Beyond Calcium: Current Trends of Supplementation for Bone Health

The global dietary supplements market has surged to USD 192.65 billion in 2024. While calcium and vitamin D remain the primary ingredients for bone supplementation, there are potentials for growth for developing targeted supplementation towards bone health and sustenance. This review explores the properties of these components including amino acids, peptides, oligosaccharides, prebiotics, and algal or plant extracts, in addition to delivery strategies including targeted, pulsatile, and sustained release systems widely used in drug deliveries. The review also highlights novel processing techniques such as 3D printing, and methods including crystalline transitions via fluidized bed granulation that could significantly enhance the effectiveness of bone supplements. The review identifies the strengths and weaknesses of alternative ingredients, delivery systems, and processing methods. However, there is still limited understanding of how these components interact with bone cells, such as osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and how processing methods affect their efficacy in terms of metabolism in the body. This research gap warrants further investigation to determine the role of these components and their interactions in vivo. Additionally, it is crucial to understand how different processing methods influence the properties of these components, to integrate novel manufacturing for prolonged and viable bone-targeted delivery options.