Reviewed by Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD
Dr. Susan E. Brown has pioneered the natural nutrition-based approach to bone health for over 30 years, including the formulation of her landmark bone supplement, Better Bones Builder.
If you are considering taking Builder to help you build stronger bones, you may be curious about how much calcium and Vitamin D are in the formula, why certain other ingredients are included (or not included), how long it takes to see improvements, and how Builder is different from other bone supplements. Dr. Brown has taken time to provide her expert insights into all of these questions — and more — to help you make informed decisions.
Watch Dr. Brown’s video or keep reading to find out how Builder has helped thousands of women build stronger bones for life — and how it can help you too.
[Video transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.]
Question: Builder contains 300 mg of calcium. Is that enough? Can I take more?
Dr. Brown: The amount of calcium you need from a supplement depends on the amount of calcium you’re getting in your diet, including calcium added to processed foods you eat. In today’s typical diet, calcium from both dairy and non-dairy sources is ample. For example, a glass of non-dairy oat milk may contain 50% more calcium than dairy milk! Research suggests that the average adult woman consumes 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium through diet alone.
This increase in calcium in the diets of most women has changed our thinking about the mineral. The old idea that you need thousands of milligrams of supplemented calcium to protect bone is no longer held to be true. We can also see that while calcium is an important player in bone health, it is also a minor player in a certain sense and we don’t need high amounts to get its benefits for bone. Plus, taking unnecessarily high doses of calcium might contribute to certain health risks for women.
Are you eating yogurt, which is great for bone? Are you eating other fortified foods? Is your orange juice fortified with calcium? Are you eating leafy greens that are high in calcium? The research is clear that if we have 800 milligrams of calcium between diet and supplements, that’s maxing out the benefit on bone. Builder is formulated with 300 milligrams of calcium for this reason, giving you enough to cover your needs.
How much Vitamin D is in Builder and is it enough?
Dr. Brown: Builder contains 2,000 units of Vitamin D. The neat thing about Vitamin D is you can measure your level — and everyone should do this! I just saw research from Iran about risk fractures and everyone who fractured a wrist was Vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D deficiency is strongly related to fracture risk. You want at least a 40 to 60 NG level of Vitamin D.
For most women, the 2000 IU is just what they need to replenish and maintain ideal Vitamin D levels, but if you take Builder and you say “Hey, the 2,000 units isn’t quite enough for me. My level is only 35.” Then you can just add more Vitamin D. My tip: Test your Vitamin D level at the end of the summer to see your highest level, and test again at the end of winter to determine your lowest level of Vitamin D. If you are not peaking in the 50 to 60 ND range, or your winter levels are under 40 ND, then add extra Vitamin D.
Why isn’t there any strontium in Builder?
Dr. Brown: Strontium is a mineral that is not needed in high amounts for bone health, but in tiny trace amounts it can be helpful. We actually consume maybe two to four milligrams in our food and maybe one milligram in our water each day, which gives us all the strontium our bones need. For most of us, no added supplementation is needed.
There is so much confusion around strontium because in Europe, strontium is used in a bone drug. Let me clear this up: This is a synthetic form of strontium at a very high dose of 640 milligrams, which is, of course, thousands of times the daily intake that we get naturally.
Please always keep this distinction in mind when reading about strontium. Natural strontium is not a high-dose drug therapy and the research suggests that the amount we get through water and food is enough for the average person to reap the benefits of the mineral.
How long does it take to see improvements?
Dr. Brown: How long it takes to see improvements after starting Builder varies by individual situation. I’ve seen individuals who use Builder and within a year they notice improvement, particularly if an individual is low in any of these key nutrients like low in Vitamin D, or they’re not getting enough manganese, zinc, copper, boron, or they’re low in antioxidants. This formula has many, many antioxidants. It has a complete B complex, and all the key bone minerals. So if you’re low in some of those, you can respond quickly. And of course, if you engage in exercise for your bones, you will respond better. Reducing your stress and reducing the things that cause a loss of minerals in the body, like excessive alcohol, excessive caffeine, and even excessive stress, are another way to fast track positive results.
Why take Builder over other bone building supplements on the market?
Dr. Brown: I was really delighted a few decades ago to develop the Better Bones Builder because it is a unique formula that includes all of the essential nutrients you need for building bone and for building overall health.
Builder is a comprehensive formula with all the key minerals that are vitally important for building bone. It has a total B complex, which is important for bone and energy and everything within the body. We often forget that bone loss is due to oxidative damage due to a lack of antioxidants. Builder provides a powerful array of bone-protective antioxidants, including Vitamin C, Vitamin E, quercetin, curcumin, green tea and Lycopene.
If you know of my work, you know that to us, pH chemistry balance is extremely important. An acid condition causes a direct loss of bone, so we want to alkalize with fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, but also all of our minerals are in alkalizing forms, helping with overall acid/alkaline balance.
Builder is the best product that there is on bone, the most comprehensive one, the most complete product for bone, and it also serves as an excellent multivitamin and mineral at the same time.
Is Builder the right formula for your bone health concerns? Take our Bone Health Quiz now to determine your bone-building needs and start building back better bones today!
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