New findings suggest dietary
vitamin C may help protect against bone loss in older men. Photo courtesy of
Microsoft clipart.
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Fight Osteoporosis: Bone Up on a Quality Diet
By
Rosalie Marion Bliss
October 8 , 2008
Findings from a new study suggest vitamin C may be protective against
bone loss in older men. Researchers funded by the
Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
reported the findings in the October issue of the
Journal
of Nutrition.
The study was led by epidemiologist
Katherine
Tucker with the Jean Mayer USDA
Human
Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at
Tufts University in Boston, Mass. Tucker
directs the HNRCA's Dietary Assessment and Epidemiology Research Program.
Osteoporosisa condition in which bones become porous and
weakaffects about 10 million people in the U.S. population, and low bone
mass is a public health concern among another 44 million people aged 50 or
older. The researchers wanted to examine whether fruit- and vegetable-specific
antioxidants such as vitamin C might decrease oxidative stress that is linked
to accelerated bone loss.
In the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, bone mineral density at the hip,
spine and forearm was measured in 344 men and 540 women aged 75 on average.
Because people at risk for bone loss, such as smokers, may use vitamin
C supplements more often, the potential effects of vitamin C intake obtained
from diet, supplements, and both diet and supplements were examined.
Interactions based on smoking, calcium and vitamin E intakes were tracked. The
researchers observed significant positive associations for total vitamin
Cboth dietary and supplementalamong men who never smoked.
Among a subset of the participantswhose bone mineral density was
again measured after four yearsdifferent interactions were observed.
During those four years, total vitamin C appeared to be protective against
losses in bone mineral density in two areas of the hip among men with low
calcium or vitamin E intakes. That finding is consistent with previous reports
by Tucker and other researchers that higher fruit and vegetable intake has
positive effects on bone mineral status.
The researchers did not observe significant effects of vitamin C
intake on bone in women.
ARS is a scientific research agency of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.