Polyunsaturated fat associated with bone mineral loss whereas saturated fat may offer protection

This study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2004 Jan;79(1):155-65

 

Study title and authors:

Nutritional associations with bone loss during the menopausal transition: evidence of a beneficial effect of calcium, alcohol, and fruit and vegetable nutrients and of a detrimental effect of fatty acids.

Macdonald HM, New SA, Golden MH, Campbell MK, Reid DM.

Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom. h.macdonald@abdn.ac.uk

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14684412

The menopausal transition is characterised by rapid bone loss. The objective of the study was to ascertain which dietary factors influence skeletal loss around the time of the menopause. In the study, the bone mineral density was measured at the start of the study and five years later in 891 women initially aged 45-55.

Regarding fat intake, the study found:
(a) A higher intake of saturated fat was correlated with a protective effect from bone mineral loss.
(b) A higher intake of polyunsaturated fat was correlated with lower bone mineral density