Re: BMD and Fruit

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

Many these studies seem to be quite vague. 'Fruit' contains a wide

variety of foods that have widely disparate composition. It would be

helpful if we knew which types of fruit are the most beneficial.

One problem with many/most fruits is that they have a rather high

caloric content (usually sugar, sometimes even fat) and not a heck of

a lot of the standard (that is those for which there are RDAs)

micronutrients. Not the emptiest of empty calories, but certainly

far in that direction compared with vegetables.

The same problem was evident in the Seventh Day Adventist study

posted here a few weeks back. 'Fruits dramatically reduce the

incidence of lung cancer in non-smokers' ........... but no

information about the most frequently consumed fruits among study

subjects.

In that same study nuts were also found to be very beneficial. The

most frequently consumed nuts were peanuts (yes they did classify

them as nuts), walnuts (yes, with the ALA!) and almonds. So we do

have at least some indications as to which nuts may have been

responsible for the benefits.

Rodney.

--- In , " Jeff Novick " <jnovick@p...>

wrote:

> Osteo and BMD always seems a topic of concern here so thought some

might

> find this interesting. Don't have full study yet.

> Jeff

>

> Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Oct;80(4):1019-23

>

> Fruit and vegetable consumption and bone mineral density: the

Northern

> Ireland Young Hearts Project.

>

> McGartland CP, Robson PJ, Murray LJ, Cran GW, Savage MJ, Watkins DC,

> Rooney MM, Boreham CA.

>

> Northern Ireland Center for Food and Health, University of Ulster,

> Coleraine, United Kingdom. c.mcgartland@q...

>

> BACKGROUND: Studies examining the relation between bone mineral

density

> (BMD) and fruit and vegetable consumption during adolescence are

rare.

> OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine whether usual fruit and

> vegetable intakes reported by adolescents have any influence on BMD.

> DESIGN: BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the

> nondominant forearm and dominant heel in a random sample of 12-y-old

> boys (n = 324), 12-y-old girls (n = 378), 15-y-old boys (n = 274),

and

> 15-y-old girls (n = 369). Usual fruit and vegetable consumption was

> assessed by an interviewer-administered diet history method.

Relations

> between BMD and fruit and vegetable intake were assessed by using

> regression modeling. RESULTS: Using multiple linear regression to

adjust

> for the potential confounding influence of physical and lifestyle

> factors, we observed that 12-y-old girls consuming high amounts of

fruit

> had significantly higher heel BMD (beta = 0.037; 95% CI: 0.017,

0.056)

> than did the moderate fruit consumers. No other associations were

> observed.

> CONCLUSION: High intakes of fruit may be important for bone health

in

> girls.

> It is possible that fruit's alkaline-forming properties mediate the

> body's acid-base balance. However, intervention studies are

required to

> confirm the findings of this observational study.