A weight-loss diet without bone loss
A higher-protein diet that emphasizes lean meats and low-fat dairy foods as sources of protein and calcium can mean weight loss without bone loss, says a new study out of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.
"This is an important finding because many people, especially women in mid-life, are concerned with both obesity and osteoporosis," said Ellen Evans, associate professor of kinesiology and community health and member of the Division of Nutritional Sciences. "Treating obesity often increases risk for osteoporosis. Many people lose bone mass when they lose weight."
The study used information reported previously by Donald Layman, a U of I professor of nutrition, that protein-rich weight-loss diets preserve muscle mass, help lower blood sugar and lipids, and improve body composition by targeting weight carried in the abdomen.
Layman's diet recommended 30 percent of calories from protein, with an emphasis on lean meats and low-fat dairy products.
The researchers used two groups: one using Layman's high-protein diet, and the other using a diet from MyPyramid, endorsed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Then researchers took bone scans at four-, eight-, and 12-month intervals.
The group who consumed the higher protein diet maintained bone density while the group with higher carbohydrate intake had lost bone mass.
The study was published in the June edition of the Journal of Nutrition.
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