Bone Brigade
Calcium alone does not a strong bone make. Here is a sampling of the supporting cast behind bone building:
- Boron: Increases calcium absorption, reduces the amount of calcium excreted in urine and even helps raise estrogen levels. Get boron from fruits such as apples, grapes, pears and peaches, as well as nuts and beans.
- Vitamin A: For metabolizing calcium; people deficient in vitamin A often wind up with too much calcium in the blood, due to bone being reabsorbed. Get vitamin A from carrots, collard greens, spinach and sweet potatoes.
- Vitamin D: D promotes calcium absorption. Get vitamin D from avocado, fortified cereals, rice, vitamin-enriched cow's milk, soy, sardines, salmon, herring and mackerel.
- Magnesium: Needed to absorb Vitamin D. Get magnesium from beans (black, white, kidney), tofu, almonds and cashews.
- Vitamin K: Vitamin K allows osteocalcin—the bone protein that binds calcium to its scaffold—to do its work. Get vitamin K from dark, leafy greens like broccoli and spinach.
The Calcium Conundrum
If you don't get enough of the stuff from diet alone, here's how to narrow down over-the-counter selections.
