein comes from plant
sources including legumes, grains, nuts, seeds and
vegetables. | Getting enough protein is particularly important for elderly
people. Studies show that elderly people who have not been
getting enough protein and who break their hip are more likely
to suffer poor medical outcomes. |
Vitamin C | Vitamin C helps certain enzymes and local regulators function
properly so that we can form the optimal bone matrix or
structure for bone strength. | RDA is
90 mg for men over age 30 and 75 mg for women over age 30. Daily
intakes over 2,000 mg are not recommended. | Citrus
fruits, tomatoes and tomato juice, potatoes, Brussels sprouts,
cauliflower, broccoli, strawberries, cabbage and spinach. | People
who smoke need 35 mg more vitamin C than the RDA. People who are
regularly exposed to second-hand smoke also may need extra
vitamin C. |
Vitamin K | Vitamin K helps certain enzymes and local regulators function
properly so that we can form the optimal bone matrix or
structure for bone strength. | RDA is
120 units for men over age 30 and 90 units for women over age
30. No maximum safe intake has been established for vitamin
K. | Green
vegetables including collards, spinach, salad greens and
broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, plant oils and
margarine. | Patients on anticoagulant medication should monitor their
vitamin K intake. |
Zinc | Zinc
helps certain enzymes and local regulators function properly
which in turn helps our bodies form the optimal bone matrix or
structure for bone strength. | RDA is
11 mg for boys and men over age19 and 8 mg for girls and women
over age 19. Daily intakes over 40 mg are not recommended. | Red
meat, poultry, fortified breakfast cereal, some seafood, whole
grains, dry beans and nuts. | Nutritionists recommend that vegetarians double the RDA for
themselves, because zinc is harder to absorb on a vegetarian
diet. Calcium supplementation may reduce the absorption of
zinc. |
Caffeine | Studies suggest that caffeine may interfere with calcium
absorption. However, this effect can be neutralized in the
presence of adequate dietary calcium. | Not
applicable | Coffee, tea, some soft drinks, some over the counter
medications. | |
Fiber | Fiber
has a minor negative impact on calcium absorption. | Men
ages 31 to 50 need 38 grams per day and after 50 need 30 grams
per day. Women ages 31–50 need 25 gm per day and after 50 need
21 gm per day. | Includes dietary fiber naturally present in grains (oats, wheat
or unmilled rice) and functional fiber from plants and animals
shown to be of benefit to health. | |
Oxalates | When
oxalates and calcium are found in the same food, oxalates
combine with the calcium, preventing us from absorbing the
calcium. | Not
applicable | Spinach. Other oxalate-rich foods include rhubarb and sweet
potatoes, but since these foods do not contain calcium, the
oxalates have no effect on calcium absorption. | Oxalates do not interfere with the absorption of calcium in
other foods eaten with the
oxalate-containing foods. |
Phosphorus | Phosphorus is necessary for healthy bones (see above), but some
people are concerned that there may be too much in our diet,
especially since phosphorus is a component of cola beverages and
many processed foods. Some studies suggest that excess amounts
of phosphorus may interfere with calcium absorption. The good
news is that we can offset the loss by getting adequate amounts
of calcium in our diet. | RDA is
700 mg for men and women over age 30. Daily intakes over 4,000
mg for adults up to age 70 and over 3,000 mg after age 70 are
not recommended. | Milk,
yogurt, ice cream, cheese, peas, meat, eggs, some cereals,
breads, cola soft drinks and many processed foods. | Possible negative effects of soft drinks on bone may be due
primarily to the replacement of calcium-rich milk with soft
drinks, especially by children and teenagers at a time when they
need extra calcium to optimize their peak bone mass. |
Protein | Protein is essential for good health (see above). However, when
we get too much protein, our bodies convert the extra protein
into calories for energy, producing a chemical called sulfate in
the process. Sulfate causes us to lose some calcium, but these
are relatively small losses that we can offset by getting
adequate amounts of calcium in our diet. | RDA is
56 g for adult men and 46 g for adult women. It is recommended
that 10% to 35% of calories come from protein. (The rest come
primarily from carbohydrates and fats.) | Complete protein comes from animal sources
including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese,
yogurt. Incomplete protein comes from plant
sources including legumes, grains, nuts, seeds and
vegetables. | |
Sodium | Sodium
affects the balance of calcium in our bodies by increasing the
amount we excrete in urine and perspiration. The loss of calcium
can be significant, but we can replace the lost calcium by
making sure we get adequate amounts of calcium in our diet. | The
NIH recommends restricting daily sodium intake to less than
2,400 milligrams (equal to about 1 teaspoon of table salt). | Sodium
combined with chloride is common table salt. Many processed
foods are high in salt. | |
Vitamin A | Vitamin A plays an important role in bone growth but excessive
amounts of the retinal form of vitamin A may increase the
breakdown of our bones and interfere with vitamin D, which we
need to help us absorb calcium. The beta carotene form of
vitamin A does not appear to cause these problems. | RDAs
are 3000 IU for men and 2330 IU for women. Daily intakes over
10,000 IU of the retinol form of vitamin A are not
recommended. | Retinol sources include animal-source
foods such as liver, egg yolks, cheese, milk. Dietary
supplements and some acne preparations also contain
retinol. Beta carotene sources
include plant-source foods, such as dark orange and green
vegetables including carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach as
well as cantaloupe and kale. | |