Bone density and calcium supplementation

thank you, I'll do that

 

Actually, Vitamin D doesn't direct the calcium into the bones.  It does enable the body to absorb the calcium, but it's Vitamin K2 and magnesium which send that calcium into the bones.  This is why it's felt that K2 helps prevent those calcium deposits in organs and blood vessels which concern us. 

Ah, I thought I might have had that round the wrong way. It gets so confusing at times, lady at the health food shop said definitely take K2, rhuemy said don’t need it. I take it anyway. When my bloods had excess calcium levels but I had a t score of -4, it was Eileen who mentioned  parathyroidism and check before starting Prolia. Luckily it was all clear and once on the Caltrate and higher Vit D (and K2) it evened out. I couldn’t survive this journey without this forum. It’s just invaluable. 

So interesting that the specialist did not know about K2. Just goes to show nobody knows everything! Everyone together knows a lot though!

In Australia, people have become very aware of vitamin K2. I know this because it runs out and they are having to meet the demand.

Thank you, I will check that post. I too am not your typical “osteoporosis specimen “ as I don’t drink, smoke, live a healthy life and always have, very fit, and my mother's dexa scan is better than mine, so I am not genetically predisposed. But I have been deficient in vitamin D for many years. I am now addressing this so I am hopeful.

I know I have been Vitamin D deficient as I had an illness which was impairing my body's ability to produce it. Unfortunately this side of the problem was unknown to me for a long time.

He had heard of it, he just didn’t think it was necessary for some reason. He also didn’t think magnesium was helpful... but I still take that too. My thoughts were it couldn’t hurt, so I wasn’t stopping.  Love your comment about nobody knows everything but together know a lot. That’s why I love this forum so much. 

I think some, maybe unfortunately most, medics think there's no difference between K1 (available abundantly in leafy greens) and K2 (deficient in modern Western diet).  This is what the rheumatologist I encountered at an osteoporosis program at our hospital seemed to think.  She was wrong about research showing it doesn't work, but in fact Japanese research has proven otherwise and there are Japanese doctors who have no hesitation saying that natto, the source of our K2 supplements, is a genuine superfood!.

There's been some research showing that yoghurt actually helps the body to absorb calcium more effectively and is directly helpful in our anti-osteoporosis efforts.  

YES!

I make milk kefir every day instead of yogurt. I am taking higher amounts of vitamin D3 than in the supplement. That is because I was very low. It has started to increase but it is still way below where I would like it to be. I am taking K2, but not on its own, it comes with the bone product. I had a taste of Natto yesterday, that is supposed to be full of K2 and I am planning to have it once a week. It looks a lot worse than it tastes and, probably because of this, it is not expensive.

 

I have not come across the study, but now I understand why people have mentioned yogurt in various places.

I think magnesium is also important, possibly as important as K2. There is a protocol in which people with autoimmune conditions are treated with extremely high levels of vitamin D3 (strictly under medical supervision), some take K2, some don't but they all take magnesium supplements. So I always take at least a little bit of magnesium every day.

Magnesium is very important and those of us taking extra calcium should be getting extra magnesium in some form or other to maintain the balance.  I like a soak in a tub with Epsom salts. Too much calcium in relation to magnesium makes it harder for the body to absorb magnesium.  It is plentiful in our leafy greens as magnesium is, apparently, to plants what iron is to animals!  it is much more likely we'll have a Vitamin K2 deficiency as our animals which used to make it for us when they were grassfed can't make enough now that we feed them, or "finish" them, with grain.  

As it happens I have joined the facebook group for the vitamin D protocol I mentioned above. I shall ask them about magnesium supplementation and see what they say. I don't know why I haven't already. 

On the Vitamin D Deficiency Syndrome facebook group they advise people who supplement with high doses of vitamin D,( which is what I am doing because I am low in vitamin D and I want to raise my levels) to take magnesium supplements becaue high doses of vitamin D3 can deplete the body of magnesium (Is it because more calcium is absorbed and it competes with magnesium?)It says "Let's eliminate the doubt of becoming magnesium deficient while taking advantage of the benefits of taking higher doses of D3. Magnesium rich foods include dark leafy green vegetables, potato, beans [black, kidney, white, black eyed], chickpeas, lentils, avocado, bananas, figs, strawberries, blackberries, nuts, seeds, brown rice and dark chocolate. .... Taking at least 200mg may boost your levels of this essential mineral. "

Apparently it is better to split your dose rather than taking it all at once. Take it with food.

So I guess the moral of this story is that not everybody needs to supplement magnesium, but it is an important mineral.

I guess the moral of this story is we can't isolate any particular micronutrient and say that's the one we need.  As it happens I tend to run a rather high Vitamin D level, so actually had to reduce my D supplementation.  Can't win!

I have decided to take magnesium every day for a while but I do not take a calcium supplement as that has not shown up in blood tests as being depleted.