Building bones, no dairy case needed

If you were asked to name a few foods that promote healthy bones, you'd probably list dairy products for their bone-building calcium and vitamin D.

It's a lot less likely that prunes, onions and fermented soybeans would come to mind.

In fact, it has been known for some time that a high intake of fruits and vegetables helps keep bones strong and prevents fractures as people age.

In a study underway at Florida State University, older women who have osteoporosis will be adding either a daily handful of dried apples or about 10 dried plums to their diet for a year. The investigators are betting that the prune eaters will have measurable restoration in their bone mass based on observations they made in a similar but shorter study.

Although that study was too brief to measure changes in bone density — something the new study will allow — the women who ate 10 dried plums daily had significantly higher blood levels of two compounds (the hormone IGF-1 and the enzyme BSAP) that are associated with greater rates of bone formation.

There is also a growing body of research on the role played by vitamin K, which influences the binding of calcium to bone. Most of the vitamin K we consume is in a form called phylloquinone, found in green vegetables such as broccoli, lettuce and spinach. Another form, menaquinone, is obtained in much smaller amounts from certain foods (butter, cheese, liver, egg yolk) but can also be made by bacteria in our intestines.

One of the menaquinones, MK-7, shows particular promise in promoting bone health. It's found in abundance in natto — a fermented soybean product and Japanese dietary staple with a sticky texture and strong cheesy odor that may make it a hard sell for American taste buds.

A recent study in Japan followed nearly 1,000 women for three years to determine the effects of natto and other soy products on bone mineral density. Natto had the strongest protective effect: It reduced bone loss at the top of the thighbone by more than 80% — and, interestingly, this benefit increased as the women got older.

But other soy foods were not nearly as protective as natto, leading researchers to lean toward vitamin K as the source of the bone protection.

Although fruits and vegetables are known to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, many people still fall short in consuming enough of them. Perhaps if we add osteoporosis prevention to the list of reasons to consume a plant-rich diet, it will push us to actually do so.

Susan Bowerman is a registered dietitian and assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition.

Courtesy LA Times

Bonnie - well, well, well...I finally feel like I'm off the desert island! What have I been "playing like a broken record" for 15 years? The Okinawans are the healthiest people in the world. Only 2% of their diet comes from cow's milk products. Their calcium intake is typically 500-600 mg. daily and yet have far less bone loss than Americans.