From my reading, Vitamin K2 is most important -- the weakest link -- in a mineral rich diet. Even though I eat the best eggs I can get, and lots of raw butter and as much kidney and liver as I can stand, I'm still not getting enough vitamin K2. I know because tarter builds up on my lower front teeth. However, if I supplement with 2 drops of Thorne's MK4, my teeth stay perfectly clean and I no longer need to spend money at the dentist for teeth cleaning. If calcification is building up on the teeth where it's not supposed to go, then I'm assuming it's not going into the bones like it should.
Also, don't miss out on these following factors:
SILICA
http://www.healingteethnaturally.com/biological-transmutation-calcium-from-horsetail-silica.htmlSilica is what the body uses to turn magnesium and other minerals into the calcium in bones. If our animals sources are deficient, you may need to supplement with the herb, horsetail powder. NOTE: dietary calcium is not necessary for bones. This article is very interesting reading.
COLLAGEN
http://vitaminmonkey.net/blog/241/collagen-supplement-maintains-bone-size-and-shape/#more-241Collagen is also very important -- eat your gristle! For me, it's hard to eat that part of the animal like my ancestor's probably did, so I supplement with gelatin/hydrolsized collagen. Of course, our body makes collagen from the meat's amino acids, but I've found that the collagen I've been supplementing ( sorry to all the purests out there) has made a distinct difference in my joint flexibility. I'm now a believer. So I assume it would be helping the bone too.
Here's the bulletproof executive demonstrating extreme joint flexibility from, so he claims, eating alot of collagen.
http://youtu.be/j2E5rFhMftQ#t=25m50sMAGNESIUM & VITAMIN D
http://drcarolyndean.com/2013/03/too-much-vitamin-d/Caution with vitamin D. Often the often publicized vitamin D deficiency so popular today is really just a symptom of magnesium deficiency. I've read where people who require high amounts of vitamin D supplement can dramatically lower their dosages when they improve their magnesium status. Magnesium is much more important than calcium for many reasons, including activiating the vitamin D used in the body. And -- it's one of those things deficient in our soil, and this deficient in land animals. I wish I ate more seafood, but it is the most expensive thing.
I do supplement with a few things because I cannot get the quality of food that my ancestors ate.
I read ( sorry, can't find link) somewhere from the leading osteoporosis researcher in the world, that ALL the current tests, including bone density tests, are not predictive for individuals. The so-called 'bone density' does not predict fractures, only broad risks applicable to large groups. In other words, some people with the worst bone scans have the strongest bones. What I am learning from all this is that bone strength is the most important thing -- and like some of the springy chicken bones we eat, a resilient, spring-like bone will be hard to break. That strength is not from something brittle and rigid, like calcium, but rather from the collagen matrix and other factors that are strong and bend a little.
In my mind, it comes down to just being really healthy. For instance, cortisol and stress responses will do more damage to one's bones than a poor diet. Such is my contribution. I hope it helps in your search.