Bones are made mostly of minerals, and proper amounts of minerals are necessary to prevent bone loss as we age. Other nutrients play a role in determining whether or not the available minerals get deposited into bone, where they contribute to bone mineral density. New findings from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study suggest that omega-3 fats from fish are among those nutrients that help maintain bone density in aging women and men.
Omega-3 fats from fish could play an important role in preventing bone loss as we age
The new report from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, included 854 people, ages 67 to 93, who had originally enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study, a large ongoing study that began in 1948. Hip bone mineral density measurements were taken at the beginning and end of this four-year sub-study, and eating habits were evaluated using diet questionnaires.
The study found several interesting links between diet and bone density:
“Taken together, these results support the hypothesis of a protective effect of fish intake, particularly dark fish intake, on bone mineral density in the elderly,” said study co-author Dr. Katherine Tucker of Northeastern University in Boston.
These findings add to a growing body of research showing that dietary omega-3 fish fats could play an important role in preventing bone loss as we age. Here are some things to consider as you add extra fish portions to your regular diet:
You can learn more about health and safety issues around fish consumption from the Environmental Defense Fund (www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1521) and Physicians for Social Responsibility (www.psr.org/resources/healthy-fish-healthy.html).
(Am J Clin Nutr 2011;93:1142–51)