Dr. Gibson’s Story: “In the summer several years ago, I fractured my foot while playing soccer. As with most people, I am not patient when I can’t run or participate in sports. I therefore looked into possible supplements or other thins that could be utilized to heal bone more quickly. I found that improved nutrition, using care to protect the area and supplementation helped me get the desired healing.”
Poor Healing Potential: Poor nutrition, protein deficiency, smoking and even alcohol have been shown to interfere with healing of bone. Smoking, for example, decreases blood flow to bone healing especially in feet and ankles). Alcohol in excess has also lead to fractures. Using care to limit these factors will increase your chances of healing.
Nutrition: Fracture healing causes increased need for the intake of quality calories. Increased caloric intake is often necessary to speed healing—a two to three times in calorie count may be required to match the energy needs of fracture healing (especially with multiple fractures). The increased calorie count should be from healthy alternatives (not cookies, cakes, cheese burgers, etc.)
Protein Intake: Protein is a key to bone healing, both because roughly half of bone volume is protein and many of the building blocks and enzymes in the body utilizes in the healing process are formed from proteins. Protein malnutrition or limitations may lead to a less rigid or “rubbery” callus. Proper bone healing requires high protein levels to produce a rigid bony callus. (Remember protein doesn’t need to come from meats, but protein needs to come.)
Increased Vitamin Intake: Vitamins play a key role in healing by stimulating the biochemical reactions that build the bone with proteins and minerals. In fracture healing, some principle vitamins are important.
| Vitamins | Bone Healing Range/Day | Healing Potential |
| Vitamin D | 800-5000 IU | Important regulator of calcium absorption. |
| Vitamin C | 500-3000 mg | Important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient. Also essential in bone collagen formation. |
| Vitamin K |
K1: 250-1000 mcg K2: 45-180 mcg |
Essential part of the biochemical process that binds calcium to bone. |
| Vitamin B6 | 25-50 mg | Linked to bone healing. |
| Folic Acid | 400-1000 mcg | Linked to collagen formation. |
| Vitamin B12 | 150-1000 mcg | Linked to bone healing. |
Increased Mineral Intake: Many individuals add calcium to their diet for bone healing, but this is insufficient to get necessary healing. 70% of bone weight is from minerals. Fracture healing requires the necessary minerals.
| Minerals | Bone Healing Range/Day | Healing Potential |
| Calcium | 800-1200 mg | Main mineral of bone (Dependant on vitamin D for absorption) |
| Phosphorus | 800-1200 mg | Main mineral of bone |
| Magnesium | 400-800 mg | |
| Chromium | 200-1000 mcg | |
| Silica (Silicon) | 5-20 mg | Important role in bone collagen formation. Enhances effects of calcium and vitamin D on new bone formation. |
| Zinc | 12-30 mg | Aids in callus formation, enhances bone protein production, and facilitates bone healing. |
| Maganese | 2-10 mg | |
| Copper | 1-3 mg | Aids in formation of bone collagen. |
| Boron | 3-5 mg | |
| Potassium | 4000-6000 mg |
Other: There are also multiple herbal remedies and supplements and alternative processes have been found to assist bone healing. Dr. Gibson can assist in some of the other methods.
Our recommendations (and what Dr. Gibson did) is take a combination of vitamins, minerals and herbs along with a balanced, nutritious diet to speed bone healing.
