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Educate your patients on the importance of 3-A-Day of Dairy: Here's
a great
tool (PDF: 618k) to show families how to get their 3-A-Day of Dairy
every day for stronger bones.
Developed in conjunction with The American Academy of Family
Physicians, The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Dietetic
Association, and The National Medical Association.
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Dairy Council Digest Archives
Dietary Protein & Bone Health: New Perspectives
Introduction
Osteoporosis affects an estimated 34 million Americans, is responsible for1.5 million spontaneous bone fractures a year, and incurs an annual cost of $17 billion (1-3). Despite advances in our understanding of risk factors for osteoporosis, greater knowledge of preventive measures is needed to reduce this major public health burden.
Nutrition is an important factor in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Calcium has been studied most extensively and is considered the nutrient most important for accruing and maintaining skeletal mass (3,4). However, other nutrients such as protein, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, fluoride, and vitamins D, A, C, and K, and folate are necessary for normal bone health (5,6).
Of considerable interest and controversy is the relationship between dietary protein and bone metabolism (7-12). Although protein is essential for bone health, high protein intake may increase urinary calcium excretion, which is thought to lead to negative calcium balance and ultimately bone loss. However, protein's effect on bone health is debated (8). Controversy regarding an independent effect of protein on bone health may be explained by protein's co-existence with other nutrients such as calcium in some protein-containing foods and dietary patterns (9,10). New research suggests that dietary protein may act synergistically with calcium to favorably influence bone health (9). Also, there is growing evidence that low dietary protein intake may adversely affect bone health, particularly in older adults (12).
The long-held belief that Americans' high protein intake is harmful to bones is being challenged.
This Digest reviews new perspectives on dietary protein's role in bone health and implications for dietary recommendations to help reduce the risk of osteoporosis. The current recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8g/kg body weight for adults aged19 years and older – 46 g/day for women and 56g/day for men based on reference body weights of 57 and 70kg, respectively (13). Many Americans consume protein intakes in excess of the RDA (14). An exception is some elderly women who consume less than the RDA for protein, primarily because of their low food intake (12). When considering the impact of dietary protein on calcium metabolism and bone health, it is important to appreciate that most Americans consume protein rich, calcium poor diets (12,13).
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