If you’ve recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia… or if bone health has been on your radar and you’re not sure what to actually do about it… this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.
Bone health affects every single one of us, whether you’re in your 30s building your foundation or in your 50s and beyond trying to protect what you have. The earlier you start, the better. But here’s the thing most people don’t hear enough: even if you’ve already received a diagnosis, there is so much you can do naturally to slow bone loss and actually begin rebuilding.
Let’s dig into all of it.
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What Is Osteoporosis… and What’s the Difference Between Osteoporosis and Osteopenia?
Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones that causes them to lose mass and density over time. Your bones are always in a state of flux. Specialized cells called osteoblasts build new bone, while osteoclasts break old bone down. As long as the building keeps pace with the breakdown, you’re in good shape.
The problem? As we age, the breakdown process often begins to outpace the rebuilding. The result is bones that become weak, brittle, and full of microscopic holes… almost like Swiss cheese on an X-ray. That’s when fractures become much more likely, from small micro-fractures in the spine to major hip fractures that can be life-changing and permanently debilitating.
Here’s what makes osteoporosis especially tricky: it’s known as a silent disease. There are no obvious warning signs. Most people don’t realize anything is wrong until they’ve lost height, experienced a fracture, or notice the beginnings of a rounded upper back (sometimes called a Dowager’s hump). By that point, the process has often been quietly progressing for years.
Osteopenia is the earlier stage. Bone loss is present, but not yet to the degree of osteoporosis. Think of it as your body’s early warning signal that something needs to change.
Right now, roughly 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, and about 80% of them are women. Researchers expect that number to grow significantly over the next few decades.
The Two Types of Osteoporosis
Understanding the type of osteoporosis you’re dealing with is key to knowing how to address it.
Primary osteoporosis affects postmenopausal women and is directly tied to the sharp decline in estrogen that occurs at menopause. Estrogen is profoundly protective for your bones, heart, and brain. When it drops, the bone breakdown process continues at its normal pace… but the renewal process slows dramatically. That imbalance is primary osteoporosis.
Secondary osteoporosis comes from lifestyle and health factors that accelerate bone loss. These include nutritional deficiencies, poor gut health, certain medications, smoking, and a diet high in anti-nutrients that block mineral absorption.
A postmenopausal woman dealing with both low estrogen and poor gut health, for example, is facing a double challenge. Both types working together will speed up bone loss considerably.
A Note on Conventional Medications
Once osteoporosis is diagnosed, most physicians will discuss medications to help slow the progression. The two main categories are:
Anabolic medications, which promote new bone formation and are typically given by injection.
Antiresorptive medications, which slow bone breakdown. These are available as tablets or IV infusions. The most commonly prescribed are bisphosphonates… brand names like Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel, and Reclast.
These medications are widely used, but they come with considerations worth discussing with your doctor. Research has linked bisphosphonates to atypical femoral fractures (a fracture of that long thigh bone), calcium depletion, and digestive issues. Interestingly, while they slow breakdown, they’ve also been associated with more brittle bone over time.
The point here isn’t to avoid medication if your doctor recommends it. It’s to make sure you’re doing everything you can alongside medication to support genuine bone renewal from the inside out.
6 Natural Remedies for Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
1. Heal Your Gut First
This one surprises people, but it’s foundational. If you have leaky gut (also called intestinal permeability), your body is not properly absorbing the minerals it needs to rebuild bone: calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, phosphorus, and vitamin D.
Research published in the Journal of Aging and Disease also highlights the importance of a healthy gut microbiome in preventing and reversing bone loss. If your good bacteria are outnumbered, your whole absorption system suffers.
Signs your gut may need attention: bloating, constipation, diarrhea, food sensitivities, or ongoing stomach pain. A functional medicine practitioner can help you work through a personalized gut healing protocol so your body actually uses the nutrients you’re eating.
2. Get the Right Nutrients (And Avoid the Wrong Ones)
Foods that support bone health:
Protein is non-negotiable. Amino acids are the literal building blocks of bone, and your body works in installments. You can’t catch up at dinner. Aim for protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Dark leafy greens like kale, arugula, and collard greens are rich in calcium and other bone minerals. Nuts and seeds (especially almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds) deliver calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Almonds are so strong here that even almond butter counts.
Sweet potatoes are a great source of potassium and magnesium. And here’s a surprising one: grapefruit. Its high vitamin C content helps your body produce more collagen, which is critical for bone structure.
Fatty fish and egg yolks offer some of the limited food sources of vitamin D.
Foods that work against bone health:
Spinach is a tricky one. It’s often considered a health food, but it’s very high in oxalates, which are anti-nutrients that block calcium absorption. You don’t have to give up leafy greens, but swapping spinach for kale or arugula is a smart move for bone health specifically.
Dairy has become more nuanced too. The calcium in dairy may not be absorbed as effectively as once thought, and many women have sensitivities to both lactose and casein (the protein in dairy). Non-dairy sources of these nutrients are often a better fit.
3. Supplement Strategically
Here’s something that often gets missed: calcium supplements alone can actually be harmful.
Calcium needs cofactors to get into the bones. Without them, it circulates through the bloodstream and deposits in your arteries (contributing to atherosclerosis) or your kidneys (contributing to kidney stones).
Think of it this way: calcium is the coal, and your bones are the tunnel. To get the coal into the tunnel, you need train cars. Those train cars are magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin K, phosphorus, boron, taurine, and strontium.
Without the cofactors, the calcium goes nowhere good.
A few things to know about supplementing:
Vitamin D and K are fat-soluble, meaning they can accumulate. Dosing should be personalized, ideally with some testing involved. If you’re in a northern climate, vitamin D supplementation is especially important through the fall and winter.
Magnesium is one of the most underrated tools in this category. It supports calcium absorption and promotes better sleep, which is why taking it at night is a great strategy.
Collagen is another important one. Collagen powder can be stirred into coffee, tea, or any beverage. Not all collagens are equal… a bioactive collagen peptide called Fortibone has been shown in research to specifically improve bone density. Fortidel and Verisol (both also research-backed collagen peptides) have shown benefits for osteoarthritis, which often accompanies osteoporosis.
Rather than buying all the cofactors separately, a well-formulated bone health multivitamin that combines these nutrients can be a practical and effective option.
4. Prioritize Weight-Bearing Exercise
Exercise is non-negotiable for bone health, but the type of exercise matters.
Weight-bearing and resistance training are what the body needs. When you lift weights or do strength training, the stress placed on your bones sends a signal to your brain that the bones need to be stronger. Your body responds by laying down new bone on top of existing bone.
Aim for at least three strength or resistance training sessions per week. This doesn’t have to mean heavy lifting… it can mean bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, or any form of training that loads the bones and muscles with meaningful effort.
5. Sleep at Least 7 Hours a Night
Studies show that women who consistently sleep five hours or less per night have significantly lower bone density than those who get seven hours or more.
Why? Because bone regeneration happens during sleep. Cut sleep short and you cut the rebuilding process short.
If sleep is a struggle: turn screens off at least an hour before bed, try a warm bath with Epsom salts and lavender, and take magnesium in the evening. It supports both bone health and deep, restful sleep.
6. Manage Stress
Chronic high cortisol (your main stress hormone) is a double threat to bone health. It directly slows bone regeneration AND disrupts gut function, which compromises your ability to absorb the nutrients your bones need.
Stress management isn’t a soft add-on here. It’s clinical.
Practices that actually move the needle: kind self-talk, gratitude, deep breathing, yoga, prayer, meditation, and quiet time. These aren’t just feel-good suggestions. They shift your nervous system out of fight-or-flight and into the parasympathetic state where rest, digestion, and healing can happen.
Putting It All Together
Osteoporosis and osteopenia are not a life sentence. The research is clear: what you eat, how you move, how you sleep, how you manage stress, and how well your gut is functioning all have a direct impact on whether your bones continue to break down… or whether they start building back up.
If you’ve been diagnosed, work with a functional medicine practitioner to get a personalized supplementation and gut healing plan. Add in strength training at least three times a week, get those seven hours of sleep, and load your plate with protein, dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, and those surprising bone boosters like grapefruit and sweet potatoes.
You don’t have to choose between conventional medicine and natural support. Do both. Your bones are worth it.
Until next time… stay pretty well.
This post is based on Episode 99 of the Pretty Well Podcast. Always consult your physician or a qualified healthcare practitioner before making changes to your supplement routine or treatment plan.
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