Top bone health supplements for 2025

Bones literally provide structure to your body. Without them, you would melt like the Wicked Witch of the West. Okay, maybe a bit dramatic, but partially true.

While your muscles help you move your body, your bones are the foundation of your movement. They work together to help your body move and do the activities you enjoy doing. Besides movement, your bones protect vital organs, store minerals for essential bodily functions, and help produce red and white blood cells.

Now that you know how important your bones are, Life Extension dives into how you can support your bone health through supplementation. Hint: calcium alone likely is not enough.

Top 5 supplements to strengthen your bones

A number of vitamins and minerals play integral roles in keeping your bones strong and healthy.

1. Calcium: You probably predicted this one would be on the list. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body. It has various roles and makes up most of the structure in your bones and teeth. Getting enough calcium is crucial for your bone health. If you limit dairy or are dairy-free and do not plan your diet carefully, calcium supplementation could be beneficial.
2. Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. Without sufficient vitamin D, you don't use calcium effectively to build bones. A large portion of the U.S. population is lacking in vitamin D; therefore, supplementation may be necessary.
3. Magnesium: Magnesium helps your body absorb calcium by activating vitamin D and influencing parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion and activity. PTH regulates calcium levels in the blood. Magnesium also supports the bone remodeling process (bone mineral resorption and formation).
4. Vitamin K: This vitamin plays a key role in bone mineralization, helping to activate a protein that binds to calcium and helps get it out of the arteries and into the bone. This has the double benefit of protecting your bones and your cardiovascular health.
5. Zinc: This mineral is essential for healthy bone maintenance, supporting the balance between bone mineral resorption and remodeling. A sufficient intake of zinc helps promote bone health and healthy bone formation. Zinc and magnesium have a synergistic relationship, like teammates that help each other with absorption and use in the body.

Although not in the top five, trace minerals like boron and manganese also play a role in bone health, and boron supplementation may be especially advisable for postmenopausal women.

Which is the best form of calcium for bone density?

The answer to this question is: It's complicated. Why? For one, there are a variety of forms of calcium that you can take, and they differ in the amount of elemental calcium they deliver. For instance, calcium carbonate has more elemental calcium (40%) than calcium citrate (21%). This means 100 mg of calcium carbonate supplementation contains 40 mg of calcium, while 100 mg of calcium citrate only contains 21 mg of calcium.

But elemental calcium alone shouldn't be your deciding factor when choosing a supplement, because not all forms of calcium are easily tolerated and absorbed. Plus, calcium absorption rates can change with age and a variety of health factors, so the best form might be different from one person to the next.

Case in point: Calcium carbonate may not be as well-absorbed by your body, or as well-tolerated, as calcium citrate. Another form, calcium citrate-malate, has added malic acid and has been studied as an even better-absorbed form of calcium.

Overall, the best source of calcium for bone density depends on how well you can tolerate the form you choose for supplementation, while getting the appropriate dose of calcium. And the minerals and vitamins you take with your calcium make a difference. In fact, the best bone supplements offer a blend of three or four calcium forms along with vitamin D to optimize the absorption of your calcium supplementation.

Best vitamins to build bone health

Although bone health is often associated with minerals like calcium and magnesium, there are two key vitamins to consider for supplementation: vitamins D and K. You can often find vitamins D and K in a multivitamin, but usually in less-than-optimal doses. The best bone health supplements include the minerals and vitamins you need at clinically studied doses to help maintain bone density, bone strength, and overall bone health.

How to pick the right bone health supplement for you

Supporting bone health is important, especially as you age. Talk with your doctor or healthcare provider about supplementation to help maintain strong, healthy bones, and consider testing your bone mineral density through a DEXA scan to get more insight into the health of your bones.

When choosing supplementation, find high-quality nutrients that provide health benefits shown by clinical research studies, and products manufactured by a reliable and reputable company. You want well-studied bone health nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and vitamin K to ensure optimal support of your support system.

Can physical activity improve my bone health?

Absolutely. Physical activity has been shown to strengthen and maintain healthy bones as you age. Recommended exercise includes running, resistance training, and interval training, as well as other weight-bearing activities. Find an activity that you enjoy and do it frequently. Daily exercise is one of the best ways to encourage bone health, bone strength and healthy joints, as well as cardiovascular health, brain health, a healthy mood and so much more.