Do Nutrients Influence Bone Health? A Commentary on New Findings in the Field

Abstract

Food is always a good topic of conversation and inquiry. Humans require it, the variety of eating patterns spark personal debate, scientific measurement of dietary intakes are fraught with methodical issues, and the often changing (and inconsistent) nutrition messages in the media make for good discussion. The devil is in the detail when it comes to nutrients and the inferences to health beyond food intakes. Indeed, food is often the example when nuances of scientific inference are examined across time periods: “Is dairy good or bad for you?”, “should we consume more or less protein in our diet?” “how much fruit & vegetable is needed?”, or “should salt intake be limited”? Macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) as well as micronutrients (minerals and vitamins) are essential for the human body. Intakes of these nutrients have been the topic of bone investigations and patient questions for many years, especially as related to the occurrence of fractures. In this issue of Journal of Bone & Mineral Research, two exciting articles present their findings on first, serum sodium levels, and then, fruit and vegetable intakes, in relation to fracture risk. These topics are highly relevant to clinicians and researchers interested in bone outcomes. Patients are keenly interested in nutrition-related influences upon bone health, both those with positive as well as negative aspects. Examining nutrient intakes in relation to health outcomes is complicated, but can lead to significant risk factor modification as well as influence in food and health decisions, especially in older adults. Defining dietary intakes precisely is a major challenge in both clinical patients and participants of population-based studies as the scientific community continues to search for the long-term effects of dietary intakes. Nutrition studies are common in outcomes of cancer and heart disease, and less so with bone outcomes (with the exception of calcium and vitamin D). Prior to inference of causality, especially for dietary intakes, it is important to first document a significant association with outcomes and across populations.