Re: Chocolate consumption associated with reduced bone density and strength

Boy if I ever saw an abstract that had questionable validity or maybe more accurately phrased ... inadequate details, it's this one.

Chocolate consumption when? For how long? How much? It is well-known that one's ability to build bone density ... is pretty much completed by the time they reach 30 ... except for being built to a much lesser degree by medication at an older age.

How long were these women consuming chocolate for?

I tend to dismiss this study. I would maybe accept it if they came to the same conclusion based on how much chocolate is consumed during the bone density building years. Once you have a bone density deficit and you are in your senior years, it's unlikely to be significantly affected by anything but medication.

JMO.

Juhana Harju wrote:
In a group of older women daily chocolate consumption was associated with 3.1 % lower bone mineral density and with lower bone strength compared with those who consumed chocolate only rarely.

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Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jan;87(1):175-80.
Chocolate consumption and bone density in older women.
Hodgson JM, Devine A, Burke V, Dick IM, Prince RL.
Royal Perth Hospital Unit, the University of Western Australia School of Medicine and Pharmacology, Perth, Australia; Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, Perth, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition is important for the development and maintenance of bone structure and for the prevention of osteoporosis and fracture. The relation of chocolate intake with bone has yet to be investigated. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the relation of chocolate consumption with measurements of whole-body and regional bone density and strength. DESIGN: Randomly selected women aged 70-85 y (n = 1460) were recruited from the general population to a randomized controlled trial of calcium supplementation and fracture risk. We present here a cross-sectional analysis of 1001 of these women. Bone density and strength were measured with the use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, peripheral quantitative computed tomography, and quantitative ultrasonography. Frequency of chocolate intake was assessed with the use of a questionnaire and condensed into 3 categories: <1 time/wk, 1-6 times/wk, >/=1 time/d. RESULTS: Higher frequency of chocolate consumption was linearly related to lower bone density and strength (P < 0.05). Daily (>/=1 times/d) consumption of chocolate, in comparison to <1 time/wk, was associated with a 3.1% lower whole-body bone density; with similarly lower bone density of the total hip, femoral neck, tibia, and heel; and with lower bone strength in the tibia and the heel (P < 0.05, for all). Adjustment for covariates did not influence interpretation of the results. CONCLUSIONS: Older women who consume chocolate daily had lower bone density and strength. Additional cross-sectional and longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these observations. Confirmation of these findings could have important implications for prevention of osteoporotic fracture. PMID: 18175753

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18175753

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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Chocolate consumption associated with reduced bone density and strength
    ... that one's ability to build bone density ... ... How long were these women consuming chocolate for? ... There are previous studies showing that candy consumption in general is associated with reduced bone mineral density. ... with 3.1 % lower bone mineral density and with lower bone strength ...
    (sci.med.diseases.osteoporosis)
  • Re: (is it?) Speaking of Chocolate
    ... and has a virtual monopoly on chocolate consumption around ... >>> older and tried other chocolate, it didn't taste right to me. ... I'm ignorant in my affliction. ... But a Hershey bar? ...
    (rec.arts.mystery)