A Closer Look at Bone Health; it’s More Than Just Taking Calcium

 (this blog is also featured on CanPrev's Blog)

Bone tissue is very dynamic because it is constantly being remodelled by dissolving and replacing minerals to keep the bones healthy. Osteoporosis is a disease where the bone is dissolving and losing minerals faster than it can be replaced making the bones hollow, porous and very susceptible to fractures.

It is common knowledge that calcium and vitamin D3 are needed for increasing bone health, both of which are fairly prevalent in North American diets. Yet magnesium, boron, zinc, vitamin K1 and K2 are equally important in proper bone maintenance to make sure calcium is directed to the bones and not deposited elsewhere in the body such as the heart. Can Prev’s Osteo Prolong and Vitamin D3/K2 are formulated with these nutrients so they work together synergistically in absorbable forms to help maintain bone health but also muscles, teeth and skin.

The pH balance in the body is another factor important to bone health that is not usually addressed or well known. The reason this is important is that the blood needs to stay at the pH level of  7.0-7.4. This is a very tightly regulated system in the body so if the body is undergoing an acidic state (i.e. smoking, stress, nutrient poor diet, and pharmaceuticals etc), the body will draw from the bones to get the minerals needed that are alkaline in nature. The alkaline nutrients that are helping to buffer the blood are calcium, potassium and magnesium, the very nutrients we want to stay in our bones!

Can Prev’s pH Pro is a formula containing sodium bicarbonate, spirulina, magnesium bicarbonate and potassium, all nutrients that are alkaline to decrease acidity and keep those precious nutrients in the bones. In each bottle of CanPrev pH Pro there are pH test strips so you can check your pH using urine or saliva. If you tend to be acidic, then start increasing your alkalinity by taking 1 or 2 caps of this formula.

The prevention of osteoporosis actually begins in childhood and adolescence to gain as much bone density as possible by the age of 20 - 30 and then to maintain that density for the rest of adulthood. Having a youth’s diet full of healthful nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, vitamin D3, K1 and K2 and zinc from a varied diet are essential in providing the building blocks for the bones to grow and be maintained.

Beverages such as soft drinks and energy drinks are popular among youth should be limited. They contain both phopsphoric acid and caffeine which increase the amount of calcium lost from the bones. Caffeine causes about 6 mg of calcium to be lost for every 100mg of caffeine ingested. About 2 cups or a 16 oz of coffee contain 320 mg of caffeine which can leach about 20 mg of calcium from your body.

Processed foods are usually very high in  salt, which is another substance that should be limited because every 2.3g of salt consumed about 40 mg of calcium is lost in the urine.


In adulthood multiple factors start to add up that can deplete bone minerals such physical inactivity, smoking, stress, alcohol, recreational drugs, increase of salt, caffeine and sugar,  pharmaceutical drugs such as corticosteroids and proton pump inhibitors and hormonal changes in women.

Even pregnancy can leave the female depleted in many nutrients, as the requirement for calcium is very high due to the developing skeletal frame and formation of teeth, thus taking Can Prev’s Prenatal Multi ensures that the mother is receiving the therapeutic amounts of bioavailable calcium and vitamin D3 for the baby.  

Taking Can Prev’s Osteo Prolong and Can Prev’s Vitamin D3/K2  are easy additions for those at risk for osteoporosis.  Can Prev’s Adult Multi and Can Prev Core for Women or Can Prev Core for Men are also important to add in to help balance out the unfavourable bone loss health lifestyle factors that may be occuring.