I never know which supplements to take, or which are good. Can anyone recommend? Does anyone take this one? I have osteopenia age 45 through having my ovaries removed post cancer, and am very keen to stop any further bone loss. This forum is amazing, thanks so much for all the posts and advice.
To my uneducated eye this looks like a pretty good supplement. However you do know that exercise is also extremely important to prevent the loss of bone mass as we age, never mind other issues such as you experienced?
Thanks - yes I do and am planning a weight lifting regime starting in December, I do a lot of walking and cycling but I don't think either of these are that beneficial.
Walking certainly is, and anything which strengthens muscles is as the muscles exert more force on the bones when they are stronger. Try heel drops or wearing a weighted walking vest. Also tai chi and using Nordic walking poles are supposed to be helpful.
Looks a good supplement. I did look at this one myself but I’m looking for capsules on my next purchase as I find these chalky tabs hard to swallow as they’re quite big. And the more I dread swallowing coz of them getting stuck in my throat the more they do! My cure one doesn’t have k2 I take the k2 as a separate tab from solgar
I’m also looking to purchase a low intensity vibration plate fro US and trampoline suitable for osteoporosis. I do a huge amount of walking as I’m a dog walker plus now upping my attendance at gym for body pump Pilates and yoga
Have you purchased the low density vibration plate? I’m very interested in that. They are pretty expensive- like it costs more than my car is worth - but for weather when I don’t want to go out - no way ami going to go out when it’s icy I think it will be good. Or I can stand on it to watch tv.
The contents on the label look good, however the calcium content will block absorption of the other minerals to make it ineffective.
I take chelated or magnesium bisglycinate at bedtime on an empty stomach for best absorption, & a Thorne pic-min capsule in the evening, also on an empty stomach. Some of the contents of the latter might interfere with absorption of each other but I keep it a good three hours away from magnesium supplements or calcium rich foods, & all of those away from my iron supplements.
I get calcium & K2 from whole milk fermented kefir , so I usually take D3 with this as the fat content will increase D absorption. I often add a spoon or two of chia & seeds as these are high in minerals & good fats.
A lot of companies rely on our ignorance & sell ineffective products at premium cost. I contacted one who advertise a complex containing K1 for bone health when that’s more useful for blood clotting than the K2 we need for bones.
Interesting Badhare. I also drink fermented milk kefir, how much do you drink to ensure you are getting the required amount of calcium and k2, and you mean don't take calcium supplements?
Is the Thorne supplement for general health or bone health in particular?
I drink between 600-900mls of grain fermented a day, not shop bought. Not sure about the K2 content, but I take extra Mg to ensure the excess Ca goes to my bones not arteries.I try to get as much from food sources as possible, but need to supplement some vitamins & minerals as I'm vegetarian.
I supplement for hormone (to ensure thyroid hormones work most effectively) as well as bone & general health. I try to eat/supplement holistically as if one part of me is awry it'll affect other aspects of my wellbeing.
I make my own Kefir too, and do quite a bit of fermenting (vegetables and kombucha) but don't drink as much as you, usually 200ml/day say. I found this which is quite interesting, although why anyone would want to make low fat kefir is beyond me.
A 6-ounce (175-ml) serving of low-fat kefir contains (2Trusted Source):
It’s the K2 content I’m interested in finding out more on.
There’s lot of academic & nutritional research articles that I’ve posted on other forums, but they’re mainly with regard to gut health & little mention of K2 other than kefir being a good source. I expect it depends on the quality & combination of grain microbiota as well as the milk substrate.
I freeze organic whole milk & find if I use the last part to defrost it’s very watery like skimmed milk. The grains ferment faster as it has a higher ratio of lactose, but isn’t as creamy or tasty. My grains also have preferred brands of milk & clearly dislike others. I took some to N Ireland last December & they were happier than their winter norm so the milk must have been from cows that were grass fed later in the year. 🤗☘️🥛
on the calcium supplements . the study on the dangers of calcium supplements is widely now recognized by almost all doctors in the usa AND the study on how dangerous I believe were done at Harvard so I believe the studies that leading universities have done and the studies they conducted over the years
I'm not doubting that calcium supplemements cause atherosclerosis. My comment was with regard to there being no physiological route for shell or limestone to reach our arteries.
I love NI. I spent two weeks in Belfast last winter as my son's work took him there for 3 months. Such nice people & a coast to rival Cornwall!
By split do you mean separate? I usuallly wait until mine starts to form whey (clear fluid) as a sign it's fermented. It's a little more sour, but I like it that way. My grains like lemons & the stones from mango. They usually eat all the fruit flavour but the fructose makes it slightly more fizzy.
I haven't introduced raw milk yet. Let me know how it goes?
There is not enough vitamin K2 in it. I found the fb group VitD3 and co-factors useful in deciding how much of the various supplements to take. There are quite a few people with osteoporosis using it. I myself do not supplement with calcium at all as I believe that I get enough in my diet and the more calcium you take, the more magnesium and K2 you need, otherwise calcium ends up in your joints and arteries where it doesn't belong.
Do you have figures for how much being not enough, please?
I do aim for a ratio of 1/2 Mg/Ca which I've read is the correct proportion & take more Mg in accordance to how much kefir I drink. I have no symptoms of Mg deficiency, or osteoporisis, it's preventative rather than curative.
Hi, I have taken the following direct from the Facebook group Vitamin D3 and co-factors:-
Beginners Guidelines
5,000iu vitamin D3,
500mg elemental magnesium,
500mcg vitamin K2 mk7,
3-6mg Boron.
A few points about Co-factors
Very briefly: when we take vitamin D as a supplement, it causes our uptake of calcium to increase many times over, and as calcium and magnesium work as a pair, we need to take enough magnesium to balance the extra calcium, otherwise we create a deficiency of it and risk having the excess calcium cause problems. K2 is needed in higher than normal amounts, as it has to direct all the extra calcium into bones or teeth or allow it to be excreted. Without adequate k2, we risk having excess calcium deposited in arteries, brain, kidneys, etc. We also advocate taking boron as this greatly increases our ability to absorb and utilise both vit D and magnesium. It's also worth noting that due to modern farming methods and modern diets, most people are already deficient in all 3 of these co-factors, before even taking vit D.
Because calcium and magnesium work in tandem, occupying the same spaces in cells, if you overload with calcium (via vit D or calcium supplements) it prevents absorption of magnesium. Without adequate magnesium vitamin D will not be activated. Most vitamin D tests are for stored vitamin D which is 25(OH)D. The amount being activated and available for the body to use as 1,25(OH)D is rarely measured, but we do know that a decent level of magnesium is needed for this to happen. Some people need to build up gradually with magnesium supplements, as when you're deficient for a long time, the cells can get quite excited about getting what they need at long last, although others simply feel better for taking the amounts we recommend straight away. Not every type of magnesium suits every person, so sometimes we do need to experiment to find which ones suit us best. Magnesium performs a lot of other essential functions in the body (over 600) , including maintaining good mental health.
Some magnesium deficiency symtoms include:
Calcium deficiency,
Poor heart health
, Weakness, Muscle cramps,
Tremors,
Nausea,
Anxiety,
High blood pressure,
Type II diabetes.
I came across information that said the 1/2 ratio had been misunderstood and that it should be 1/1 ratio. I think kefir has a good magnesium content. I myself worked out that I have plenty of calcium (borne out by blood tests) in my diet and in fact it was more magnesium I needed. since supplementing and increasing magnesium rich foods, I no longer get muscle cramps and facial twitches but still working on the HBP. I also take between 600 and 1200 mcg vitamin K2 MK7 as I was supplementing with vitamin D3 for many years without the co-factors and did end up with calcium deposits on my heels that have now cleared up.
I was under the impression it was 1:2 Mg to Ca. I try to get as much nutrition from food as possible & I think my Mg intake from food is ok, & good with the additional supplements.
I would really struggle to have equal amounts of calcium and magnesium. I get up to about 1000mg calcium in my diet, probably about 400mg magnesium, plus supplement 100mg, which seems to be all I can tolerate.
Breakfast: a glass of kefir, a very little muesli, mixed with ground nuts and seeds, a little turmeric, cinnamon and maca powder, topped with a banana, and calcium fortified oat milk poured over. Lunch: a couple of sandwiches (often cheese or tuna) or home-made veggie soup, maybe some cucumber and red pepper, a couple of pieces of 85% dark chocolate and a fruit (usually an apple). Dinner: usually meat, a couple of veg and potato, followed by plain Greek yoghourt with a few blueberries or slice of pineapple. "Meat" includes dishes made with left-over meat - we usually have a joint, often chicken, on Sundays. About once a week I make something vegetarian - might increase that to twice a week; and fish once a week. Nuts and seeds are a very good source of calcium and magnesium and plain chocolate is excellent for magnesium. I also drink about 3 cups of milky decaff tea during the day, water and/or herbal tea the rest of the time. You can check how much calcium you're getting with this easy calculator: cgem.ed.ac.uk/research/rheu...
You have to increase the magnesium slowly, I'm up to between 700/1000 mg magnesium but I do have the odd bowel tolerance day - lol. I use different types of magnesium orally as well as foot baths and magnesium sprays/gels. I also eat more magnesium rich foods now.
Yes, I've tried that. I'm about to increase slightly and see what happens, but last time I tried I ended up having to stop the magnesium supplement altogether for a while! It's also the case that too much magnesium will cause an upset stomach, so it may simply be that I'm getting enough. I take bisglycinate, which is gentlest on the stomach.
Irish lass the doctors are all now saying do not take calcium in pill or any vitamin type calcium just take the foods that contain calcium , they say the pills can give heart attack or stroke as they are made of stuff not digested properly by the human body - stuff like lime stone and oyster shell are going to clog up the arteries
It’s the excess calcium that can cause atherosclerosis rather than what the calcium tablets are made from. Stones or shells have no way of reaching our arteries, but excess calcium can. The other bone health cofactors & some weight bearing exercise are important to ensure any digested & absorbed calcium reaches our bones.
After reading these replies about calcium I am concerned about the calcium supplement I am taking, Osteocare :
Nutritional Information
Average per 2 tablets
% NRV*
Vitamin D (as D3 1000 IU) 25 µg 500
Calcium 800 mg 100
Magnesium 300 mg 80
Zinc 10 mg 100
Copper 500 µg 50
Manganese 0.5 mg 25
Selenium 55 µg 100
Boron 0.6mg
My doctor referred me to a dietitian about 7 years ago for the low fodmap diet to help my IBS symptoms and the dietitian advised me to take a calcium supplement because of my not having much dairy produce in my diet. A couple of years later I was diagnosed with high cholesterol so I now have to watch my oil/fat intake, as I don't take statins. The gp prescribed a calcium supplement Accrete, (which I had to stop taking as it aggravated my gut ) with Risedronate. The doctor ok'd me taking Osteocare as a supplement. I do take other supplements for op but now wondering if I should have a complete overhaul of what I am taking - I do take Boron and Vit K2 MK7 Natto. I must admit I do have a very poor appetite as I am always careful about what I eat.
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