What food supliments make bones denser?

Question

What food supliments make bones denser?

Answer 1

I don't know that any food supplements make bones denser.  Bones certainly need calcium to help prevent and slow bone deterioration, but calcium will not make them denser.  Load bearing exercise will increase bone density and help slow the aging proces, but exercise is harder than taking supplements!

Answer 2

Calcium is what you need for your bones. Milk is a main venue for calcium. But if you want supplements, get Calcium supplements too.

Answer 3

Vitamin D enhances Calcium resorption from blood. The basic unit of the load bearing component of your bones is the mineral apatite, a molecular combination of Ca and PO4 (not in a 1 to 1 ratio). Obviously having high Ca levels in your body in the first place (by drinking milk or by eating Ca supplement tablets) helps as well.

The answer to this question is complex though... Vitamin D is among a myriad of "supplement" chemicals that affect calcium and phosphate deposition in bone. Certain chemicals can either augment or oppose the effects of vitamin D. Furthermore because Vitamin D is a vitamin, it functions in concert with enzymes which are made of proteins, thus in turn it is essential that one consumes the necessary amounts of essential amino acids and non essentials as well. In addition, many vitamins and elements are absorbed best with other vitamins or elements present at the same time. Vitamin C enhances the absorption of Iron from a meal, thus a glass of Orange juice along with your eggs and toast enhances Fe absorption from your eggs. Finally hormonal input is the chief control element that allows you to use the calcium and phosphate that you ingest. Calcitonin from the parathyroids directly controls Ca metabolism, and because all organs of the endocrine system have an effect on one another, a change in one hormone level will cause a change in another. For example, testosterone levels improve calcium and nitrogen balance by influencing levels of other hormones that affect protein and calcium metabolism (possibly why women are more prone to osteoporosis?).

So in general... A vitamin tablet, plenty of sun, exercise, adequate nutrition (protein), and milk would all help.