Supplement & Nutrient Encyclopedia
Supplements for bones and joints: what the human evidence shows
8 supplements in our encyclopedia have at least one graded human outcome for bones and joints. Each row shows the strongest one, ranked by grade and then by the number of people studied. A high grade means the research is solid, not that the effect is large: open the row for the size of the effect and the dose tested.
Strongest evidence per supplement
| Supplement | Strongest outcome | Grade | Study |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium (carbonate vs citrate) | Bone mineral density in adults over 50Improved | Grade A | meta-analysis · n = 12,257 · 2015 |
| Vitamin D3 vs D2 | Raising blood 25(OH)D: D3 vs D2Improved | Grade A | RCT · n = 95 · 2013 |
| Turmeric and curcumin | Knee joint pain and functionImproved | Grade B | meta-analysis · n = 1,009 · 2018 |
| Collagen peptides | Knee joint pain and function scoresImproved | Grade C | meta-analysis · n = 870 · 2025 |
| Potassium (chloride vs citrate vs gluconate) | New calcium-containing urinary stones with citrate saltsWorsened | Grade C | systematic-review · n = 477 · 2015 |
| Vitamin K2 (MK-7 vs MK-4) | Age-related bone density loss with MK-7Improved | Grade C | RCT · n = 244 · 2013 |
| Magnesium citrate | Bone-turnover markersImproved | Grade D | open-label · n = 20 · 2010 |
| Creatine monohydrate | Bone mineral densityNo effect | No effect | RCT · n = 237 · 2023 |
Articles
- Calcium Citrate or Carbonate? The 40% vs 21% Label Math, and Why Smaller Doses Absorb Better
- Can Vitamin K2 Keep Calcium Out of Your Arteries? What 14 Trials Actually Show
- Creatine After 50: What It Does for Muscle, Memory and Bone (and What It Doesn’t)
- Creatine Loading Phase: Do You Need It, and Why Did the Scale Just Jump?
- Do Calcium Pills Raise Heart Attack Risk? What the 2010 Scare Found, and What Came After
- Does Collagen Count as Protein? It Helps With Training, but Whey Builds More Muscle
- Does Collagen Really Work for Skin? The Benefit Disappears in Independent Trials
- Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss? The One Study Behind the Fear, and the Trial That Finally Checked Hair
Related
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