Strontium Products, Inert Ingredients, and Dosages

I have used Doctor's Best Strontium Bone Maker successfully for six and a half years. For people who cannot tolerate magnesium stearate, which is in Doctor's Best and most vitamins and supplements, I recommend AOR Strontium Support II or Pure Encapsulations Strontium Citrate because they contain no fillers. These three brands are reputable. There are other reputable brands. These are three I know of. Do not purchase supplements solely on the basis of cost. Some brands of strontium citrate may not even contain the amount of strontium stated on the label.

When you read that 2 grams of strontium ranelate were used, that means 2 grams (2000 mg) of the strontium salt. Strontium is the bone-active component and makes up 34% by weight of the whole molecule; so, each 2-g dose of strontium ranelate delivers 680 mg of elemental strontium.

I mention sr. ranelate because many people have read the clinical trials on this prescription drug, which is unavailable in the USA and Canada. The following is information on three brands of strontium citrate:

One serving (2 capsules) of Doctor’s Best Strontium Bone Maker contains 680 mg elemental strontium from 1,944 mg (a little less than 2 grams) strontium citrate.

Each capsule of Pure Encapsulations Strontium Citrate contains 227 mg elemental strontium. The serving size is 1-3 capsules per day for 227, 454, or 681 mg strontium per day.

For Advanced Orthomolecular Research AOR, Advanced Series, Strontium Support II, the serving size is one to two capsules, with each capsule containing 341 mg elemental strontium from strontium citrate. Two capsules contain 682 mg strontium.

These are the serving sizes given by the manufacturers. Most research suggests 680 mg is the optimal amount of strontium to treat osteoporosis; 340 mg is probably sufficient for osteopenia.

Doctor’s Best Strontium Bone Maker

Inert Ingredients

Modified cellulose (vegetarian capsule), cellulose, magnesium stearate (vegetable source).
Contains nothing other than listed ingredients

AOR

Inert Ingredients

None. Capsule: hypromellose, water.

AOR guarantees that no ingredients not listed on the label have been added to the product. Contains no wheat, gluten, corn, nuts, dairy, soy, eggs, fish, shellfish or any animal byproduct.

Pure Encapsulations

Other Active Ingredients

Ascorbyl palmitate (fat-soluble vitamin C)

20 mg/capsule

Inert  Ingredients

Hypo-allergenic plant fiber (cellulose), vegetarian capsule (cellulose, water)
This encapsulated product contains no hidden coatings, excipients, binders, fillers, shellacs, artificial colors or fragrance. Contains no dairy, wheat, yeast, gluten, corn, sugar, starch, soy, preservatives or hydrogenated oils.

Long-Term Effect of Strontium Ranelate Treatment on BMD

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1359/JBMR.050810/full

In the SOTI trial, there were impressive BMD increases in the spine (12.7%) and total hip (8.6%). However, some caution is necessary in interpreting these results because much of this effect is caused by the higher atomic number of strontium (Z = 38) compared with calcium (Z = 20). When BMD is measured by DXA, strontium atoms in bone attenuate X-rays more strongly than calcium atoms. However, when the DXA scanner software calculates BMD from the measured X-ray transmission factors, the increased attenuation caused by bone strontium content (BSC) is interpreted as increased calcium content and will cause an artifactual increase in BMD. After the adjustment for BSC using Eq. 1, the measured BMD increase in the spine at 3 years of 12.7% was corrected to 6.8%.

The correction of the bone mineral content (BMD) changes found in the strontium ranelate trials for bone strontium content (BSC) was based on the following equation:

Adjusted BMD = Measured lumbar spine BMD /1+ 0.061 x BSC iliac crest % Eq. 1

“Although a commendable effort was made in the SOTI trial to correct the BMD data for the atomic number effect of strontium, there is clearly considerable uncertainty about the accuracy of the corrections made. This arises from the small number of subjects in whom iliac crest bone biopsy was performed and the reliance on animal data for the correction factor for inferring BSC in the spine.”

No human studies with strontium ranelate have yet reported how quickly bone strontium is washed out once treatment is stopped. However, on the basis of the ICRP strontium model, we can estimate the likely long-term retention. Figure 2 shows the results of calculations using the ICRP model to predict the long-term changes in BMD after 3 months, 1 year, and 3 years of treatment with strontium ranelate. The calculations make the following assumptions: (1) equal daily intake of strontium during the treatment period; (2) strontium intake ceases at the end of treatment; and (3) no true loss of bone is occurring. On the basis of the ICRP model, much of the strontium present in bone at the end of treatment is likely to still be there a decade later. If strontium ranelate treatment is given for >1 year, this long-term retention in bone is likely to have a significant effect on the interpretation of future BMD measurements.

Long-Term Effect of Strontium Ranelate Treatment on BMD - Blake - 2005 - Journal of Bone and...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Blake, G. M. and Fogelman, I. (2005), Long-Term Effect of Strontium Ranelate Treatment on BMD. J Bone Miner Res, 20: 1901–1904. doi:...

Strontium Succinate

Dublin, 3 March 2014
http://www.osteologix.com/wb0005.php?oid=0

Les Laboratoires Servier has terminated its licensing agreement with Osteologix for developing and commercializing NB S101 (strontium malonate) to treat post-menopausal osteoporosis, other bone and joint disorders and dental indications. As a result, Osteologix regains all rights to continue the development and commercialization of its improved formulation once day tablet of Strontium Succinate either independently or in collaboration with third parties. The company is currently assessing the most favorable way to move forward and will evaluate all options.

Strontium Offers Natural Osteoporosis Treatment Breakthrough

http://www.naturalhealthadvisory.com/daily/osteoporosis-prevention-and-treatment/strontium-offers-natural-osteoporosis-treatment-breakthrough/

I like this article, but there is a statement that needs to be corrected.

The article states: “Although clinical studies on other salts of strontium besides ranelate have not yet been conducted….”

However, there have been small clinical studies of strontium ranelate, such as the COMB study. See

 
http://strontiumforbones.blogspot.com/2012/02/combination-of-micronutrients-for-bone.html