Bone Mineral Density in Premenopausal Women Is Associated with the Dietary Intake of α-Tocopherol: A Cross-Sectional Study

• Main Authors: Tamami Odai, Masakazu Terauchi, Asuka Hirose, Kiyoko Kato, Naoyuki Miyasaka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-10-01
• Series: Nutrients
• Subjects: osteoporosis; bone mineral density; α-tocopherol; oxidative stress; antioxidants
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/10/2474

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the consumption of various nutrients and bone mineral density (BMD) in middle-aged women. This cross-sectional survey was conducted based on the clinical records of 157 women aged 38&#8722;76. Their lumbar spine BMD was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and dietary habits were assessed with the brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire. Participants were divided into premenopausal (<i>n</i> = 46) and postmenopausal (<i>n</i> = 111) groups and the correlation between the BMD Z-score (Z-score) and the intakes of 43 nutrients was investigated separately for each group. In premenopausal women, the daily intake of ash, calcium, and &#945;-tocopherol was positively correlated with the Z-score (Pearson&#8217;s correlation coefficient, <i>R</i> = 0.31, 0.34, 0.33, <i>p</i> = 0.037, 0.020, 0.027, respectively). When dividing the consumption of ash, calcium, and &#945;-tocopherol into low, middle, and high tertiles, the Z-score significantly differed only between the &#945;-tocopherol tertiles. After adjustment for age, body mass index, and lifestyle factors, daily intake of &#945;-tocopherol remained significantly associated with the Z-score (regression coefficient = 0.452, <i>p</i> = 0.022). No nutrient was found to be significantly correlated with the Z-score in postmenopausal women. Increase in the intake of &#945;-tocopherol could help maintain bone mass in premenopausal women.