When you were younger, your parents would always make you drink your milk to get stronger bones. Now that you're older, protecting your bones is more important than ever. One way you can do that is by having an olive oil-infused Mediterranean diet. A study published in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and reported by ScienceDaily.com, has found that eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, olives, and olive oil may prevent osteoporosis.
For the study, 127 community-dwelling men aged 55 to 80 years old were chosen randomly from one of the Prevencion con Dieta Mediterranea study centers. The said study looked at the effect of the Medierranean diet on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
“The intake of olive oil has been related to the prevention of osteoporosis in experimental and in vitro models,” says lead study author José Manuel Fernández-Real, MD, PhD, of Hospital Dr. Josep Trueta in Girona, Spain.
This study looked at elderly men without prior cardiovascular diseases but who had diabetes 2 or a few cardiovascular risk factors. They were randomly divided into three groups: Mediterranean diet with mixed nuts, Mediterranean diet with virgin olive oil, and a low-fat diet. After two years of follow-up, only those who followed a Mediterranean diet with olive oil showed a significant increase in osteocalcin and bone formation markers. In addition, those who followed the two other diets showed a decrease in serum calcium.
If you want to lessen the impact of age-related bone damage, trying out a Mediterranean diet might be a good start.
(Photo by Marvin O. via Flickr Creative Commons)
