Osteoporosis & Bone Density

You build bone with load, supplements support, they don't substitute.

Evidence last reviewed May 2026

The letters on this page

Eight interventions on this page. Four carry a letter; four are listed without one, with the reason.

Cautions

•Vitamin K2 can reduce the anticoagulant effect of warfarin and other vitamin K antagonists; changes in vitamin K intake can destabilize INR control. Direct oral anticoagulants are not affected in the same way.
•Long-term PPI use is associated with lower magnesium and vitamin B12.
•Long-term corticosteroid use is associated with bone loss and with lower calcium and vitamin D. Bone protection is a decision for the prescribing physician.

Published cutoffs · retest cadence

25-OH Vitamin D

No optimal concentration established (sufficiency cutpoint 20 ng/mL)

Retest @ 12w

DEXA T-score

Above -1.0 is the normal range in the WHO diagnostic definition (PMID 7976495)

Retest @ 104w

CTX (bone resorption marker)

No target value is set.

Interventions · evidence-graded

Resistance training 3×/week (heavy)

LIFTMOR trial

Impact loading (jumping, walking with weighted vest)

Not graded for this use. EBL has no graded record for impact loading as an intervention in its own right. The bone-loading evidence on this site sits under progressive-overload resistance training.

Vitamin D3 2,000-5,000 IU + K2 MK-7

Calcium (dietary first), 1,000-1,200 mg/day from food

Not graded for this use. Not separately graded. EBL grades interventions at a studied dose and protocol; habitual dietary intake does not have one.

Collagen peptides 10-15g + vit C

Not graded for this use. Collagen peptides are graded on activity-related joint pain (B) and skin (C). One 12-month trial in postmenopausal women reported higher bone density and is noted on the record but not graded, so this row carries no letter.

Magnesium glycinate 300-400mg

Not graded for this use. Magnesium has no graded bone use.

Also on this condition's record · evidence-graded

Vitamin K2 (MK-7)

Creatine

Tested directly in two 2-year randomized trials and null on bone mineral density at every site. The previous note here claimed a loading effect via lean mass; that is a mechanism, and the mechanism was tested.

When to consult your physician

Anything in this page is educational only. Whether to start, stop or change a supplement for this condition, and how it fits with any medication you take, is a decision for your clinician. The Drug-Nutrient Depletion tool and the Contraindications Search are designed to help you prepare that conversation.

Medical disclaimer

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any grade on this page describes the strength of published human trial evidence in the populations studied. It is not a recommendation for any individual and is not medical advice. Starting, stopping or changing any supplement or medication is a decision for your physician.