Nutrition for bones and cartilage is essentially provided in various forms from the food we consume. Some vital nutrients that play an important role in the health of bone and cartilage are vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Here, we attempt to understand more details of each nutrient and its vital role.

What are the specific nutrients essential for your bone and cartilage?

1) Vitamins such as Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K

2) Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, boron, iron, and zinc.

3) Natural Antioxidants such as Methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM)

Let’s look at the role of each of these nutrients as a quick snapshot

Role of Nutrient	Bone	Cartilage
Vitamins
Vitamin A	Deficiency leads to calcium absorption and metabolism	Stimulates the proliferation of growth cartilage cells
Vitamin D	Absorption of calcium, and reduced bone turnover	Reduce cartilage erosion and facilitate cartilage regeneration in osteoarthritis
Vitamin C	Helps in collagen formation for normal cartilage and bone function	Helps in cartilage repair
Vitamin k	Necessary for Osteocalcin protein formation and thus increase bone density	Higher the vitamin K, the lesser the damage to articular cartilage and meniscus
Minerals
Calcium	Bone strength and bone density
Magnesium	Promotes bone mineral density (BMD) and reduces the risk of fractures and osteoporosis	Protects articular cartilage and helps promote mesenchymal stem cells in cartilage formation
Iron	Affects BMD and femur strength. Chronic iron deficiency may be a risk factor for osteoporosis
Manganese	Supports the formation of connective tissue
Boron	Prevents OA by enhancing the absorption and retention of calcium and magnesium	A promising mineral that assists in cartilage repair
Zinc	Essential mineral for skeletal growth and to promote bone regeneration.  Prevents progression of osteoarthritis	Supports the immune system and prevents cartilage degeneration (cartilage damage)
Antioxidants
MSM	A sulfur-rich antioxidant that helps in healthy bones and joints.	Reduces knee pain, inflammation and inhibits cartilage breakdown. Assists the body’s natural ability to produce collagen
Copper	Deficiency could reduce bone strength	Eliminate free radicals and prevent bone cell damage
Selenium	Selenium is positively correlated to bone mineral density and less incidence of hip fractures in elderly more than 50 years of age	An important trace mineral and antioxidant defense to prevent oxidative damage to the cartilage.

Apart from the above, other nutrients such as glucosamine (monosaccharide), chondroitin (most abundant glycosaminoglycan in cartilage), and hyaluronic acid (protects against inflammation and oxidative stress) help in restoring healthy bone and cartilage or prevent the progression of degenerative disorders such as cartilage damage, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. Adequate water intake is essential to joint cartilage health.

Food sources of the essential nutrients for bone and cartilage health

Nutrient	Food Source
Hyaluronic acid	Root vegetables such as potatoes, and carrots, etc. fruits such as bananas and dark red fruits, cabbage, and eggs
Collagen & Glycosaminoglycans (chondroitin)	Bone broth
Magnesium	Green leafy vegetables (spinach, mustard, broccoli). Corn, tofu, nuts and seeds, oatmeal, and fruits
Manganese	Green leafy vegetables, nuts, sweet potato, brown rice, green tea, whole grains
Sulfur	Onions, garlic, cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and cauliflower)
Vitamin A	Carrots, sweet potatoes
Vitamin D	Fortified milk, cereals
Vitamin E	Vegetable oils and green leafy vegetables
Vitamin K	Cabbage, eggs, milk, spinach, broccoli
Vitamin C	Citrus fruits
Calcium	Yogurt, cheese, milk, green leafy vegetables
Copper	Nuts, seeds, whole-grain products
Iron	Fruits, green vegetables, eggs
Selenium	Walnuts and seafood
Zinc	Legumes, whole grains, shellfish

Deprivation of nutrient-rich food that consists of vitamins, peptides, minerals, and natural antioxidants deteriorate bone and cartilage over a period. Hence, it is important for balanced daily nutrient intake to prevent such cartilage degenerative disorders, which generally surface with aging.