Bone Support

Description

LifeSpa’s Bone Support™ delivers 550 mg of Calcium MCHC per serving and is a well-researched, standardized extract from one of the world’s safest premium sources of bone—free-range New Zealand cattle. Bone Support™ contains microcrystalline hydroxyapatite concentrate (MCHC), a complex crystalline compound containing calcium, phosphorus, bioactive growth factors, type I collagen, amino acids, glycosaminoglycans, and a broad range of essential trace elements that naturally comprise healthy bone.

Suggested Use: Take 1-2 capsules up to two times daily or as directed by your healthcare practitioner.

Bottle Contains: 120 vegetarian capsules

Ingredients: Calcium (as MCHC), Phosphorous (as MCHC), MCHC, Microcrystalline hydroxyapatite (as MCHC)

Other Ingredients: HPMC (vegetable capsule), vegetable stearic acid, medium-chain triglycerides, microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable magnesium stearate, and silica.

Does Not Contain: Wheat, gluten, corn, yeast, soy, dairy products, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, or artificial preservatives.

LifeSpa’s medical-grade supplements are designed to support specific bodily functions. Each LifeSpa formula has been carefully researched, developed and clinically tested, using a combination of science and innovation to create a thoroughly effective product.

Warning: Consult your healthcare practitioner prior to use. Individuals taking medication should discuss potential interactions with their healthcare practitioner. Do not use if tamper seal is damaged. Keep tightly closed in a cool, dry place out of reach of children

The Science

More than 20 years of scientific research have given the name Bone Support™ worldwide recognition as a source of microcrystalline hydroxyapatite concentrate (MCHC). Numerous published studies support the safety, tolerability, and bone health-related effectiveness of MCHC supplementation.^[1,2] Studies suggest that the bioavailability of calcium from MCHC supplements may be as good as or better than the bioavailability of calcium from calcium gluconate supplements.^[3,4] LifeSpa utilizes standardized, safe, bovine-sourced MCHC from New Zealand, a country with stringent standards. Its production features a proprietary technique that preserves the bioactive contents of bone. This process creates a naturally balanced formula because whole bone extract provides all of the nutrients found in healthy bone.*

Unlike other calcium supplements on the market, Bone Support™ consists of collagenous and non-collagenous proteins and peptides. These compounds include insulin-like growth factors I and II (IGF-I, IGF-II), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), and osteocalcin, factors that stimulate alkaline phosphatase activity and support metabolism in human bone cells.^[5] Removal of the protein fraction appears to reduce the positive effects of the formula, highlighting the importance of its presence.*^[6]

A study suggested that the occurrence of positive and statistically significant changes in forearm bone integrity were the result of daily supplementation with 3000 mg of microcrystalline hydroxyapatite.^[7] Earlier studies compared Bone Support™ to other forms of calcium with regard to the support of normal bone turnover and bone mineral integrity. In one 20-month, double-blind study, women were given 1400 mg of elemental calcium (equivalent to approximately 5000 mg MCHC) as either calcium carbonate or Bone Support™. At the end of the study, the presence of bone integrity was statistically significant in the Bone Support™ group.*^[8]

Clinical trials suggested that Bone Support™ supplementation was well-tolerated and yielded a positive outcome for dental status, bone integrity, and healthy bone metabolism.^[9,10] A randomized, controlled study indicated that the addition of Bone Support™ to exogenously administered hormones provided statistically significant support (4.7%, P<0.1) to vertebral bone mass.^[10] Another study of 60 subjects suggested that bone mass was maintained while on Bone Support™.*^[11]

Bone Support™ is high-quality MCHC from New Zealand. The World Organization for Animal Health (the OIE) has classified New Zealand as a “negligible BSE risk country,” the most favorable official classification a country can be given.^[12] Bone Support™ is manufactured under proprietary processes that meet FDA, USDA, and EU regulatory requirements. Gentle processing is used to retain the delicate protein matrix and organic factors. X-ray-diffraction analysis confirms the microcrystalline structure. The MCHC is assayed for hydroxyproline content. The collagen content is greater than 22% with the majority being type I, the predominant collagen occurring in bone. Frequent heavy metal assays assure purity.

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6373153
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2997764
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3026039
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6287835
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1653384
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3022988
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17358094
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7703621
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2176437
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10202741
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10442322
12. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Status of Members. OIE-World Organization for Animal Health Web site. http://www.oie.int/animal-health-in-the-world/official-disease-status/bse/list-of-bse-risk-status/. Accessed May 9, 2014.