In case you’re searching for the finest vitamin C for osteoporosis, you’re heading in the right direction. Whereas most bone-health conversations deal with calcium, vitamin C is the nutrient that really lets your physique construct bone within the first place. With out it, the collagen scaffold that holds your skeleton collectively merely can not kind correctly — which is why scurvy (extreme vitamin C deficiency) causes enamel to fall out and bones to change into fragile.
On this information, Dr. Susan Brown — creator of Higher Bones, Higher Physique and developer of the Higher Bones Resolution — explains precisely what vitamin C does on your bones, which kind to take, how a lot you actually need, and why getting it proper issues extra as you age.
Vitamin C Is a Collagen Matrix Builder — The “Carpenter” of Your Skeleton
In Dr. Brown’s 20 Key Bone-Constructing Vitamins framework, vitamins work collectively throughout 4 cooperating techniques. Vitamin C belongs to the Collagen Matrix Builders — the crew that builds and weaves the versatile protein scaffolding that offers bone its tensile energy and fracture resistance.
Consider your bone as a home. Calcium and phosphorus are the bricks and concrete. Protein and collagen are the lumber. However even the best lumber doesn’t change into a home by itself — you want a carpenter to border it, be a part of it, and maintain it sq.. Vitamin C is that carpenter. It’s required for the enzymes (prolyl and lysyl hydroxylase) that cross-link collagen fibers into sturdy, secure triple-helix rope. With out enough vitamin C, new collagen is weak, disorganized, and can’t assist mineralization.
Dr. Brown’s therapeutic goal for vitamin C is 3,000–4,500 mg per day for ladies actively working to get well or protect bone well being — dramatically greater than the federal RDA of 75 mg for ladies, which was set to stop scurvy, to not construct optimum bone.
Three Methods Vitamin C Is Important for Wholesome Bones
Vitamin C is concerned in an important number of complicated and interrelated metabolic processes. Listed below are 3 ways by which it’s important for wholesome bones.
- Vitamin C assists within the formation of collagen. As described in our article on the nature of wholesome bones, bone mineral is laid down over a protein matrix referred to as collagen. Collagen is ample within the connective tissue of cartilage and bone — in truth, by quantity it makes up about 40% of our bones, serving as a assist construction for mineral deposits and giving bone its resilience.
- Vitamin C stimulates bone-building cells. Along with its position in collagen formation, vitamin C seems to stimulate the cells that construct bone (osteoblasts), improve calcium absorption, and improve vitamin D‘s impact on bone metabolism.
- Vitamin C helps adrenal hormones that shield bone. A 3rd position for vitamin C and bones is within the synthesis and optimum functioning of adrenal steroid hormones, which play a significant position in bone well being — particularly throughout perimenopause and menopause, when ovarian manufacturing of those hormones slows.
Though the RDA‘s for vitamin C are a really minimal 90 mg for males and 75 mg for ladies, nice numbers of Individuals don’t even devour this quantity. Many well-qualified scientists, together with the late Nobel laureate Linus Pauling, consider advisable ranges are extraordinarily low and that our well being can be enormously served by a a lot greater consumption per day. On the Heart for Higher Bones, sufferers are inspired to try for an consumption of 3,000–4,500 mg per day to get well and protect bone well being, and extra if particular person want is decided.
Finest Vitamin C for Osteoporosis: Which Type Ought to You Take?
Not all vitamin C dietary supplements are created equal — and for bone well being particularly, kind and supply actually do matter. Right here is how Dr. Brown ranks them.
1.Buffered Mineral Ascorbates (Dr. Brown’s Prime Alternative For Efficiency)
On the greater therapeutic doses Dr. Brown recommends, buffered mineral ascorbates — calcium ascorbate, magnesium ascorbate, potassium ascorbate, sodium ascorbate — are the only option. They ship a significant dose of vitamin C with out the acidifying impact of plain ascorbic acid, which might truly work in opposition to alkaline bone chemistry when taken in grams per day.
2. Liposomal Vitamin C
Liposomal formulations encase vitamin C in a phospholipid bubble, dramatically growing absorption and blood ranges. Whereas effectively absorbed these dietary supplements ship decrease than desired ranges of Vitamin C, are rather more costly, and don’t contribute minerals or alkalize the chemistry as does the Vitamin C delivered within the ascorbate kind.
3. Entire-Meals Vitamin C Complicated
Entire-food sources (acerola cherry, camu camu, amla, rose hips) ship vitamin C alongside the pure bioflavonoids, tyrosinase, rutin, and different cofactors that your physique advanced to make use of with ascorbic acid. Whereas pure the bio availibilty is decrease with meals sourced dietary supplements. At the moment resulting from extreme environmental pollution and toxins finest outcomes are seen with excessive dose ascorbate Vitamin C.
What to keep away from
Very excessive doses of plain ascorbic acid on an empty abdomen could be acidifying, irritate the intestine, and loosen stools — typically not ideally suited in case you are consuming an alkaline bone-building weight loss program.
How A lot Vitamin C Do You Want for Sturdy Bones?
Dosing is determined by your stage of life and objectives:
- Baseline wellness: 1500–2,000 mg/day
- Lively bone-building / postmenopausal girls: 3,000–4,500 mg/day, break up into 2–3 doses with meals
- Chemical Sensitivities: 5,000-10,000 mg/day
- Throughout sickness, stress, or lively therapeutic: Quickly greater doses could also be warranted underneath practitioner steerage (vitamin C demand rises sharply throughout stress and an infection)
Easy methods to take it: Cut up your dose all through the day — vitamin C is water-soluble and excreted comparatively shortly, so 500–1,000 mg two or thrice each day is much more practical than one large dose. For instance 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of our Alkalini-C powder taken 2 or 3 instances each day is much more practical than one large dose. All the time take with meals on the greater finish of the vary to keep away from a flush.
Get the Proper Vitamin C — and the Co-Elements It Works With
Dr. Brown’s Full Bone Complement Information walks you thru the precise vitamin C kinds, doses, and accomplice vitamins she recommends for constructing and defending bone after 50.
Finest Meals Sources of Vitamin C
Meals first, all the time — then add dietary supplements to fill the hole between what you eat and your therapeutic goal.
- Acerola cherry — by far probably the most concentrated pure supply (roughly 1,600 mg per 100 g)
- Camu camu and amla (Indian gooseberry) — accessible as powders you possibly can stir into smoothies
- Rose hips — wonderful as a tea or in jam
- Purple and yellow bell peppers — about 190 mg per cup uncooked
- Kiwi, strawberries, papaya, oranges, grapefruit
- Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, and parsley — bonus: these are additionally alkalizing and wealthy in vitamin Ok
Eat vitamin C meals uncooked or frivolously cooked at any time when potential — warmth, gentle, and lengthy storage all degrade the vitamin.
Vitamin C Works Finest With Its Accomplice Vitamins
As a result of vitamin C is the carpenter of the Collagen Matrix Builders, it really works hand-in-hand with the opposite members of that crew:
- Zinc — wanted for collagen synthesis and osteoblast operate
- Copper — cofactor for lysyl oxidase, which creates mature collagen cross-links
- Manganese — required for proteoglycan synthesis within the matrix
- Silicon (silica) — helps bridge the collagen-mineralization interface
- Protein and collagen peptides — the uncooked materials vitamin C helps assemble
Taking vitamin C alongside a collagen peptide dose earlier than weight-bearing train might give an additional increase to collagen synthesis in bone and connective tissue.
Placing It All Collectively
Vitamin C is likely one of the strongest — and most under-dosed — vitamins for bone well being. Getting 2,000–3,000 mg per day from the suitable kinds, paired with the remainder of the Collagen Matrix Builders and the complete Higher Bones program, is likely one of the easiest, most secure, and simplest issues you are able to do to guard and rebuild your skeleton.
Evaluate all of the choices in our complete useful resource on which dietary supplements truly assist bone density.
Able to Construct Stronger Bones — for Life?
Dr. Brown’s Higher Bones Resolution teaches her full 6-step protocol for lifelong sturdy bones — the identical program she has used with hundreds of girls to cease bone loss and construct new bone naturally.
Associated Studying From Higher Bones
Scientific References
- Sahni S, Hannan MT, Gagnon D, et al. Protecting impact of whole and supplemental vitamin C consumption on the chance of hip fracture — a 17-year follow-up from the Framingham Osteoporosis Examine. Osteoporos Int. 2009;20(11):1853-1861. PubMed
- Malmir H, Shab-Bidar S, Djafarian Ok. Vitamin C consumption in relation to bone mineral density and threat of hip fracture and osteoporosis: a scientific evaluate and meta-analysis of observational research. Br J Nutr. 2018;119(8):847-858. PubMed
- Aghajanian P, Corridor S, Wongworawat MD, Mohan S. The Roles and Mechanisms of Actions of Vitamin C in Bone: New Developments. J Bone Miner Res. 2015;30(11):1945-1955. PubMed
- Shaw G, Lee-Barthel A, Ross ML, Wang B, Baar Ok. Vitamin C–enriched gelatin supplementation earlier than intermittent exercise augments collagen synthesis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105(1):136-143. PubMed
- Nationwide Institutes of Well being, Workplace of Dietary Dietary supplements. Vitamin C — Well being Skilled Reality Sheet. ods.od.nih.gov
