Wednesday April 25 1:47 PM ET
Eating Protein May Protect Elderly Bones

By Sara Kuzmarov

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Elderly people who do not consume enough protein may be at risk for the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, a recent study suggests.

According to the report, elderly people who consumed the least amount of protein lost significantly more bone than those who ate the most protein, regardless of their age, weight, smoking habits, calcium intake and use of estrogen.

``Ensuring adequate dietary protein intake is an important component of bone health in elders,'' Dr. Marian T. Hannan of the Harvard Medical School (news - web sites) in Boston, Massachusetts and her colleagues, conclude.

The findings suggest that protein may join the ranks of calcium and vitamin D in keeping bones strong and protecting against osteoporosis, fractures and falls.

The study of 615 elderly people found that the average protein intake was about 68 grams a day--higher than recommended levels of about 55-65 grams a day for men and roughly 45-55 grams a day for women.

About one-quarter of adults in the study consumed less protein than these guidelines recommend, report researchers in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. Those adults lost significantly more bone mass overall over four years, compared with adults who consumed the most protein. Low intake of protein from meat sources was associated with greater bone loss from the thigh and spine.

In an interview with Reuters Health, Dr. Katherine L. Tucker, a study author and researcher at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, stressed that monitoring the overall diet is more important than focusing on a single nutrient. Elderly people, she said, tend to eat fewer calories and exercise less, which are other risk factors for bone loss.

``The whole diet is what matters. Most of the data suggest that maintaining a diet that is nutrient dense, and rich in whole foods over time is powerful in protecting bone,'' Tucker said.

Further, excess amounts of protein from meat can tax the kidneys and cause the bones to lose calcium, the study notes.

Some studies have suggested that very high levels of protein can interfere with calcium levels in the body, but ''this occurs primarily with extremely high levels of protein, not often seen in the elderly who are at the highest risk for osteoporosis,'' according to the report.

Wahida Karmally, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, said that dietitians and doctors need to monitor the diets of the elderly to ensure that they are consuming enough protein to maintain their muscle mass and body tissues.

SOURCE: Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 2000; 15: 2504-2512.

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