Eating Yogurt daily strengthens bone ----News from American Society of Bone and Mineral Research 2016 conference.

Postmenopausal women who ate yogurt daily have less cortical bone loss as compared to women who never consumed yogurt, which is independent of physical activity and nutrient intake. 

The paper was presented at the Atlanta conference American Society of Bone and Mineral Research 2016 Annual Meeting showed that these women have less BMI, less fat and better Bone mineral density (BMD) at some sites.[1]

Earlier research has also documented that low fat dairy products improves bone health.

According to a research paper published in American journal of clinical Nutrition stresses the importance of dairy products in diet and concludes that consuming 3 servings of dairy products per day provides us with the recommended daily intakes of nutrients essential for good bone health, improves bone health and reduce fracture in later life.[2] 

Another commentary of a review by Belgian Bone Club and the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases published in January 2016 issue of Calcified Tissue International[3]  affirmed the benefits of dairy in maintaining the bone health.

Emmanuel Biver, MD, PhD, chief resident at the Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland addressed at the conference and said that “Yogurt is a source of nutrients, in particular calcium and protein, but it also contains fermented daily products and probiotics, all of which are potentially beneficial for bone health." 

"So we hypothesized that yogurt consumption might attenuate bone loss in postmenopausal women, and this benefit would be independent of total dietary calcium and protein intake," he added.

"And our data suggest that there is a possible protective effect of fermented dairy products on postmenopausal cortical bone loss," he stressed.

The study used data from 1036 retired community-dwelling healthy volunteers (men and women) from the Geneva area, at the age of 63-67. Known as Geneva Retirees Cohort (GERICO).[4]

Out of the cohort 733 healthy postmenopausal women were included in the study.

Baseline assessment of bone mineral density, participants’ nutrient intake and physically activity was done. They were asked to fill a questionnaire and return again after 3 years for assessment. The study will run from 2008-2018.

Consumption of protein, calcium and yogurt were recorded. Yogurt intake was categorized as less than one serving or one or more serving per day.  

91% of cohort consumed yogurt had a 4.4% higher BMD at lumbar spine as compared to those women who never consumed yogurt. Similarly, BMD at distal radius 3.4% greater, tibia cortical area at 5.3% greater even after adjustment for calcium and protein intake, BMI and physical activity.

These women were also had 6.4% less BMI as compared to those who did not consume yogurt, independent of physical activity and diet.

Longitudinal analysis of follow-up data after 3 years revealed that those women who consumed yogurt had significant less loss of total hip bone, and radial cortical thickness as compared to their counterpart. (P = .007).

Total dietary calcium and protein intake was also higher in yogurt consuming women.

Authors of the study also opined that yogurt contains a wide range of healthy microbiota, that populate the large intestines and improves the general health apart from skeletal health. The microbiota decreases the inflammation in the gut, thereby increasing calcium absorption.

Thus Yogurt with its fermentation process, higher protein and calcium content along with healthy seeding of Gut Microbiota together is responsible for better bone health.

The lead investigator received a grant from Danone institute for her study. [5]

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[1] Biver E, Durosier-Izart C, Merminod F, Chevalley T, Ferrari S, Rizzoli R. Abstract 1112. Yogurt consumption is associated with attenuated cortical bone loss independently of total calcium and protein intakes and physical activity in postmenopausal women. Presented at: ASBMR 2016 Annual Meeting; September 16-19, 2016; Atlanta, Georgia. 

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24695889

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26445771#

[4] http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN11865958?q=Geneva.%20Retirees%20Cohort&filters=&sort=&offset=1&totalResults=1&page=1&pageSize=10&searchType=basic-search

[5] http://www.danoneinstitute.org/