According to new research from the University of East Anglia, eating Mediterranean diet – diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, unrefined cereals, olive oil, and fish can reduce hip bone loss within a year. Adults between age 65 and 79 took part in the trial, volunteers were divided into two groups; those that followed a Mediterranean diet and a control group that did not. Bone density was measured at the beginning and after a year. The diet had no discernible impact on participants with normal bone density, but it did have an effect on those with osteoporosis.

Participants in the control group continued to see the usual age-related decrease in bone density, but those following the diet saw an equivalent increase in bone density in one part of the body-the femoral neck. This is the area which connects the shaft of the thigh bone to its rounded head, which fits in the hip joint. Loss of bone in the femoral neck is often the cause of hip fracture, which is common in elderly people with osteoporosis. Bone takes a long time to form; difficult to form and easy to loose.

University of Bologna researchers recruited 1142 participants and divided them into two groups. Those following the Mediterranean diet increased their intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, unrefined cereals, olive oil, and fish, consumed small quantities of dairy products and meat and had a moderate alcohol intake. Participants in the intervention group were provided with foods such as olive oil and wholemeal pasta.

Blood samples were taken to check for circulating biomarkers at the beginning and the end of the researcher. Bone density was measured in over 600 participants across both groups at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. Of these participants, just under 10% were found to have osteoporosis at the beginning of the study. Those with osteoporosis are losing bone at a faster rate than others.

Other benefits of Mediterranean diet are; reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. A Mediterranean-like dietary pattern with vitamin D3 (10 μg/day) supplements reduced rate of bone loss in older Europeans with osteoporosis at baseline.
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