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Bone mineral density in post-menopausal female subjects is associated with serum antioxidant carotenoids

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Abstract

Summary

High intake of fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Carotenoids exist in abundance in these foods. This study showed the association of bone mineral density with serum carotenoids. The findings suggest that β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene might provide benefits to bone health in post-menopausal female subjects.

Introduction

Antioxidant carotenoids are abundant in fruit and vegetables. Recent epidemiological studies show that high intakes of fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, but little is known about the association of bone mineral density (BMD) with serum carotenoids.

Methods

A total of 699 subjects (222 males and 477 females) who had received health examinations in the town of Mikkabi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, participated in the study. Radial BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The associations of serum carotenoid concentrations with the radial BMD were evaluated cross-sectionally.

Results

In male and pre-menopausal female subjects, the six serum carotenoids were not associated with the radial BMD. On the other hand, in post-menopausal female subjects, serum β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene were weakly but positively correlated with the radial BMD. After adjustment for confounders, the odds ratio (OR) for the lowest quartile of BMD in the high groups (Q2–Q4) of serum β-cryptoxanthin against the lowest quartile (Q1) was 0.45 (95% confidence interval: 0.22–0.95) in post-menopausal female subjects. However, this association was not significant after further adjusting for intakes of minerals and vitamins.

Conclusions

Antioxidant carotenoids, especially β-cryptoxanthin, significantly but partly associate with the radial BMD in post-menopausal female subjects.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) for a food research project titled “Integrated Research on Safety and Physiological Function of Food” and a grant from the Council for advancement of Fruit Tree Science. We are grateful to the participants in our survey and to the staff of the health examination program for residents of the town of Mikkabi, Shizuoka, Japan. We are also grateful to the staff of the Seirei Preventive Health Care Center (Shizuoka, Japan).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research team for health benefit of fruit, National Institute of Fruit Tree Science, 485-6 Shimizu-Okitsu-nakachou, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka, 424-0292, Japan

    M. Sugiura, K. Ogawa, Y. Ikoma & M. Yano

  2. Department of Epidemiology, National Institute for Longevity Sciences, Aichi, Japan

    M. Nakamura & F. Ando

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  1. M. Sugiura
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  2. M. Nakamura
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  3. K. Ogawa
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  4. Y. Ikoma
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  5. F. Ando
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  6. M. Yano
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Correspondence to M. Sugiura.

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Sugiura, M., Nakamura, M., Ogawa, K. et al. Bone mineral density in post-menopausal female subjects is associated with serum antioxidant carotenoids. Osteoporos Int 19, 211–219 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-007-0457-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-007-0457-2

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