Zinc – needed for Hydroxyapatite formation, speeds the healing of breaks and fractures
The body does not need a lot of zinc, but it closely regulates its zinc levels. One of the symptoms of zinc deficiency is impaired bone growth. Recent evidence suggests that zinc may even be more important for bone mineralization than calcium, even though it makes up much less of the mineral content of bones. (62) Although the requirement for zinc is small, being a trace mineral, the need is high as it helps to form Hydroxyapatite crystals that make up about half the weight of your bones.
IGF-1, or Insulin Growth Factor, which is responsible for the growth of new bone tissue, is greatly affected by zinc. This hormone-like growth factor has a direct influence on calcium utilization in bone formation and resorption. Because of this, zinc has a major impact on speeding the healing of breaks and fractures that are so common with Osteoporosis. If one experiences a break or fracture, one should increase zinc.
Zinc also has a role in encouraging osteoblasts (bone cells used in the formation of new bone), which produce osteocalcin, a protein that helps establish calcium in the bone that increases bone density. Another part of zinc’s role is to inhibit bone resorption through the tighter control of osteoclasts, which are responsible for breaking bone tissue down to be reabsorbed by the body. (63) Collagen also requires zinc to work. (66b)
An important note on Zinc is that it does deplete copper at higher doses, so when supplementing zinc, especially at doses higher than the RDI, one also needs to up their copper intake. The Linus Pauling Institute has set the RDI for zinc at 11 mg/d in adult men and 8 mg/d in women. However, this may be low for Osteoporosis sufferers. The limit of 60 mg/d was set where copper has not matched up appropriately. Some have suggested 38 mg per day for Osteoporosis, though others, such as Chris Materjohn, P.hD., and a nutritionist, say not to take more than 40 mg per day. Copper should be matched up at the proper ratio with doses above 11 mg per day. (36)(44)
To get the proper ratio, multiply your daily zinc intake by two and then divide by 15 to get the amount of copper you need to consume to meet the US National Academy of Sciences recommended ratio of zinc to copper. The ratio is approximately 2 mg of copper for every 15 mg of zinc. So if you were to take 15 mg of zinc, you would need to take 2 mg of copper. If you were to follow the suggested dose of 38 – 40 mg, then you would take 5 – 5.5 mg of copper per day. (64)
A statement from Progressive Health on zinc said,
“It (zinc) addresses the root cause of osteoporosis and should replace calcium as a first-line nutritional supplement for osteoporosis.”
Progressive Health “The Relationship Between Zinc, IGF-I, and Osteo”
Healthier food sources of Zinc are organic, raw, pasture-raised dairy products, eggs, ginger root, lobster, meat (chicken, grass-fed beef, lamb, pork, turkey), mushrooms, non-farmed shellfish, oysters, wild-caught salmon, and wild rice. (44)
Naturally Better Bones 