The whole debate over how protein intake affects bone density isn't exactly settled yet—there’s a massive amount of data out there suggesting that both lower and higher protein consumption might actually have a positive impact on bone density.
This latest study seems to lean toward the side of things that characterize the link between high protein intake and bone density as a positive one.
A group of researchers in Australia gathered data via questionnaires regarding protein intake from 1,077 women, aged roughly 75 ± 3 years. They assessed bone health using heel ultrasound and by measuring bone mineral density in the hip area.
According to their findings, the connection between increased protein intake and bone density remains positive, even when you account for other factors that mess with bone metabolism.
Source: The New England Journal of Medicine (vol 81, no 6, pp1423-1428).
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Unlike our resident "Roman Emperors" enthusiast, I’m going to weigh in on this article. 🙂
When it comes to protein, the information I've come across points to some interesting nuances that help explain this study. Basically, the human body is incredibly "intelligent"—if that's even the right word—so when muscle mass drops, the body automatically scales back its need to absorb calcium and other micronutrients into the bones (which it does). This often leads to lower bone density, more porous bones, and eventually osteoporosis. The logical way to look at it is that a lack of dietary protein causes muscles to atrophy (sarcopenia), and since there's less muscle mass to support, the bones don't "need" to be as dense to handle the load—so the demand for absorption drops accordingly. 😢 😕
So, we're back to that old argument: the human body is this perfect mechanism where any deficiency in nutrients—whether micro or macro—is going to hit our health hard in one way or another. It really just comes down to us whether those deficiencies are minor or catastrophic... honestly, people say it's much more important for our health to focus on what we *don't* eat rather than what we do. 😉
This latest study seems to lean toward the side of things that characterize the link between high protein intake and bone density as a positive one.
A group of researchers in Australia gathered data via questionnaires regarding protein intake from 1,077 women, aged roughly 75 ± 3 years. They assessed bone health using heel ultrasound and by measuring bone mineral density in the hip area.
According to their findings, the connection between increased protein intake and bone density remains positive, even when you account for other factors that mess with bone metabolism.
Source: The New England Journal of Medicine (vol 81, no 6, pp1423-1428).
__________________________________________________ _
Unlike our resident "Roman Emperors" enthusiast, I’m going to weigh in on this article. 🙂
When it comes to protein, the information I've come across points to some interesting nuances that help explain this study. Basically, the human body is incredibly "intelligent"—if that's even the right word—so when muscle mass drops, the body automatically scales back its need to absorb calcium and other micronutrients into the bones (which it does). This often leads to lower bone density, more porous bones, and eventually osteoporosis. The logical way to look at it is that a lack of dietary protein causes muscles to atrophy (sarcopenia), and since there's less muscle mass to support, the bones don't "need" to be as dense to handle the load—so the demand for absorption drops accordingly. 😢 😕
So, we're back to that old argument: the human body is this perfect mechanism where any deficiency in nutrients—whether micro or macro—is going to hit our health hard in one way or another. It really just comes down to us whether those deficiencies are minor or catastrophic... honestly, people say it's much more important for our health to focus on what we *don't* eat rather than what we do. 😉