February 17, 2025

Strontium Citrate for Bone Health

Strontium Citrate for Bone Health

Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND

I wanted to talk about Strontium citrate because most people have either not heard of it or have some very interesting ideas about it. In fact I recently had a conversation with someone who wasn’t sure if strontium was even safe (spoiler alert it is safe!). So what is strontium citrate? What does it do? What is the best way to take it? Let’s get into it, shall we?

Simply put Strontium citrate is a nutrient very similar to calcium or even magnesium. (1) Now I know what you’re probably thinking, is it safe to use? The answer is yes strontium citrate is safe to use. When it comes to strontium citrate studies conclude that “strontium in its natural citrate form improves healthy bone mineralization and resistance to fracture”. While strontium ranelate may potentially have side effects strontium citrate is a different molecule. In fact strontium citrate “has an excellent safety record”. And while it is true that calcium and strontium share a common carrier system to get into the body this system will always prioritize calcium over strontium! So those rumors that you may have heard about strontium preventing calcium absorption are just malarkey! If you are at all concerned then the best answer is to separate them by 2 hours. Lastly studies done to check the safety of strontium citrate have found that using strontium citrate as part of a bone building protocol is perfectly safe! (2)

Now we have talked about the safety of Strontium citrate however we haven’t talked about the benefits of using it! Why would you even want to use it? Well a recent study found positive effects of using strontium on bone density, bone structure and the overall strength of the bones. It was also found that using strontium citrate daily for 5 years can possibly lead to new bone tissue formation and help to maintain calcium levels. (3) Studies have found that adding strontium to a bone health protocol can improve bone density. (4) In another study made up of 81% postmenopausal women adding strontium to their bone heath protocol lead to “significant improvements in bone density”. (5) Other studies have also reported that strontium has beneficial effects on bone health. (6) Interestingly strontium citrate use has been reported to help reduce bone pain. (2)

As I said in my blog on dental bone loss Strontium citrate can play an important part in addressing our dental health. In fact studies have found that strontium citrate can improve bone formation in the mouth! (7) Studies have also found that strontium citrate can reduce the loss of tooth enamel leading to healthier teeth. (8)

While strontium citrate has been found to be safe it is still filtered through the kidneys. Anyone who has kidney failure should not take strontium. I would also like to point out that dialysis fluids can contain high concentrations of strontium and thus I do not recommend strontium citrate for anyone on dialysis. (2) In my clinical experience anyone with osteopenia or osteoporosis with normal kidney function is an excellent candidate for strontium citrate supplements.

How is it recommended to use strontium citrate? Strontium citrate is what I like to call a loner. You really want to take it all by itself. Ideally it should be taken 1 hour before food and or supplements/medications. If you want you could eat and take any supplements/ medications then wait 2 hours and then take strontium. In my experience strontium citrate does not affect sleep. So you can take it at night. In fact I had 1 person tell me they take it during their 2 AM bathroom break! And that is ok. As long as it’s away from food. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to an Invite Nutritionist!

Next up will be Sinus pain and infections!

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