FREQUENCY OF FOOD-INTAKE AND NATURAL DIETARY-COMPONENTS ARE POTENT MODULATORS OF BONE-RESORPTION AND BONE MASS IN RATS

Prevention of low bone mass is important to reduce the incidence of os teoporotic fractures. In this report evidence is provided that feeding habits per se, that is, increased frequency of food intake as well as a diet containing soy and other raw components, decrease bone resorpt ion and increase bone mass in growing rats. Interim results after 6 we eks indicate that food fractionation and natural dietary components ar e both capable of inhibiting trabecular bone loss in aged rats. These interim results indicate that the effect of both dietary interventions are additive and together are capable of nearly completely blunting t he age-dependent loss of trabecular bone mineral density. These dietar y manipulations are, however, only partially effective in inhibiting t he strongly increased loss of trabecular bone mineral density induced by estrogen deprivation. The fact that the natural dietary components are not more effective in ovariectomized rats as compared to intact fe males confirms our contention that these components may not operate by mimicking the effect of estradiol. Whether bone mass in humans is als o under the control of dietary habits is not known. If so, an increase d frequency of meals of appropriate composition may be used to prevent osteoporosis.