Strontium as a bone supplement

Strontium is a nutrient from the same mineral family as calcium and magnesium that is being heralded as an effective substances for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

A French pharmaceutical company named Servier has created strontium ranelate. Servier has conducted studies of the drug which show increased bone mineral density and reduced risk of fracture.

Servier's study results involving 1,649 postmenopausal women with severe osteoporosis were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine and revealed a significant reduction in vertebral compression fractures in women treated with strontium ranelate.

However, not everyone is jumping on the strontium ranelate bandwagon. Some experts point out that Strontium is a heavy mineral which is taken up in newly forming bone and contributes to the absorption of X-rays used to calculate bone density -- and this can account for some of the observed increases in bone mineral density.

Natural health advocates are convinced that natural forms of the mineral can yield results similar to those using the synthetic ranelate form. A variety of natural heath supplement forms of Strontium are available, such as “Strontium Support”.

Guidelines and warnings for supplementing your diet with strontium:

• Strontium is not a replacement for calcium or vitamin D -- in fact all the studies utilized these in addition to strontium.
• Strontium works best when you add 1500 mg of calcium and 800 IU vitamin D to your supplement regime.
• Strontium should NOT be taken with meals or with calcium. It's best taken on an empty stomach.
• How much do you need? Recent trials have used 680 mg of "elemental strontium." Read labels carefully to establish how much elemental strontium your supplement is providing.
• Check with a physician before taking Strontium.