Are you nuts about maintaining bone health? Consider eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as walnuts and flaxseed oil. According to a recent, small human clinical trial, a plant omega-3 fatty acid rich diet may have a positive impact on bone metabolism.

Throughout life, bone is continuously resorbed (dissolved) and formed (rebuilt) - a process known as bone metabolism. Without a healthy ratio of resorption to formation, bones can become unhealthy, weak, and brittle. Therefore, it is imporant to take action to maintain healthy bone metabolism, such as exercising moderately, eating a healthy diet, and taking calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D.

Interestingly, emerging research suggests that additional factors, such as inflammation, influence bone health. Inflammation has been linked to numerous other chronic health conditions, including arthritis and heart disease.

In this randomised, double-blind study with 23 overweight men, published in the Nutrition Journal, subjects were assigned to one of three diet groups for six weeks. (Patients underwent three-week washout periods between diets to help control the results.) Briefly, the dietary interventions were as follows:

1. Average American diet rich in omega-6 fatty acids, consisting of approximately 7.7% omega-6 fatty acids and 0.8% plant omega-3 fatty acids.
2. Omega-6 rich diet providing 12.6% omega-6 and 3.6% omega-3 fatty acids.
3. Omega-3 rich diet providing 10.5% omega-6 and 6.5% plant omega-3 fatty acids.

Walnuts and flaxseed oil were the main sources of omega-3 fatty acids in the study.

At the end of the dietary interventions, researchers reported that bone resorption markers were significantly decreased when subjects followed the omega-3 rich diet compared to the omega-6 diets (13.2 versus 13.8/15.59 nanomoles bone remodeling markers, respectively.) No changes in bone formation were observed.

Patients consuming the omega-3 rich diet also demonstrated a decrease in an important marker of inflammation in comparison to the omega-6 rich diets. (10.3 nanograms per litre versus 13.3/18.2, respectively.)

According to the researchers, “The results indicate that plant sources of dietary [omega-3] may have a protective effect on bone metabolism via a decrease in bone resorption in the presence of consistent levels of bone formation.”

These health benefits appear to be linked to the ratio between dietary omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, noted the researchers. Previous studies have demonstrated that omega-6 fatty acids produce pro-inflammatory activity in the body, while omega-3 fatty acids produce anti-inflammatory effects.

The study researchers concluded, “The present results suggest that incorporating plant sources of [omega-3] into the diet may provide health benefits not only to the cardiovascular system, but also to the skeletal system.”

Enriching the Diet with Nutty Delights

Are you looking to enrich your diet with plant omega-3 fatty acids? There are numerous delicious recipes to try depending on individual tastes, including:

• Spinach walnut salad with raspberry walnut vinaigrette
• Garlic walnut dip
• Walnut-stuffed salmon
• Walnut & cucumber gazpacho
• Green beans in walnut vinaigrette
• Walnut or flaxseed oil drizzled over fresh vegetables
• Flaxseed oil salad dressing
• Flaxseed oil mixed with yogurt or cottage cheese

For a variety of recipes, tips on cooking, and restaurant listings, please visit www.cookinglinkcentral.com
Author: Larissa Tuttle, Certified Nutritionist

Study abstract available at: http://www.nutritionj.com/content/6/1/2/abstract