Osteoporosis: Soft Plums Harden Bone

Osteoporosis, or the softening of bones, is a major health problem amongst middle aged and elderly population groups in developed countries. The fundamental cause of this degenerative disease is still somewhat uncertain and the common preventive advice given by health professionals and dieticians is to eat plenty of calcium rich foods such as dairy products.

Although hormonal changes in later life are known to have an influence on bone softening (as is the lack of gravity-resistance exercise such as walking, jogging or weight lifting) these factors alone cannot explain the increasing incidence of this serious disease.

Bone is an active, living tissue that is being formed, remodeled and shaped continuously in response to both physical and physiological influences on the body. Bone matrix consists primarily of calcium, magnesium and phosphate and is the material that makes up both the dense parts of the bone and the bone marrow framework.

Many people still believe that if one eats foods rich in these minerals and sufficient vitamin D then they will avoid developing osteoporosis. Epidemiological data suggest that this is not the case.

When it comes to bone health and disease the integrated processes that control its formation and resorption are just as important as the availability of vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and phosphate.

As mentioned earlier bone is a dynamic tissue the matrix of which is controlled by two main cell types: osteoblasts are bone cells that are responsible for the FORMATION of bone matrix while osteoclasts are modified white blood cells responsible for the RESORPTION of bone tissue.

These two cell types are controlled by a complex set of signaling hormones and proteins that respond according to the ever-changing physiological and pathological demands on bone tissue. If there are too many osteoclasts, or if these cells become overactive, they will resorb more matrix than the osteoblasts can produce. A predominance of osteoclast activity results in the bone becoming less dense - the principal characteristic of the clinical condition known as osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by the de-mineralization of bone matrix and may be associated with several specific diseases (such as hyperparathyroidism) and the long-term use of drugs such as corticosteroids. However the majority of those who develop osteoporosis DO NOT suffer from any of these diseases and generally have adequate intakes of calcium, vitamins and exhibit normal hormone profiles.

PHYTONUTRIENT DEFICIENCY IS A CAUSE OF OSTEOPOROSIS

There is more and more evidence to show that the principal cause of age-related osteoporosis is actually a deficiency of non-vitamin phytonutrients.

Epidemiological studies have shown that rural Chinese peasants who eat very little meat and dairy produce have extremely low incidences of osteoporosis. Moreover, their diets are rich in a wide variety of plant foods that provide high levels of polyphenols and other bioactive plant compounds as well as adequate amounts of calcium, magnesium and phosphate.

Recent research carried out by scientists at the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University shows that polyphenols from plums have a strong influence on the signaling mechanisms that control bone formation. Polyphenols are a group of compounds that give plants their rich colours and are therefore particularly prevalent in deeply coloured foods such as plums, berries and certain spices.

Although scientists have previously found that polyphenols help prevent a number of other degenerative diseases this is the first time they have been found to be of benefit in osteoporosis.

The researchers at Oklahoma State University discovered that, even in the presence of oxidative stress and systemic inflammation, polyphenols work directly on the signaling mechanisms that control bone metabolism. Their impact on these vital systems results in the inhibition of the bone-softening osteoclasts while enhancing the generation and activity of bone-building osteoblasts.

This fresh research is further confirmation of the importance of plant based phytonutrients to human health. These non-vitamin micronutrients have been shown to help many other conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, cancer, macular degeneration, diabetes and other degenerative diseases.

Several pathological processes such as oxidative stress and low-grade systemic inflammation are common to these diseases and accelerate aging. Similarly the development of osteoporosis is aggravated by oxidative stress and inflammation.

Since plant based antioxidants and other bioactive compounds have been shown to help the most prevalent of our degenerative conditions it is gratifying to know that one of the solutions to preventing yet another of these debilitating conditions is simply to eat more fruits (such as plums) and other foods (such as spices) that contain large quantities of bone strengthening polyphenols and related disease-fighting phytonutrients.

REFERENCES:

1. Dried plum polyphenols attenuate the detrimental effects of TNF-alpha on osteoblast function coincident with up-regulation of Runx2, Osterix and IGF-I J Nutr Biochem. 2009 Jan;20(1):35-44. Epub 2008 May 20. Bu SY, Hunt TS, Smith BJ

2. Dried plum polyphenols inhibit osteoclastogenesis by downregulating NFATc1 and inflammatory mediators.Calcif Tissue Int. 2008 Jun;82(6):475-88. Bu SY, Lerner M, Stoecker BJ, Boldrin E, Brackett DJ, Lucas EA, Smith BJ.

3. Antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid inhibits osteoclast differentiation by reducing nuclear factor-kappaB DNA binding and prevents in vivo bone resorption induced by receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Free Radic Biol Med. 2006 May 1;40(9):1483-93. Epub 2005 Dec 9. Kim HJ, Chang EJ, Kim HM, Lee SB, Kim HD, Su Kim G, Kim HH.

4.(Book)The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health by T. Colin Campbell Thomas M. Campbell II Howard Lyman