Understanding Your Bone Health Supplement Label

With the risk of bone density loss increasing as you age, you have made the decision to boost bone health. In addition to a healthy diet and regular exercise, supplements can help support healthy bone density. The trouble is that many supplement labels misrepresent what’s inside. You need to know what to look for to make sure you are getting optimal support.

Important Information to Look For

Your bone health journey is under way, but there are so many supplement options out there. How can you be sure of which one to pick?

Having the right information will help you make the right purchase and ensure you use your supplement effectively and safely. Your bone health supplement label is the place to go for the information you need. The important features to look for include:

• Suggested use: Because supplements are regulated as food, every label must provide information about suggested use or servings. It is important to take only the recommended amount for effective and safe results.
• Cautions/warnings: Cautions and warnings must be clearly printed on labels to let people know who should avoid use and advise if precautions should be taken. Some ingredients may interact with medications or other supplements, or may need to be avoided for certain medical conditions.
• Storage: This information helps preserve the quality and freshness of the ingredients for optimal health results.

1MD Nutrition’s OsteoMD® features each of these on the box and right side of the bottle label:

• Expiration date: There should always be an expiration date listed to provide assurance that your supplement will contain the claimed potency until the date provided.
• Dietary seals: All dietary restrictions must be addressed clearly on the label.

• Quality standards: The Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) logo offers assurance that your supplement was made according to the current FDA good manufacturing practices (cGMPs).
• Manufacturer information: A quality supplement will provide the manufacturer’s information, including phone number, email, and website so that you can reach out to them with any questions or concerns about their product.
• Ingredient sources: Just as important as the ingredients themselves is where they came from. Check your label for information on where ingredients come from, how they are sourced, and if practices are sustainable and responsible.

One final thing to look for is a statement of FDA compliance. Including a statement like the one below shows that the manufacturer is compliant with FDA regulations and is an assurance that the company has integrity for their products and the statements that they make.

Failure to include this statement would be a red flag that the company is not following basic regulations to ensure their product is safe and effective.

Bone Health Supplements

You have the information you need to identify the quality supplements. Now, you can take a deeper dive into which ingredients are included, and what benefits you can expect.

To ensure you get a high-quality bone health supplement, these are the key features of the label that you want to focus on:

The functional description provides you with a summary of the supplement, including benefit claims. As an example, the OsteoMD® description is located on the box.

The health function category should be labeled clearly and in bold, so you can quickly identify the main health attribute and which part of your body will benefit. In addition to this, a quality supplement will also provide highlighted function claims, so you can easily identify benefits at a glance.

When looking at OsteoMD®, you can immediately identify the main health attribute, and the key health benefits, both of which are included on the box and bottle label.

After identifying the benefits, you should look over the ingredients to learn what exactly is in your supplement.

Every supplement should include a supplement facts table listing every ingredient with its amount per serving and the %DV (the percentage of the daily recommended value, this amount of a given ingredient is).

Don’t panic if you don’t see anything listed under the percentage daily value column. This is normal for supplements and simply means that the FDA has not made an official recommendation for how much of this nutrient you should have.

• Vitamin D3 daily recommended dose is 600IU for adults up to age 70 and 800IU for those over 70. As part of your daily routine, vitamin D3 boosts the absorption of calcium and phosphorus for bone mineralization and bone density support.
• Calcium Hydroxyapatite is the substance on which bone cells build bone and is considered safe when taken up to 1500 mg per day. When paired with vitamin D3, this mineral builds stronger bones.
• MenaQ7® is an optimal form of vitamin K2, which supports bone cell activity by binding calcium to the bone matrix for a stronger structure. At the clinically effective dose of 180 mcg, MenaQ7® is considered safe for consumption.
• Calzbone® is a patented standardized extract of Cissus quadrangularis formula, which supports osteoblast function and enzyme activity that boosts bone metabolism and skeletal strength. Calzbone® is considered safe for adult supplementation when taken as recommended.

When it comes to choosing your bone health supplement, keep an eye out for unnecessary fillers or additives. These additions are frequently listed under ‘other ingredients’. Some help bind the ingredients together or make up the capsule, like vegetable cellulose or silica, but others are unnecessary and should be avoided.

Final Thoughts

I have a strong appreciation for the benefits that naturally-sourced supplements have for keeping your bones string and healthy. But, you want a supplement you can trust. I stand behind 1MD Nutrition’s products, and their product labels have everything you need to make the choice easy. Just look at the OsteoMD® label — all the information you need and all the ingredients your bones want!