Bone Building Team

Here are the nutrients that play a significant role in building or maintaining strong and healthy bones. Along with some benefical lifestyle factors included too. Not in any particular order of importance. Some only needed in minor amounts. A typical good diet should be able to supply many or most of these nutrients. The four nutrients to pay special attention to include Vitamin K2, Magnesium, Potassium (foods), and vitamin D. The five lifestyle items to watch include weight bearing exercise, dietary fruits and vegetables, gut microbiome (gut bacteria, Probiotics), healthy weight, and with your Doctor, hormone balance. 

• calcium
• phosphorous
• magnesium
• zinc
• copper
• boron
• manganese
• silicon
• chromium
• cobalt
• potassium (food sources only)
• vitamin D3
• sun exposure for natural D
• vitamin K2
• vitamin K1
• vitamin E
• vitamin C
• vitamin A
• natural beta carotene
• protein
• essential fatty acids 
• collagen peptides
• vitamin B12
• biotin 
• B-complex
• weight bearing exercise
• vegetables & fruits
• maintain healthy weight
• healthy hormone levels article article
• healthy gut microbiome
• strontium (not necessary for healthy bones, significant adverse effects over time. Only use under medical supervision, small amount in natural diet OK) 
• overall health of body systems and organs

Obviously, many if not most of the needed nutrients would be amply supplied by a healthy diet. For the others, like vitamin K2 and magnesium, getting the right amount can be difficult since these nutrients play mulitple roles in different body functions. Vitmain K2 not only helps build bones, it also helps regulate blood sugar, and in males is involved with mechanisms to maintain healthy prostate tissue. Taking the amount recommended for one conditon might not be the amount needed for another function. Finding a healthy balance point is still under development. Magnesium is involved in over 300 body functions, like opening cell doors for calcium to rush in, or activating vitamin D from the storage form into the active hormone form. 

On the negative side.

• diabetes and certain other diseases ref
• kidney disease
• kidney stone formation 
• various medicines
• poor sleeping habits
• sedentary lifestyle
• smoking
• excessive legumes in diet (phytates in beans can bind to and eliminate out of body minerals like calcium, although phytates also have other vital roles in health like kidney stone prevention, so some may be beneficial in controlled amounts, other mineral rich foods will hellp cover what is lost)
• high sugar diet
• Chronic excess vitamin A increase hip fracture risk
• excess vitamin B6 and vitamin 12 increase hip fractures ref
• excess coffee (diuretic for calcium)
• sodas (high sugar, phosphorous impedes calcium absorption, plus excess phosphorous binds calcium to increase calcification of soft tissues, like artery walls)
• high sodium diet (sodium increases calcium elimination since a sodium regulating molecule also plays a role in calcium balance)
• excess caffeine
• excess red meat and other animal proteins (high sulfur containing protein leading to higher body acid load needing buffering)
• high chemical diet (artificial sweeteners, endocrine and hormone disrupters, pesticides, etc,)
• heavy toxic metal contamination (some fish, collagen sources, rice proteins, and certain other supplements if not tested regularly may contribute here too)