What you eat not only affects your waistline but also your bone health. A study led by Tonya Orchard showed that anti-inflammatory diets high in vegetables, fruits, fish and whole grains could reduce the risk of bone loss and fracture in women.

Orchard used data from the landmark Women’s Health Initiative to compare inflammatory elements in the subjects’ diets to bone mineral density and fractures.

The dietary data came from 160,191 women, and the data about bone mineral density came from 10,290 of those women. The fracture data came from the entire study group.

Women with low-inflammatory diets lost less bone density over the six-year period than their peers. Postmenopausal white women younger than 62 also had less risk of hip fracture.

These findings support evidence that high-inflammation diets can increase osteoporosis risk.

“The women with better diets didn’t lose bone as quickly as those with high-inflammation diets,” Orchard said. “This is important because after menopause, women see a severe loss in bone density that leads to fractures.”

— Misti Crane

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Anti-inflammatory diet could reduce risk of bone loss in women – EHE News