Posted by ThirdAge News Service on July 11, 2008 11:47 AM
Maintaining a proper balance of dietary fats may ward off much of the bone loss associated with post-menopausal osteoporosis, states a study by scientists at the Indiana University School of Medicine,Bloomington, and Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.The researchers found that diets with a low ratio of omega-6fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids minimizes the bone loss typically brought on by estrogen deficiency, which is common in post-menopausal females. Omega-6 is found in foods such as grains and beef, while omega-3 is contained in products like walnuts and salmon.
"Many people don't realize it, but our bones are not staticstructures," explains Mark Seifert, professor of anatomy and cellbiology at Indiana University. Bones undergo a process called"remodeling," in which they are continuously broken down and rebuilt.Two types of cells govern this process-bone resorption cells, whichremove small portions of bone, and bone-building cells, which fill in the gaps. Estrogen blocks some of the inflammatory compounds associatedwith bone resorption, which may explain why osteoporosis typicallyprogresses after estrogen levels fall with the onset of menopause.
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in foods like salmon and walnuts,minimize bone loss brought on by estrogen deficiency following menopause.
"Our lab and others have shown that omega-3 fatty acids helppromote bone formation," reports Bruce Watkins, professor and directorof Purdue's Center for Enhancing Foods to Protect Health. "We also haveshown that higher intakes of omega-6 fatty acids lead to an increasedproduction of compounds associated with bone loss."
While both types of fats are essential for human health, dietswith a high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids often areassociated with cardiovascular disease, cancer and inflammatory andautoimmune diseases. A low ratio, however, is believed to promotecardiovascular health, improve memory and, as the study demonstrates,protect bone health.
"We saw in this study that omega-3 fatty acids are associated with a better blood profile of bone health, and with higher bonemineral density, in the absence of estrogen," Watkins notes. "A five-to-one dietary ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids led to aconservation of bone mineral content that we didn't see with a10-to-one ratio."
The average American's dietary ratio is approximately 10 t oone, which is inflated by the types of foods people eat and the methods used to produce those foods, especially those containing vegetable oils. "Our foods are different today than they were yesterday," hesays. "Omega-6 fatty acids have been an important part of our diet, butover the past 80 years, the human diet has shifted in a way that increased the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids."
The omega-6 fatty acids in today's animal feed incorporate right into the animals' tissues, where they become part of the eggs,poultry, meats and pork served in households and restaurants across the country.
Source: USA Today. Poweredby Yellowbrix
http://www.thirdage.com/osteoporosis/eat-good-fat-to-prevent-bone-loss?utm
