The Mediterranean Diet in Osteoporosis Prevention: An Insight in a Peri- and Post-Menopausal Population.

Plain Language Summary

Osteoporosis (OP) is a public health problem in western countries and steadily increasing worldwide. Management and prevention of osteoporosis starts with lifestyle, and diet is of critical interest because it is one of the few safely modifiable risk factors. Several different nutrients, especially calcium are essential for bone and mineral metabolism. It has been observed that the incidence of OP is lower in the Mediterranean area. This prospective observational study looks at the relationship between Mediterranean diet (MD), calcium intake and bone health. Two hundred peri- and post-menopausal women aged 30-80 years, took part. Their adherence to the MD and dietary calcium intake were evaluated by a first visit and a follow-up visit, through questionnaires. Although not statistically significant, in both visits a slight increase in calcium intake was observed for high adherence to MD diet. However, it did highlight the importance of preventive action such as a 15–20 min nutritional conversation to improve lifestyle habits. A cause-effect relationship between MD adherence and calcium intake could not be established by this study, a randomized controlled trial would be useful to gather more data.