Researchers found that menopause -- characterised by a decline in estrogen levels -- speeds a woman's loss of bone mass and increases her risk of developing the bone-thinning disease known as osteoporosis, and increases the risk of fractures
ADVERTISEMENT
Consuming a Mediterranean diet -- rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, potatoes, olive oil, seeds, fish, low saturated fat, dairy products and red meat -- may boost bones and muscle mass in postmenopausal women, a study suggests.
Researchers found that menopause -- characterised by a decline in estrogen levels -- speeds a woman's loss of bone mass and increases her risk of developing the bone-thinning disease known as osteoporosis, and increases the risk of fractures.
"We found that the Mediterranean diet could be a useful non-medical strategy for the prevention of osteoporosis and fractures in postmenopausal women," said Thais Rasia Silva, a postdoctoral student at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.
"Postmenopausal women, especially those with low bone mass, should ask their doctor whether they might benefit from consuming this dietary pattern," Silva added.
The study, presented at the Endocrine Society's 100th Annual Meeting in Chicago, also linked the Mediterranean diet with a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and mortality risk due to certain other chronic diseases.
The team included 103 healthy women with an average age of 55 and who had gone through menopause 5.5 years earlier, on an average.
All women underwent bone scans to measure their bone mineral density, total body fat and appendicular lean mass, which was used to estimate skeletal muscle mass. They also completed a food questionnaire about what they ate in the past month.
Results showed that a higher consumption of Mediterranean diet was associated with an increased bone mineral density measured at the lumbar spine and with greater muscle mass.
The previous studies have found that the Mediterranean diet may also boost conception chances of women undergoing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
