Zinc’s Role in Bone Health

Experts commonly recommend several nutrients to help build strong, healthy bones, especially calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D.

But there’s another mineral that’s also essential for bone health.

Zinc is often overlooked by mainstream bone-building protocols. It is critical for growth and maintenance of healthy bone.

Zinc both prevents the breakdown of bone and helps form new bone. It’s a building block of bone itself. And it reduces the inflammation that can damage bone.

Daily oral intake of zinc in combination with other essential bone nutrients can help maintain strong bones well into older age.

Bone Remodeling

We have more than 200 bones in our body.¹

About 90% of bone volume is made up of minerals and various proteins.²

The remaining 10% is occupied by different kinds of cells, including osteoclasts and osteoblasts. ²

Bone is not a static organ. It is constantly going through a process known as remodeling.^2,3

During this process, osteoclasts break down and remove old and damaged bone, transferring minerals from bone tissue to blood.

Osteoblasts use those minerals to form healthy new bone.³

When this process works the way it’s supposed to, our bone mineral density or bone mass remains at an optimal level.

As we age, bone mineral density often begins to decline. This problem can be made worse by other factors, including low levels of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, and others, as well as a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and more.⁴

The Threat of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by a severe reduction in bone mass. It causes bones to become fragile and prone to fracture. It may lead to reduced quality of life, disability, and sometimes death.⁵

It is estimated that about 10 million Americans over age 50 have osteoporosis,⁶ which literally means “porous bone.” People often don’t know they have it until they suffer a fracture.

An additional 43 million Americans have osteo-penia,⁶ a bone mineral density that is lower than normal but not low enough to qualify as osteoporosis.

Physicians routinely recommend increased calcium and vitamin D intake to maintain and preserve bone mass.^7,8

This approach is not sufficient. Bone remodeling is a complex process that requires sufficient intake of many other nutrients, including zinc, magnesium and vitamin K.

Zinc is often neglected in discussions of bone health. But without enough zinc, building strong bones is impossible.⁹

Zinc and Healthy Bones

Zinc is an essential mineral that plays diverse roles in the human body. It is needed for proper immune function, cell replication, protein synthesis, and more.¹⁰

Zinc is also required for the growth, development, and maintenance of healthy bones.⁹

Low dietary intake and blood levels of zinc are associated with osteoporosis in adult men¹¹ and postmenopausal women.¹²

One study showed that average zinc levels were significantly lower in osteoporotic women than in either those with osteopenia or normal women.¹³

In one randomized controlled trial, oral intake of zinc prevented decreases in bone density in postmenopausal women with low zinc consumption.¹⁴

Zinc’s Role in Bone Formation

Zinc appears to increase bone formation in a few different ways.

It plays a role in the synthesis of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a protein that plays an important part in the maintenance of bone health.¹⁵

What you need to know

Zinc Helps Build Stronger Bones

• As we age, our bone mineral density tends to decline. This can eventually lead to osteoporosis and fractures.
• Many nutrients, like calcium and vitamin D, are known to be essential for bone health. But the mineral zinc is also essential for building strong bones, though it is often overlooked.
• In studies, adults with osteoporosis have lower levels of zinc than adults with healthy bones.
• Research shows that zinc inhibits the breakdown of bone, helps in the formation of new bone, and prevents chronic inflammation and oxidative damage that can harm bones.
• Life Extension suggests a total intake of 25 mg to 50 mg of zinc daily, along with other nutrients to support healthy bone mineral density and protect against fractures.

This mineral has also been shown to stimulate the expression of a transcription factor related to the differentiation of stem cells to pre-osteoblast cells (precursor cells that become osteoblasts).¹⁶

Keep in mind that bone is constantly going through a process known as remodeling.^2,3

Studies also indicate that zinc increases the activity of an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase, which spurs osteoblasts to begin forming new bone.^16,17

In one study, patients with traumatic bone fractures received either 50 mg per day of zinc or a placebo.¹⁷

After 60 days, zinc intake had positive effects on the formation of callus, the bony and cartilaginous material that forms on a bone fracture during repair. Zinc also resulted in a significant elevation of alkaline phosphatase activity.¹⁷

At the same time that zinc helps in bone formation, it inhibits bone breakdown by osteoclasts.¹⁸ This helps support the proper balance between old bone and new bone, known as bone remodeling.

Nutrients to Promote Bone Health

Bones are a dynamic, living tissue, with all the vulnerabilities to damage as any other tissue. Zinc is important for the maintenance of healthy bones. Other ingredients promoting bone health:

Calcium provides the bulk of the mineral content of bones and vitamin D3 promotes calcium uptake from the gut.²³

Magnesium regulates calcium movement into and between bone cells, increasing bone mineral density.²⁴

Vitamin K is essential for bone strength.^25,26 Low vitamin K status is associated with decreased bone mineral density and increased risk of fracture.²⁷

Manganese functions as an essential cofactor (helper molecule) for enzymes that promote the growth of bone and prevent damaging oxidative stress.²⁸

Silicon improves the quality of bone matrix (the non-mineral part of bone composed of collagen and other proteins) and facilitates the bone-building process known as mineralization.²⁹

Boron is a trace mineral that has beneficial effects for bone and joint strength.³⁰

Stronger, Healthier Bones

Zinc doesn’t just help in the process of formation of bone. It plays a structural role in the skeleton as well.

It is the most abundant trace mineral in the human skeleton. (Macrominerals like calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium are present in higher amounts.) Roughly 85% of zinc in the body is found in muscle and bone.¹⁸

Zinc is crucial for normal development and function of immune cells, which help protect against immune senescence and chronic inflammation.¹⁹ In bone, chronic inflammation may disrupt bone remodeling and result in bone loss.^20,21

Zinc is also required for vitamin D to work properly inside cells. Several vitamin D-dependent genes are influenced by zinc concentrations.²²

Summary

Bone health depends on a variety of nutrients, not just calcium and vitamin D.

The mineral zinc is often overlooked, but plays a vital role in building strong, healthy bone, and preventing osteoporosis.

It diminishes bone breakdown and stimulates bone formation, and is also required for the proper functioning of vitamin D.

It is essential to make sure you’re getting enough zinc on a daily basis, especially as you age.

Many dietary supplement users receive zinc with their multivitamin formulas. Life Extension® suggests a total intake of 25 mg to 50 mg of zinc daily.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension® Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

References

1. Clarke B. Normal bone anatomy and physiology. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2008 Nov;3 Suppl 3(Supplement 3):S131-9.
2. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441968/. Accessed January 26, 2021.
3. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499863/. Accessed January 26, 2021.
4. Amin N, Clark CCT, Taghizadeh M, et al. Zinc supplements and bone health: The role of the RANKL-RANK axis as a therapeutic target. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2020 Jan;57:126417.
5. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441901/. Accessed January 26, 2021.
6. Wright NC, Looker AC, Saag KG, et al. The recent prevalence of osteoporosis and low bone mass in the United States based on bone mineral density at the femoral neck or lumbar spine. J Bone Miner Res. 2014 Nov;29(11):2520-6.
7. Goode SC, Wright TF, Lynch C. Osteoporosis Screening and Treatment: A Collaborative Approach. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. 2020;16(1):60-3.
8. Sunyecz JA. The use of calcium and vitamin D in the management of osteoporosis. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2008 Aug;4(4):827-36.
9. Yamaguchi M. Role of nutritional zinc in the prevention of osteoporosis. Mol Cell Biochem. 2010 May;338(1-2):241-54.
10. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/. Accessed January 26, 2021.
11. Hyun TH, Barrett-Connor E, Milne DB. Zinc intakes and plasma concentrations in men with osteoporosis: the Rancho Bernardo Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Sep;80(3):715-21.
12. Okyay E, Ertugrul C, Acar B, et al. Comparative evaluation of serum levels of main minerals and postmenopausal osteoporosis. Maturitas. 2013 Dec;76(4):320-5.
13. Mahdavi-Roshan M, Ebrahimi M, Ebrahimi A. Copper, magnesium, zinc and calcium status in osteopenic and osteoporotic post-menopausal women. Clin Cases Miner Bone Metab. 2015 Jan-Apr;12(1):18-21.
14. Nielsen FH, Lukaski HC, Johnson LK, et al. Reported zinc, but not copper, intakes influence whole-body bone density, mineral content and T score responses to zinc and copper supplementation in healthy postmenopausal women. Br J Nutr. 2011 Dec;106(12):1872-9.
15. Guo J, Xie J, Zhou B, et al. The influence of zinc supplementation on IGF-1 levels in humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of King Saud University - Science. 2020;32(3):1824-30.
16. Yamaguchi M. Nutritional zinc plays a pivotal role in bone health and osteoporosis prevention. Edorium J Nutr Diet 2014;1:1-8.
17. Sadighi A, Roshan MM, Moradi A, et al. The effects of zinc supplementation on serum zinc, alkaline phosphatase activity and fracture healing of bones. Saudi Med J. 2008 Sep;29(9):1276-9.
18. O’Connor JP, Kanjilal D, Teitelbaum M, et al. Zinc as a Therapeutic Agent in Bone Regeneration. Materials. 2020;13(10):2211.
19. Gammoh NZ, Rink L. Zinc in Infection and Inflammation. Nutrients. 2017 Jun 17;9(6):624.
20. Scholtysek C, Kronke G, Schett G. Inflammation-associated changes in bone homeostasis. Inflamm Allergy Drug Targets. 2012 Jun;11(3):188-95.
21. Maruyama M, Rhee C, Utsunomiya T, et al. Modulation of the Inflammatory Response and Bone Healing. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020 2020-June-11;11(386):386.
22. Shams B, Afshari E, Tajadini M, et al. The relationship of serum vitamin D and Zinc in a nationally representative sample of Iranian children and adolescents: The CASPIAN-III study. Med J Islam Repub Iran. 2016;30:430.
23. Moyer VA, Force* USPST. Vitamin D and calcium supplementation to prevent fractures in adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2013 May 7;158(9):691-6.
24. Mammoli F, Castiglioni S, Parenti S, et al. Magnesium Is a Key Regulator of the Balance between Osteoclast and Osteoblast Differentiation in the Presence of Vitamin D(3). Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Jan 17;20(2).
25. Fujita Y, Iki M, Tamaki J, et al. Association between vitamin K intake from fermented soybeans, natto, and bone mineral density in elderly Japanese men: the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study. Osteoporos Int. 2012 Feb;23(2):705-14.
26. Bullo M, Estruch R, Salas-Salvado J. Dietary vitamin K intake is associated with bone quantitative ultrasound measurements but not with bone peripheral biochemical markers in elderly men and women. Bone. 2011 Jun 1;48(6):1313-8.
27. Rodriguez-Olleros Rodriguez C, Diaz Curiel M. Vitamin K and Bone Health: A Review on the Effects of Vitamin K Deficiency and Supplementation and the Effect of Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants on Different Bone Parameters. J Osteoporos. 2019;2019:2069176.
28. Available at: https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/manganese. Accessed January 23, 2020.
29. Price CT, Koval KJ, Langford JR. Silicon: a review of its potential role in the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Int J Endocrinol. 2013;2013:316783.
30. Pizzorno L. Nothing Boring About Boron. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2015 Aug;14(4):35-48.