Building and growing bones has similarities to building a house, in that adequate raw materials must be on hand or the construction work cannot be done in an optimal way. A variety of primary nutrients are required for normal bone density and strength, including protein, calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium (like plywood and 2 x 4s). In addition to these primary basic nutrients, many other co-factor nutrients participate in the integrity of bone including zinc, boron, silica, manganese, vitamin C, vitamin K, and strontium (like nails and screws).

It has long been known that bone mass exists as a matrix of protein mainly in the form of ...