Mediterranean diet slows down osteoporosis

Mediterranean diet may reduce bone loss in people with osteoporosis, according to new research from the University of East Anglia (United Kingdom), published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . These results show that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, unrefined cereals, olive oil and fish can reduce hip bone loss in just 12 months.

This study is the first European clinical trial in Europe. long-term report on the impact of a Mediterranean diet on the bone health of older people. 1142 patients aged 65 to 79 participated in the trial, and the volunteers were randomized into two groups – one who followed a Mediterranean diet, the other not. Their bone density was measured at the beginning of the experiment and 12 months later. The diet had no noticeable impact on participants with normal bone density, but had an effect on those with osteoporosis

Femur neck

Control group continued to suffer from a decrease in age-related bone density, but those who followed the Mediterranean diet benefited from an increase in bone density in their femoral neck. "This is a particularly sensitive area because bone loss in the femoral neck is often the cause of hip fracture, which is common in older people with osteoporosis," says Fairweather-Tait the medical school of the University of East Anglia. He adds, "It takes a lot of time for the bone to form, so the 12-month trial, although one of the longest to date, was still relatively short to show an impact. the fact that we have been able to observe a marked difference between the groups, even over this period of time, is significant. "

The trial, financed by the European Union, was conducted on participants recruited in Italy , the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Poland and France. Those who followed the Mediterranean diet increased their consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, unrefined grains, olive oil and fish, and consumed small amounts of meat and alcohol dairy products . Bone density was measured in more than 600 subjects in both groups at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. Of these participants, just under 1% had osteoporosis at the beginning of the study.

A Mediterranean Diet Has Other Health Benefits

Researchers would now like to conduct a similar trial, ideally more long, to confirm the results and see if the impact can be seen in other parts of the body. If the role of diet is established, it would complement current drug treatments for osteoporosis, which can have serious side effects.

But anyway, "it is already proven that a Mediterranean diet has other health benefits: it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and cancer," he said. Professor Fairweather-Tait, a researcher at the University of East Anglia. "So there is no problem in adopting such a diet, whether or not you have osteoporosis," he concludes.

All bones can be affected

Insidious disease, osteoporosis is characterized by excessive fragility of the skeleton, due to a decrease in bone mbad and the alteration of micro-bone architecture. It affects 3 million people in France, including 30 to 40% of menopausal women.

Every year in France, 376 000 fractures are due to osteoporosis. With the aging of the population, we expect more than 500,000 in 2025. All bones can be affected, except those of the head, neck, hands and feet. The bones most affected by osteoporosis are those of the wrist, vertebrae and, most feared, the neck of the femur, because the latter is synonymous with 20% mortality at 1 year. The number of annual deaths after an osteoporosis-related fracture thus exceeds the number of road deaths in France.