REBONE™

The Science

REBONE®, which was developed with the intention of preventing the onset and progression of osteoporosis, has been specially formulated with vitamins and minerals that are crucial for bone-building and bone-care.  It is critical to build strong, dense bones whilst you are young and keeping them strong and healthy as you age. The nutraceutical contains AlgaeCal (calcium and magnesium obtained from special algae), Zinc Picolinate, Manganese Bisglycinate, Boron Citrate, Copper II Citrate, Vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7) and Vitamin D3 (Calciferol).

Calcium

Calcium reduces bone loss and decreases bone turnover. Since calcium is vital to bone building and because the body does not produce calcium naturally, it is therefore imperative that this essential mineral be obtained from food intake and supplements. Numerous studies have shown that calcium supplementation can help decrease bone loss by 30-50 percent.

Zinc

Zinc is required to maintain bone mineral density and bone metabolism and is important for your overall mental and physical health. The biochemical actions of Vitamin D throughout the body are enhanced by zinc which has been demonstrated to have a stimulatory effect on osteoblastic bone formation and mineralization (bone hardness and strength). There are over 100 enzymes in the body which require zinc as a cofactor (a helpful molecule which binds with another molecule to activate it).

Skeletal unloading (a term used to describe a decrease in bone mass and bone formation) coupled with postmenopausal symptoms, become evident as you age, signifying a decrease in bone zinc content and its subsequent role in bone-related disorders.

Manganese

Manganese is required for the repair of soft bone and tissue and facilitates bone growth and maintenance.  It also plays a role in the production of estrogen and progesterone. Manganese is the preferred cofactor of enzymes called glycosyltransferases which are important for the formation of healthy cartilage and bone.  Too much calcium can decrease the absorption of manganese, therefore the ratio of calcium to manganese supplementation is essential.

Boron

Boron is a trace mineral which, besides maintaining memory and increasing bone cartilage formation, is also vital for the normal growth and health of the body.  It helps reduce menopausal symptoms and manages osteoporosis and arthritis, naturally. It is believed that Boron improves the body’s natural ability to absorb calcium, magnesium and activates vitamin D to increase the mineral content in the bones.

Copper

Copper is an essential trace mineral that is important for bone formation and resorption (bone loss).  Copper is linked with the generation of mesenchymal stem cells that develop osteoblasts in the body, leading to bone development.  Copper and zinc are required in appropriate ratios in the body – usually 10-15 mg of zinc for every 1 mg of copper.

Research recommends that more attention be focused on the dietary trace elements, such as copper, whereby even a mild deficiency has been attributed to the cause of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Copper excretion and its subsequent depletion is increased in high sugar/refined flour diets. Even worse, it has been shown that lactose and ingesting copious amounts of dairy (high in calcium) interferes with copper metabolism and that an increase of dairy in your diet might actually be detrimental to your health.  Laboratory tests show that copper supplementation suppresses bone loss and is necessary in women at risk or who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Vitamin K2

Vitamin K, typically known for its role in coagulation, goes way beyond mere blood clotting.  In the 1980s, it was discovered that Vitamin K helps the body activate and maintain the protein called osteocalcin, which is essential for bone mineralization.

There are two types of naturally available vitamin K:  K1 and K2  (menaquinone).  However it has been shown that the absorption of vitamin K1 from food is extremely low and that only a mere 10 percent of the vitamin K, such as found in green leafy vegetables, is absorbed by your body.  Moreover, there is nothing one can do to the way one consumes Vitamin K1 that will significantly increase its absorption.  The same study however, showed that Vitamin K2 is produced by bacteria as part of the fermentation process in the intestines and that ALL of the K is in fact absorbed by the body.  So although K1 can also help with bone formation because it is converted to K2 in the body, Vitamin K2 supplementation is in fact the easiest way of introducing Vitamin K2 into the body as a means of helping to prevent and treat osteoporosis.  

Furthermore, the same study revealed that, without vitamin K2, calcium regulation is disrupted and that in fact, low levels of vitamin K2 are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis11 (the formation of calcification or plaque on the arterial vessel walls).

Our product contains the menaquinone-7 form of vitamin K2, which is not metabolized quickly by the liver, thereby supplying the body with a more consistent supply of vitamin K.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an essential mineral in that it aids the absorption of calcium in the body.  Together with calcium, it helps improve bone health and increase musculoskeletal function.  This in turn reduces the risk of bone-fractures due to falling, which is a common occurrence in elderly people .  Vitamin D levels in the body are measured by means of a blood test, with most people showing a deficiency.  This is likely due to reduced exposure to the sun (since sunlight helps produce vitamin D) and low availability of vitamin D in our food intake.  Vitamin D3 found in our formula, is the best form of Vitamin D supplementation.