Mediterranean diet protects people with osteoporosis from fractures

People with osteoporosis should eat Mediterranean food

Researchers have now discovered that patients with osteoporosis should better take what they call a Mediterranean diet. In many cases, it could prevent affected people from breaking their hips.

Researchers from the University of Bologna and the University of East Anglia discovered that a Mediterranean diet in many people with osteoporosis avoided dangerous fractures of hip. can. The doctors published the results of their study in the English-language journal "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

The elderly should eat these foods

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, untreated cereals, olive oil and fish can prevent bone loss in the elderly to be. Experts have found this in their long-term badysis of the effects of diet on bone health in the elderly. British, French, Dutch and Polish researchers were involved in the study

Physicians examined nearly 1150 subjects

The study involved nearly 1,150 volunteers over a year. medical observation. At the beginning and end of the EU-funded study, the bone density of the subjects was measured. Half of the participants, all aged between 65 and 79, were invited to eat a Mediterranean diet. The other subjects fed normally.

The femoral neck is a particularly sensitive area for osteoporosis

Nutrition did not have a significant effect on participants with normal bone density. However, it has been found that a Mediterranean diet offers benefits for patients with osteoporosis. All patients with osteoporosis who did not take any Mediterranean diet exhibited the usual decrease in age-related bone density. However, when participants followed the Mediterranean diet, an increase in bone density in the femoral neck was observed. This is the area that connects the femur tree to the rounded head that inserts it into the hip joint. This area is particularly sensitive for osteoporosis because bone loss in the femoral neck is often the cause of hip fractures, says Professor Susan Fairweather-Tait of the University of East Anglia [1965]. The less sugary drinks and snacks are the most important aspects of a Mediterranean diet. People should take more fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, lettuce, whole grains, fish, meat and monounsaturated fats such as olive oil.

Avoid eating these foods

The consumption of certain foods should be avoided as part of a healthy diet. These include, for example, saturated fats (butter), red meat, processed foods (juice and white bread), lemonade and sugar.

The result is significant

It takes a long time for the bones to form. Therefore, the 12-month study, although one of the longer, was still a relatively short time to study the effect of diet. The fact that a clear difference in the region of the femoral neck has been identified is therefore very significant, explain the researchers.

More research needed

Bone density was measured in both groups: lumbar spine, lumbar spine and femoral neck. A longer study would allow experts to measure changes in volunteers with normal bone density. The researchers are also calling for a longer trial in patients with osteoporosis to review their findings. If the condition could be relieved by the diet, it would be a welcome addition to current drug treatments for osteoporosis, which can have serious side effects, stress the study authors. (As)