RESEARCH - Chocoholics may risk brittle bone disease

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'Chocoholics' may risk brittle bone disease

By Reuters Health

January 16, 2008

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Jan 16 - There's increasing evidence that

chocolate is good for the heart, but new research suggests it may not

be so great for the bones.

Older women who ate chocolate every day had weaker, thinner bones than

their peers, who indulged less frequently, and the difference didn't

appear to be due to overall dietary habits, Dr. M. Hodgson of

the University of Western Australia School of Medicine and

Pharmacology, Perth, and colleagues found.

" This is the first study to investigate the relation between chocolate

intake and bone structural measurements and raises concerns that

frequent chocolate consumption may increase the risk of osteoporosis

and fracture, " Hodgson and his team write in the American Journal of

Clinical Nutrition.

Chocolates are rich in flavonoids, which some studies suggest can be

good for the bones, the researchers say. However, they add, chocolate

also contains oxalate, which blocks the absorption of calcium, and

sugar, which can boost calcium excretion.

To investigate chocolate's effect on the bones, the researchers looked

at 1,001 women age 70 to 85 who were participating in a study of

calcium supplementation and fracture risk.

Women who were daily chocolate consumers had a 3.1% lower bone

density, on average, than those who ate chocolate less than once a

week, as well as weaker bones in the heel and tibia, or shin bone.

Frequent chocolate eaters ate the same amount of fresh fruit and

vegetables as those who ate chocolate less often. They also consumed

no more saturated fats, carbohydrates or sugar, and less protein,

starch, fiber, and potassium.

Women who ate chocolate every day weighed less and, on average, had

lower a body mass index (BMI), the ratio of height to weight, a

formula frequently used to determine if an individual is over- or

underweight. The chocolate eaters also consumed more calories and had

a higher socioeconomic status.

The relationship between heavy chocolate consumption and lower bone

density remained even after the researchers took these factors into

account. They suggest: " the effect may be associated with a

constituent of chocolate rather than an associated lifestyle or

dietary factor. "

They call for further studies to confirm or disprove the relationship,

and conclude that " confirmation could have important implications for

the prevention of osteoporosis and fracture. "

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2008.

Last Updated: 2008-01-15 13:00:32 -0400 (Reuters Health)

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