Skip to main content

What the reviews found

Supplements for Bone Health

6 where systematic reviews concluded a benefit, 2 with mixed findings, 3 where they concluded no effect. Every line quotes the review and links it, so you can read the sentence yourself.

Reviews found a benefit

Systematic reviews concluded these improve an outcome tied to bone health, and none concluded no effect.

  1. Benefitbone turnover markers (osteocalcin/ucoc)
    Vitamin K2 supplementation improves key bone turnover biomarkers, particularly OC and ucOC. PMID 41268154
    Benefitbone mineral density
    VK2 supplementation has a positive effect on the maintenance and improvement of BMD LS in postmenopausal women PMID 36033779
    Benefitfracture incidence
    it can also reduce the fracture incidence, serum uc-OC levels and the ratio of uc-OC to cOC. PMID 36033779
  2. Vitamin K1
    3 reviews cited
    Benefitfracture incidence
    supplementation with phytonadione (Vitamin K1) and menaquinone (Vitamin K2) , particularly menaquinone-4, is associated with increased BMD and reduced fracture incidence. PMID 18830045
  3. Isoflavones
    2 reviews cited
    Benefitbone mineral density
    attenuate lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) loss PMID 31689947 · 2 reviews
  4. Benefitbone mineral density
    synbiotics, soy isoflavones, naringin, curcumin, and resveratrol effectively improve bone mineral density, restore gut microbiota balance, and inhibit pathological bone resorption via the gut-bone axis. PMID 42352378 · 2 reviews
  5. Benefitbone mineral density
    synbiotics, soy isoflavones, naringin, curcumin, and resveratrol effectively improve bone mineral density, restore gut microbiota balance, and inhibit pathological bone resorption via the gut-bone axis PMID 42352378
  6. Benefitbone metabolism
    The studies reported the positive effects of the investigated phenolic compounds on bone metabolism and their potential application as adjuvant treatments for osteoporosis, bone tumours, and periodontitis. PMID 36079777

Mixed: a benefit on one measure, no effect on another

  1. No effectfracture and fall prevention
    this review found little to no benefits from use of calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation on the prevention of fractures and falls. PMID 42161415
    Benefitbone mineral density
    Dairy products fortified with calcium and vitamin D have a favorable effect on bone mineral density. PMID 33237064
    Benefithip fracture
    Combined calcium and vitamin D supplementation could prevent osteoporosis hip fracture in postmenopausal women. PMID 33237064
  2. No effectfractures and falls
    this review found little to no benefits from use of calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation on the prevention of fractures and falls. PMID 42161415
    Benefithip fracture(as Cholecalciferol)
    Daily oral supplementation 800 IU of vitamin D3 plus 1200 mg of calcium reduces hip fracture and non-vertebral fracture in older people. PMID 35842938
    No effectfemoral neck bone mineral density(as Cholecalciferol)
    Administering vitamin D3 and calcium supplements had no effect in increasing the femoral neck BMD. PMID 35842938

Reviews found no effect

Reviews studied these for an outcome tied to bone health and concluded they made no difference.

  1. Bacillus subtilis
    1 review cited
    No effectbone mineral density
    Effects of probiotic interventions on BMD were inconsistent, with the majority of studies demonstrating no benefit at the spine or hip. PMID 34748440
  2. 1 review cited
    No effectgrowth and fractures
    We judged the evidence to be of low quality and found no evidence of differences between groups for clinically important outcomes including growth and fractures. PMID 28238222
  3. 1 review cited
    No effectmortality after hip fracture(as Vitamin B1)
    but that they have no clear effect on mortality. PMID 27898998

Not enough to say

Reviews of Bifidobacterium longum, Creatine, DHEA, Potassium could not conclude either way on bone health.

How this page is built

Each finding is the conclusion a set of systematic reviews reached on one outcome — whether an ingredient helped, made no difference, or could not be judged — with a sentence quoted from one review, checked to appear in its PubMed abstract. It records the direction, not the size, of an effect. Reviews run in populations such as people with cancer, pregnancy, surgery or children are left out, because applying them to a general reader would mislead. Evidence last refreshed September 2026. Abstracts courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed).

Other goals

Educational only. A review finding a benefit on average does not mean a supplement will help you, or that it is safe alongside your medication. If you are treated for bone health, talk to your clinician before adding anything.