Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis consume high amounts of vegetables but insufficient dairy products and calcium to benefit from their virtues: the CoLaus/OsteoLaus cohort.

We evaluated the associations between nutrients, dietary patterns or compliance to dietary guidelines and bone health among postmenopausal women from the CoLaus/OsteoLaus cohort. Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis consume a high amount of vegetables but insufficient amount of dairy products and calcium to benefit from their adherence to dietary guidelines. INTRODUCTION: Diet plays a significant role in the prevention of osteoporosis (OP). We evaluated the associations between nutrients, dietary patterns or compliance (expressed in odds of meeting) to dietary Swiss guidelines and bone health (T score < - 2.5 SD, TBS < 1230) among postmenopausal women. METHODS: One thousand two hundred fifteen women (64.3 ± 7.5 years) from the CoLaus/OsteoLaus cohort (Lausanne, Switzerland) had their dietary intake assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular bone score (TBS) and vertebral fractures were evaluated with DXA. OP risk factors, calcium supplements (> 500 mg) and prevalent major OP fractures were assessed by questionnaire. RESULTS: One hundred eighty of 1195 women had OP according to BMD, 87/1185 a low TBS and 141/1215 prevalent major OP fractures. In multivariate analysis (adjusted for total energy intake, age, antiosteoporotic treatment, educational level, BMI, sedentary status and diabetes), OP women consumed more vegetable proteins (21.3 ± 0.4 vs 19.6 ± 0.2 g/day), more fibres (18.2 ± 0.5 vs 16.5 ± 0.2 g/day), less animal proteins (40.0 ± 1.1 vs 42.8 ± 0.4 g/day), less calcium (928 ± 30 vs 1010 ± 12 mg/day) and less dairy products (175 ± 12 vs 215 ± 5 g/day), all p ≤ 0.02. According to guidelines, OP women had a tendency to higher compliance for vegetables (OR (95% CI) 1.50 (0.99-2.26)) and a lower compliance for dairy (OR (95% CI) 0.44 (0.22-0.86)) than those without OP. Women taking calcium supplements consumed significantly higher amounts of dairy products. No association was found between TBS values or prevalent OP fractures and any dietary components. CONCLUSION: Postmenopausal women with OP consume a high amount of vegetables but insufficient amount of dairy products and calcium. TBS does not seem to be influenced by diet.

Relationship between dietary characteristics and heel quantitative ultrasound parameters in postmenopausal women from the OsteoLaus cohort.

The role of dietary patterns in the development of osteoporosis is unclear. The heel quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is a potential alternative to Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry. Nutrients, foods, dietary patterns and compliance to dietary guidelines were compared between the lowest and the highest tertiles of QUS parameters [Broadband Ultrasound Attenuation (BUA), Speed of Sound (SOS), Stiffness Index (SI)], using data from the OsteoLaus cohort. Participants in the highest tertiles of QUS parameters (385 for BUA, 397 for SOS, 386 for SI) were younger, of higher body weight, and had less major osteoporotic fractures. Women in the highest tertiles of SI and BUA consumed more fat (35.1 ± 0.4 vs 33.9 ± 0.4 and 34.9 ± 0.4 vs 33.8 ± 0.4 gr/day for SI and BUA, respectively, p < 0.05), and complied less frequently with dairy intake guidelines [odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 0.70 (0.53-0.92) and 0.72 (0.55-0.95) for SI and BUA, respectively, p < 0.05] than women in the lowest tertile. No differences were found regarding dietary patterns, healthy dietary scores, or compliance to dietary guidelines. Postmenopausal women in the highest QUS tertiles were younger, of higher weight and BMI, consumed more monounsaturated fatty acids and less dairy and calcium than women in the lowest tertiles. No differences were found between QUS tertiles regarding dietary patterns.