Bone mineral content in postmenopausal women: comparison of omnivores and vegetarians

Article Abstract:

Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become thin and fragile due to a reduction in their mass. It is a major health problem for the elderly, often resulting in broken bones and disability. The population group at greatest risk is postmenopausal white women. Women have a lower bone mineral content than men, and reduced levels of the hormone estrogen after menopause also increase the risk of osteoporosis. Research with Eskimos and Alaskans suggests that longterm consumption of large amounts of meat affects bone mass adversely. In this study, the effect of diet on bone density was evaluated in 144 vegetarians and 146 omnivores, who include meat and vegetables in their diet; all the participants were elderly white women. The ratio of bone mineral content to bone width (BMC/BW), which represents bone density, was calculated from results of bone scans of the arm. Results showed that BMC/BW did not differ between the vegetarians and omnivores. Risk factors other than diet were also evaluated. Women who took thiazide-containing diuretics (typically prescribed for high blood pressure) had higher BMC/BW indicating stronger bones. These medications may favor retention of calcium in the body by reducing calcium loss in the urine. The authors recommend further research into the possibility that thiazide diuretics help prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis. Women who had used estrogen replacement therapy for over one year also had significantly greater bone density. Factors that increased risk of osteoporosis as measured by BMC/BW were greater age, shorter stature and lower body weight; thus smaller, older women had less dense bones.

Health aspects, Hormone therapy, Nutritional aspects, Minerals (Nutrients), Minerals in human nutrition

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Sodium chloride supplementation and urinary calcium excretion in postmenopausal women

Article Abstract:

Osteoporosis is a bone disease involving loss of bone mass and strength that can lead to fractures; it is often debilitating in elderly individuals. The annual cost of medical care relating to osteoporosis in the United States is over $3 billion and is expected to rise as the population ages. Much attention has been focused recently on identification of risk factors so that this disease can be prevented. Research has established that inadequate calcium in the diet is a risk factor, as are situations that increase loss of calcium from the body. Excessive intakes of dietary sodium may increase loss of calcium in the urine, particularly in postmenopausal women. No studies of salt intake and calcium excretion in older women following their usual diet have been conducted. Seventeen healthy women aged 52 to 70 years who were past menopause participated in a study where they ate their usual diet and took two different sodium chloride supplements (three grams/day and six grams/day) designed to provide moderate sodium intake. The lower-dose salt supplement increased urinary calcium excretion over the diet with no supplement, and the higher-dose supplement further raised calcium excretion. Theoretical calculations indicate that over a period of ten years, the sodium intake provided by the two supplements would deplete body calcium stores by 7.5 percent and 10 percent respectively. Calcium losses of this magnitude could represent a risk factor for osteoporosis.

Bone diseases, Salting of food, Salting (Food preservation), High-calcium diet, High calcium diet

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Shift from a mixed to a lactovegetarian diet: influence on acidic lipids in fecal water - a potential risk factor for colon cancer

Article Abstract:

Some research studies have suggested that high-fiber, low-fat diets such as the typical vegetarian diet may protect against colon cancer; this topic is still controversial. The possible link between such diets and reduced colon cancer rate may be lower amounts of bile acids in the feces. Bile acids are substances used in fat digestion. Elevated bile acid levels in the stool may be toxic, or carcinogenic, to the cells lining the colon over an extended period. Persons with colonic polyps or colon cancer were found to have more bile acids in the watery phase of feces (fecal water) than individuals with normal colons. Twenty-six healthy adults who usually followed a mixed diet which included meat were educated extensively on how to follow a lactovegetarian diet; this diet excludes meat, poultry, fish and eggs but includes milk products. Dietary interviews confirmed that all subjects switched completely to a lactovegetarian diet for three months. Stool samples were collected and analyzed. On the vegetarian diet, there was a significant decrease in fecal concentration of total fatty acids, which may be beneficial, but cellular toxicity of fecal water and total bile acids did not change. These results indicate that certain risk factors for colon cancer may be decreased by following a lactovegetarian diet, however this research is only preliminary and more studies are needed.

Colorectal cancer, Cancer, Bile acids

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