The food choices that affect your bone health
· The South African
Frozen ready meals, sweetened yoghurts, breakfast cereals, baked pastries, deep-fried foods and fizzy drinks often promise convenience and comfort. While we may know they are not the healthiest food choices, scientists are starting to question what these foods might be doing inside the body over time.
Visit hilogame.news for more information.
New research suggests the types of foods people eat every day may play a role in bone mineral density and fracture risk, raising questions about how food choices affect bone health.
Study looks at how ultra-processed food choices affect bone health
A large study from Tulane University, published in The British Journal of Nutrition, analysed health data from more than 160 000 people in the UK Biobank.
Researchers found that people who consumed higher amounts of ultra-processed foods tended to have lower bone mineral density, particularly in areas such as the upper femur and lumbar spine.
“Our study cohort was followed for over 12 years, and we found that high intakes of ultra-processed foods were linked to a reduction in bone mineral density,” said Professor Lu Qi from Tulane’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University.
Now that we know food choices potentially affect bone health, it is even more concerning that they are so easily accessible. Previous studies have already suggested the increased health risk associated with ultra-processed foods.
“Ultra-processed foods can be easily found on any trip to the grocery store, and these findings add to concerns of how they may affect our bone health,” Qi said.
Participants consumed about eight servings of ultra-processed foods per day on average. For every additional 3.7 servings eaten daily, the risk of hip fracture increased by 10.5%, according to the study. While servings differ among food types, it amounts to a frozen dinner main course, a cookie and a soda.
What counts as ultra-processed food?
Ultra-processed foods are industrially manufactured products typically high in salt, sugars and unhealthy fats. They often contain flavourings, preservatives and other additives, while offering limited nutritional value.
Examples include frozen ready meals, flavoured yoghurts, sugary breakfast cereals, pies, noodles, biscuits and soft drinks.
Because they are convenient and often cheaper, they are widely consumed.
Food choices affect bone health, but some age groups are at higher risk
Interestingly, the link between ultra-processed foods and bone density appeared strongest among those under the age of 65.
The association was also more pronounced in individuals with a body mass index below 18.5, who were considered underweight.
Why nutrition matters for bone strength
Bone health depends on nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D and protein which is why food choices affect bone health.
Ultra-processed foods tend to be energy-dense but nutritionally poor, which is why our food choices affect bone health. These foods provide calories without the nutrients bones need to remain strong.
“Our results are not surprising,” Qi said. “Ultra-processed foods have been consistently associated with various nutrition-related disorders, and bone health depends on proper nutrition.”