{"id":38098,"date":"2016-03-16T10:52:28","date_gmt":"2016-03-16T14:52:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=38098"},"modified":"2017-07-04T16:17:38","modified_gmt":"2017-07-04T20:17:38","slug":"brock-research-says-eating-healthy-fats-keep-bones-stronger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2016\/03\/brock-research-says-eating-healthy-fats-keep-bones-stronger\/","title":{"rendered":"Brock research says eating healthy fats keeps bones stronger"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all been told that a glass of milk will help us build stronger, healthier bones. But what about the food on our plates?<\/span><\/p>\n

A newly released review<\/a>\u00a0by graduate student Amanda Longo and Professor of Kinesiology Wendy Ward highlights that, in general, individuals who consume higher amounts of fatty acids from fish have fewer fragility fractures.<\/p>\n

Those types of falls \u2013 and subsequent broken bones \u2013 typically happen at sites like the wrist, hip, and vertebrae in older adults battling osteoporosis.<\/p>\n

Lead author Amanda Longo reviewed the research results of a wide array of studies looking at the relationship between nutrition and bone health. (For a video Longo produced on nutrition and bone health, view here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

She focused her review on polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), called omega-6 and omega-3 PUFAs.<\/p>\n

These\u00a0\u201chealthy fats\u201d are found in foods such as fish, vegetable oils and some nuts and seeds.<\/p>\n

\u201cFindings from human studies indicate that higher fatty fish intake is strongly linked with fewer fragility fractures that can occur when people fall from standing height or less,\u201d says Longo, a graduate student in the Department of Kinesiology.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we look at global patterns of fracture, it seems that those in rural Asian countries fracture less,\u201d says Longo. \u201cWe know that the diets of those from these countries seem to contain a lot more omega-3-rich foods including fish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Longo stresses that strong bones require a healthy, well-balanced diet overall.<\/p>\n

Eating Well with Canada\u2019s Food Guide recommends at least two servings of fish (75 grams\/serving) each week as part of a healthy diet. \u201cChoosing fish that are highest in omega-3 fats, such as salmon, char, or herring will provide us with the greatest overall benefits to our health, and to our bones,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

For those who do not consume animal sources of omega-3 PUFA, there is some evidence to support a benefit to bone health through the plant sources of omega-3, found in flaxseed, walnuts, soy, and some omega-3 fortified food products.<\/p>\n

Longo\u2019s supervisor and study co-author Wendy Ward, professor in the Department of Kinesiology, says that the whole diet should be considered for bone health, and in the context of an overall healthy lifestyle.<\/p>\n

\u201cOther bone-supporting nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D and protein are part of a strategy for keeping our bones as strong as possible throughout our lifespan,\u201d she says. \u201cFoods that are good for one aspect of our health, such as our skeleton, are also helpful to support overall health.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a helpful information source, Ward points to EatRight Ontario<\/a>, a province-wide service in which registered dieticians give a range of advice on healthful eating.<\/p>\n

The team\u2019s review \u2013 \u201cPUFAs, Bone Mineral Density, and Fragility Fracture: Findings from Human Studies\u201d \u2013 was published March 15\u00a0in Advances in Nutrition<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n

This is one of two papers graduate student Longo published in recent times. The other study\u00a0appearing in the online issue of Calcified Tissue International <\/em>showed that \u201cimaging of bone structure, using micro-CT, safely allows us to measure the response of bone tissue to an intervention at multiple times throughout the lifespan. Knowing how the three-dimensional structure of a bone changes helps us to predict risk of fracture.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe micro-CT is able to look at the three dimensional structure of a bone to a tenth of a millimeter; it\u2019s able to resolve and quantify the detail of the bone at a very high resolution,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Longo is a contestant in the NSERC<\/em> Science, Action!<\/em> video contest sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).<\/p>\n

The federal granting agency has posted research videos from 33 graduate students across Canada. The 15 videos with the most views will proceed to the final round where the top winners will be decided by a panel of judges.<\/p>\n

Longo is one of two Brock University contestants.<\/p>\n

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