Chocolate consumption associated with reduced bone density and strength

Chocolate consumption associated with reduced bone density and strength

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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

* w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18175753

--
Juhana

Ravintoblogini:
* ruohikolla.blogspot . com /

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.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> 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
>
> * w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18175753
>

Re: Chocolate consumption associated with reduced bone density and strength

Larry wrote:
> 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.

It seems that you are not aware of the fact that certain nutrients enhance
the resorption of bone while there are some other nutrients which reduce it.

It is quite possible (although this study does not confirm it) that
theobromine, caffeine and oxalate in chocolate increase bone resorption and
hence lead to reduced bone mineral density.

There are previous studies showing that candy consumption in general is
associated with reduced bone mineral density.

* w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12081842

BTW, please don't top post.

> 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.
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>> 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
>> * w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18175753

--
Juhana

Ravintoblogini:
* ruohikolla.blogspot . com /

Re: Chocolate consumption associated with reduced bone density and strength


Juhana Harju wrote:

> Larry wrote:
>
>> 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.
>
>
> It seems that you are not aware of the fact that certain nutrients
> enhance the resorption of bone while there are some other nutrients
> which reduce it.
>
> It is quite possible (although this study does not confirm it) that
> theobromine, caffeine and oxalate in chocolate increase bone resorption
> and hence lead to reduced bone mineral density.
>
> There are previous studies showing that candy consumption in general is
> associated with reduced bone mineral density.
>
> * w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12081842
>
> BTW, please don't top post.
>
>> 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.
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 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
>>> * w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18175753
>
>
I doubt that this would affect bone density by that much (3%) in someone
70%-85%. Eating it when you are much younger in the "bone density
forming years", perhaps. JMO.

Re: Chocolate consumption associated with reduced bone density and strength

Larry wrote:
> Juhana Harju wrote:
>
>> Larry wrote:
>>
>>> 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.
>>
>>
>> It seems that you are not aware of the fact that certain nutrients
>> enhance the resorption of bone while there are some other nutrients
>> which reduce it.
>>
>> It is quite possible (although this study does not confirm it) that
>> theobromine, caffeine and oxalate in chocolate increase bone
>> resorption and hence lead to reduced bone mineral density.
>>
>> There are previous studies showing that candy consumption in general
>> is associated with reduced bone mineral density.
>>
>> * w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12081842
>>
>> BTW, please don't top post.
>>
>>> 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 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
>>>> * w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18175753
>>
>>
> I doubt that this would affect bone density by that much (3%) in
> someone 70%-85%. Eating it when you are much younger in the "bone
> density forming years", perhaps. JMO.

This was a cross-sectional, not a longitudinal study. So it does not show
for how long these people have had this dietary habit of eating chocolate.
It is very likely that many have eating chocolate most of their lifetime.

I think that you stress too much those younger years when people are still
about to achieve their peak bone mass. It is also very important what is the
rate people loose mineral from their skeleton.

I have not seen the full study.

--
Juhana

Ravintoblogini:
* ruohikolla.blogspot . com /

Re: Chocolate consumption associated with reduced bone density and strength


"Juhana Harju" <nope@mail.fi> wrote in message news:5usc93F1joq45U1@mid.individual . net ...
> Larry wrote:
>>
>> I doubt that this would affect bone density by that much (3%) in
>> someone 70%-85%. Eating it when you are much younger in the "bone
>> density forming years", perhaps. JMO.
>
> This was a cross-sectional, not a longitudinal study. So it does not show for how long these
> people have had this dietary habit of eating chocolate. It is very likely that many have eating
> chocolate most of their lifetime.
>
> I think that you stress too much those younger years when people are still about to achieve their
> peak bone mass. It is also very important what is the rate people loose mineral from their
> skeleton.
>
> I have not seen the full study.
>

It would have been a lot more meaningful if they also corrected for activity
level (the only covariates they mentioned were calcium supplementation and -
possibly - fracture risk [depending on if they tracked fractures or used bone
density as a proxy]). I would expect chocolate consumption to be higher in
an inactive group than an active group. Since I would expect lower bone
density in an inactive group, I would also expect lower bone density in a group
of people who ate a lot of chocolate.

Art

Re: Chocolate consumption associated with reduced bone density and strength

Art S wrote:
> "Juhana Harju" <nope@mail.fi> wrote in message
> news:5usc93F1joq45U1@mid.individual . net ...
>> Larry wrote:
>>>
>>> I doubt that this would affect bone density by that much (3%) in
>>> someone 70%-85%. Eating it when you are much younger in the "bone
>>> density forming years", perhaps. JMO.
>>
>> This was a cross-sectional, not a longitudinal study. So it does not
>> show for how long these people have had this dietary habit of eating
>> chocolate. It is very likely that many have eating chocolate most of
>> their lifetime.
>>
>> I think that you stress too much those younger years when people are
>> still about to achieve their peak bone mass. It is also very
>> important what is the rate people loose mineral from their skeleton.
>>
>> I have not seen the full study.
>
> It would have been a lot more meaningful if they also corrected for
> activity
> level (the only covariates they mentioned were calcium
> supplementation and -
> possibly - fracture risk [depending on if they tracked fractures or
> used bone
> density as a proxy]).

Have you read the full study? Is that what is said there?

> I would expect chocolate consumption to be
> higher in
> an inactive group than an active group. Since I would expect lower
> bone
> density in an inactive group, I would also expect lower bone density
> in a group
> of people who ate a lot of chocolate.
>
> Art

--
Juhana

Ravintoblogini:
* ruohikolla.blogspot . com /

Re: Chocolate consumption associated with reduced bone density and strength


"Juhana Harju" <nope@mail.fi> wrote in message news:5usr28F1juegaU1@mid.individual . net ...
> Art S wrote:
>> "Juhana Harju" <nope@mail.fi> wrote in message
>> news:5usc93F1joq45U1@mid.individual . net ...
>>> Larry wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I doubt that this would affect bone density by that much (3%) in
>>>> someone 70%-85%. Eating it when you are much younger in the "bone
>>>> density forming years", perhaps. JMO.
>>>
>>> This was a cross-sectional, not a longitudinal study. So it does not
>>> show for how long these people have had this dietary habit of eating
>>> chocolate. It is very likely that many have eating chocolate most of
>>> their lifetime. I think that you stress too much those younger years when people are
>>> still about to achieve their peak bone mass. It is also very
>>> important what is the rate people loose mineral from their skeleton.
>>>
>>> I have not seen the full study.
>>
>> It would have been a lot more meaningful if they also corrected for
>> activity level (the only covariates they mentioned were calcium
>> supplementation and - possibly - fracture risk [depending on if they tracked fractures or
>> used bone density as a proxy]).
>
> Have you read the full study? Is that what is said there?
>
>> I would expect chocolate consumption to be
>> higher in an inactive group than an active group. Since I would expect lower
>> bone density in an inactive group, I would also expect lower bone density
>> in a group of people who ate a lot of chocolate.
>>
>> Art
>

No, I haven't read the full study either.

Art

Re: Chocolate consumption associated with reduced bone density and strength

On Jan 12, 12:42 am, "Juhana Harju" <n...@mail.fi> 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 wit=
h
> those who consumed chocolate only rarely.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----------------------
>
> 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 condense=
d
> into 3 categories: <1 time/wk, 1-6 times/wk, >/=1 time/d. RESULTS: Highe=
r
> 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 hi=
p,
> femoral neck, tibia, and heel; and with lower bone strength in the tibia a=
nd
> 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
>
> * w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18175753
>
> --
> Juhana
>
> Ravintoblogini: * ruohikolla.blogspot . com /

Several things come to mind. First carbonated cola
soft drinks have been correlated with reduced
bone density in comparison to other carbonated
soft drinks.
See provided link on topic.
* w w w .ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/84/4/936

Another thing cola soft drinks have in common with
chocolate is they have either carmel coloring or
have been roasted. So a question pops to mind
is how high of a dose advance glycation endproducts
are contained in carmel coloring? And since
chocolate is roasted it surely has generous dose
of AGEs.
PMID: 18051988
PMID: 17660952
PMID: 17925191
Perhaps the AGEs are part of the problem with
both products.

Next Cola soft drinks contain additional phosphoric acid
which most people don't need and this may adversely
effect bone health. And chocolate has some level of
oxalic acid plus often many rather empty sugar calories,
which I would think reduce either calcium uptake or intake.

And the caffeine is problem in that it increases the rate
osteoblastic apoptosis according to cell culture research.
See the following link.
* w w w .pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=
=17150127

All these points need further research to some extent.

You realise that now that I will never again look at chocolate
bar the same again. On the bright side chocolate is
a headache trigger for me if taken in excess.

Re: Chocolate consumption associated with reduced bone density and strength

According to most of all these _"studies"_, everyone should be in need of
taking Fosmax, Boniva, etc.