How To Increase Your Bone Density, Naturally

Updated: May 15, 2020

Lara Pizzorno is the author of “Your Bones: How You Can Prevent Osteoporosis and Have Strong Bones for Life – Naturally” and a member of the American Medical Writers Association with 29 years of experience specializing in bone health.

Recently we asked Lara if she would help us provide a series of short, ongoing videos to help you (our customers and readers) stay up to date on the latest facts and science related to bone health.

In this latest video, Lara talks about the two human clinical studies with different formulations of AlgaeCal plant-based calcium and their outcomesWatch the video below (or read the transcript provided) and let us know what you think in the comments.

Hello, I’m Lara Pizzorno the author of “Your Bones” and I’m here today to share some information with you that I hope will help you have healthier bones.

In a prior video clip we talked about the outstanding results performed by a supplemental calcium derived from marine algae called AlgaeCal, when it was used in an in-vitro (which means laboratory) study to treat osteoblast cells. Osteoblast cells are the specialized cells in our bodies that build new bone for us. In that study, AlgaeCal increased the activity of a marker of the osteoblast production and activity called alkaline phosphatase by 400% greater effect on alkaline phosphatase compared to calcium carbonate. And a 250% greater effect than did calcium citrate. These were very promising results and led to two human studies, which I’d like to talk about now.

In the first study, 125 women, and their average age was 55, so they were either going through menopause or soon to be going through menopause. These women followed an open-label bone health plan using AlgaeCal for 6 months, after they were given a DEXA to evaluate their bone density. In addition, before starting the AlgaeCal program they also had a full chemistry blood test panel run and they took a quality of life inventory test. Two weeks after the last subject finished this 6 month trial. A second group of 51 women with an average age of 56 followed the same plan but they used a slightly different and improved AlgaeCal supplement that included more vitamin D3, more vitamin K2 (in this time in the form of mk-7 rather than the form mk-4) boron and vitamin C. None of which had been in the AlgaeCal supplement used in the first group of women. After 6 months after both groups had been through the plan.

After 6 months, even though the AlgaeCal 1 supplement that was not as complete as the AlgaeCal 2 version, bone mineral density still improved significantly in both groups.

Those who were taking AlgaeCal 1 and AlgaeCal 2 compared to what normally happens, which is a loss of bone mineral density of at least 1% per year. The conservative or least expected drop in bone mineral density for women aged 41-55 is a loss of a half a percent per year. For women 56 and older it’s a loss of 1% per year and for men it’s about half these amounts. However, population based longitudinal studies suggest that these loss estimates are not accurate, they are not high enough. Minor bone loss actually starts at about age 40 it increases to almost half a percent to 0.9 percent, almost a full percent each year in perimenopausal women and to above 1% after menopause. After which the yearly rate in bone mineral density drops back to about 1%.

Other studies suggest that after midlife, in men as well as women, there is an age-related yearly loss of bone of 1% in which women accelerates to about 2% for as long as up to 14 years around the age of menopause, which typically occurs in women around the age of 52. In men, a small loss of bone is detected in 40 year olds and that increases to about a loss of about 8/10ths percent per year into old age. Compared to the most conservative estimate of annual bone loss, AlgaeCal 1 had a positive mean annualized percent change in increase in BMD of a gain of 1.15% and AlgaeCal 2 that is now sold as AlgaeCal Plus and Strontium Boost had a positive annualized net change of 2.79% that’s really significant.

And there were no negative side effects of any kind, there were no significant changes in the 43 panel blood chemistry test and neither group of women reported even one adverse effect.

Upon completion of this initial study, a second study was done to look at three different versions of an AlgaeCal bone health supplement program. So they were fine tuning it to get the absolute best result. In this study, 176 women over 40 years of age followed 1 of 3 different bone health programs, all of which used AlgaeCal. And they differed in which they used different amounts of vitamin D, different amounts of vitamin K2. Nonetheless, all 3 AlgaeCal plans produced increase in bone mineral density. A marked improvement over just slowing the rate at which bone is low. In all three treatment groups, study participants with above average compliance had significantly greater increases in bone mineral density compared to the losses that are normally seen. Women in the plan 3 group, the women receiving the most nutritionally comprehensive supplement program, and this is the supplement that is now available at AlgaeCal, gained significantly more bone mineral density than the other two groups. The study participants following all 3 programs however, increased bone mineral density. The people in plan 1, which wasn’t as complete had an increase of 1.20% but in plan 3, the most nutritionally comprehensive plan, the bone density increased by a full 2.5%. Again, no adverse effects were reported nor were any seen in the comprehensive blood chemistry panels run on the study participants.

So, what’s so different about AlgaeCal? Why is it getting these really fantastic results? It’s not just calcium, there’s a bunch of other things going on here. And those will be the topic of the next video.

Thanks for tuning in.


Sources:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21492428

http://www.medsci.org/v08p0180.htm

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  1. Donna morris

    January 26, 2018 , 9:18 pm

    How does thyroid supplement affect taking algaecal as it robs bone density

  2. Jenna AlgaeCal

    January 30, 2018 , 10:47 am

    Hi Donna,

    To better answer your question, could you let us know which thyroid supplement you are taking? Supplements taken for a healthy thyroid typically contain plant-based ingredients and are not usually associated with bone loss, although supplement ingredients can vary.

    It is true, however, that thyroid medications can cause accelerated bone loss. If this were the case, it would be especially important to take AlgaeCal to help overcome this! It would also be essential to have adequate separation between AlgaeCal products and thyroid medication for the best benefit.

    If you have any questions or concerns about this, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Bone Health Consultants at 1-800-820-0184 or email [email protected]! We’re always happy to help 🙂

    – Jenna @ AlgaeCal

This article features advice from our industry experts to give you the best possible info through cutting-edge research.

Lara Pizzorno
MDiv, MA, LMT - Best-selling author of Healthy Bones Healthy You! and Your Bones; Editor of Longevity Medicine Review, and Senior Medical Editor for Integrative Medicine Advisors.,
Dr. Liz Lipski
PhD, CNS, FACN, IFMP, BCHN, LDN - Professor and Director of Academic Development, Nutrition programs in Clinical Nutrition at Maryland University of Integrative Health.,
Dr. Loren Fishman
MD, B.Phil.,(oxon.) - Medical Director of Manhattan Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Founder of the Yoga Injury Prevention Website.,
Prof. Didier Hans
PHD, MBA - Head of Research & Development Center of Bone Diseases, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, Switzerland,