Who writes this
Content is written by Josi Clary, an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach (Institute for Integrative Nutrition, 2021). Josi is a health coach, not a licensed medical provider; everything here is general education, not medical advice, and not a substitute for your own clinician.
Where the evidence comes from
We weight sources roughly in this order, and try to link them so you can check for yourself:
- Clinical-practice guidelines and official positions (e.g. USPSTF, the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation, the ISCD, the Endocrine Society).
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of human studies.
- Randomized controlled trials and large prospective cohorts in people.
- Smaller human studies and observational associations.
- Mechanistic and animal research — useful for why, but never treated as proof of a human benefit.
How claims are graded
Throughout the site, claims carry one of three evidence labels. Here is exactly what each means:
- Established Supported by multiple high-quality human studies and reflected in major guidelines. Reliable enough to act on.
- Emerging A real mechanism with meaningful human evidence, but important uncertainty remains. Reasonable to act on the low-risk parts.
- Promising / debated Mechanism, observational findings, small trials, or active professional disagreement. Worth knowing; not the final word.
Grades reflect the general state of research at the time of writing and can change as evidence matures. When studies conflict, we say so rather than pick the tidier answer, and we try to describe the weight of evidence on each side.
Fact-checking
Statistics and specific scientific claims are checked against primary or authoritative secondary sources, and those sources are linked inline or listed in each article's Sources & Notes. Where a figure is an estimate or comes from a single subgroup, we label it as such instead of presenting it as settled.
Use of AI
AI tools are used to assist with research, drafting, editing, and building the interactive features of this site. Every substantive health claim is reviewed against cited sources by a human before publication, and the editorial judgment — what to say, how strongly, and what to leave out — is Josi's.
Independent medical review
We believe the highest-risk pages should carry independent review by an appropriately qualified professional (for example an endocrinologist or osteoporosis specialist, a certified clinical densitometrist, a registered dietitian, or a pharmacist for medication content). That independent clinical review is being established and is not yet complete. Until a page shows a named reviewer and review date, treat it as carefully researched education that has not yet been independently vetted by a licensed clinician — and always confirm anything that affects your care with your own provider. We would rather tell you this plainly than imply a level of review that isn't in place yet.
Corrections
If something here is wrong or out of date, we want to fix it. Please tell us through the contact form. Substantive corrections to articles will be noted with an updated review date, and major pages carry a visible “last reviewed” date so you can see how current they are.
Review schedule
Bone-health science is moving quickly, so content is reviewed periodically and after any major guideline change. Each article shows the date of its most recent review.
Conflicts of interest
This site is independent. It is not sponsored by, affiliated with, or endorsed by any device manufacturer, pharmaceutical company, testing provider, clinician, or institution mentioned on it. Names such as the Buck Institute and Dr. Vonda Wright are referenced descriptively, for education, and do not imply endorsement. Donations made through the site go directly to the Buck Institute; Josi Clary Coaching receives no commission.