Potassium (chloride vs citrate vs gluconate) and bones & joints
What 3 graded rows on potassium (chloride vs citrate vs gluconate) agree on for bones & joints, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Potassium (chloride vs citrate vs gluconate) page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Potassium (chloride vs citrate vs gluconate) page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Potassium (chloride vs citrate vs gluconate) and bones & joints
3 rows · 954 peopleMostly an improvement: 2 of 3 rows, and most of the people. 1 found no difference.
- CGrade C× 3
- Rows
- 3
- Trials
- 3
- At least: a review without a trial count
- People
- 954
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
Where they differ
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade C, is a systematic review of 477 people (2015) and found an improvement.
Only the 2 rows that found an improvement include pooled reviews of several trials (1 of 2); the row that found no difference is a single study.
Only the 2 rows that found an improvement name men and older adults in their population.
The 2 rows that found an improvement are newer (2013 to 2015) than the row that found no difference (2008).
The rows
2 improved · 1 no difference- CGrade CNew calcium-containing urinary stones with citrate salts · Improved
Systematic review · n 477 · 2015 · Adults with calcium-containing (mostly oxalate) stones in 7 studies
Varied across trials · Varied across trials
New stone formation was lower with citrate therapy (RR 0.26; 95% CI 0.10 to 0.68; 7 studies, 324 participants) and stone size was more often reduced. GI side effects were more common but not significantly.
Row on the Potassium (chloride vs citrate vs gluconate) page · PubMed 26439475 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CBone density in healthy adults over 65 · Improved
RCT · n 201 · 2013 · Healthy men and women older than 65 without osteoporosis
60 mEq potassium citrate daily · 24 months
Lumbar spine bone density rose 1.7% net of placebo, with gains in trabecular density and microarchitecture at the tibia and radius.
Row on the Potassium (chloride vs citrate vs gluconate) page · PubMed 23162100 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CBone turnover and density in postmenopausal women · No difference
RCT · n 276 · 2008 · Healthy postmenopausal women aged 55-65
18.5 or 55.5 mEq/d potassium citrate · 2 years
No reduction in bone turnover markers and no difference in spine or hip bone loss vs placebo.
Row on the Potassium (chloride vs citrate vs gluconate) page · PubMed 18689384 (opens PubMed)