VOLUME 2 ISSUE 13    December 2007 VIEW ARCHIVE

Bone up on Fat Another surprising finding about a former nutrition "no no" by Michelle Gibeault Traub, R.D. Once a nutritional taboo, fats have gained a great deal of respect in the past few years. The key lies in the type of fat. Omega-3 fatty acids, which fall under the category of polyunsaturated fats, have proven their virtue as research indicates they may decrease the risks of heart disease, stroke, autoimmune disorders, cancers of the breast, colon and prostate, and even osteoporosis.1 Two Studies – Similar Results Two studies reported earlier this year showed correlations between bone health improvement and intakes of omega-3 fatty acids. The first was conducted assessing omega-3 fatty acids (ALA) from plant sources (walnuts and flaxseed oil), which was a novel approach since previous studies had already indicated a decrease in bone loss in diets that had high omega-3 content primarily from fish (EPA and DHA). In the small study, researchers from Penn State gave 23 subjects controlled-diets that contained varied amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Their findings showed that the omega-3 rich diets decreased chemicals in the blood that indicate bone loss, while chemicals indicating bone formation stayed the same, thus resulting in an overall “positive balance for bone health.”2 The second study was conducted on 78 young men who were followed for eight years to determine how the fatty acids in their blood correlated to their bone mineral density. The researchers concluded that the more omega-3 fatty acids in a subject’s blood, particularly DHA, the greater their bone mineral density. The findings are similar to animal studies that seem to indicate that DHA, a fatty acid found in fish such as tuna and salmon, assists in calcium absorption3.   Can We Eat Enough? These studies add to an ever-growing amount of research indicating that optimal bone health requires far more than calcium alone (SEE The Missing Mineral). It is important to note however that getting the appropriate amount of omega-3s, particularly in the Penn State study, required a very well-planned diet with high quantities of walnuts. The typical American diet is composed of primarily omega-6 fatty acids as contributed by vegetable oil, and is frequently lacking in fatty fish as many people worry about the mercury-content. Therefore, while more research is necessary, it does appear that if your diet is lacking in walnuts, flax, or fish, then supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids may be necessary to achieve the intake that helps strengthen bones.    NOTE: For a limited-time the makers of Adora Calcium are offering “Concentrated Omega-3,” a supplement that provides a high-quality source of both EPA (360 mg) and DHA (240 mg) fatty acids. This supplement is available through the Adora Online Store.     References Vanek, Chaim and William E. Connor. Do n–3 fatty acids prevent osteoporosis? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 3, 647-648, March 2007. retrieved 12/13/07 LINK Corwin, Rebecca. Plant-derived Omega-3s May Aid in Bone Health Penn State News. 2/19/07. retrieved 12/13/07 LINK Högström, Magnus, et al. n–3 Fatty acids are positively associated with peak bone mineral density and bone accrual in healthy men: the NO2 Study, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 3, 803-807, March 2007. retrieved 12/13/07 LINK Top of Page

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