Mediterranean Diet Appears to Be Good for Postmenopausal Women's Bones and Muscles

A Brazilian study presented at the Endocrine Society's 100th annual meeting determined the Mediterranean diet appears to have a beneficial effect on older women's bones and muscles, reports News-Medical . The researchers found higher bone mass and muscle mass in postmenopausal women who followed a Mediterranean diet regimen compared to those who did not. The diet entails a high intake of fruits and vegetables, grains, potatoes, olive oil, and seeds, along with moderately high fish intake, as well as low saturated fat, dairy, and red meat consumption. Regular but moderate drinking of red wine also is one of its guidelines. The researchers studied 103 healthy women from southern Brazil, who were 55 years old and had experienced menopause 5.5 years earlier, on average. All women received bone scans to measure their bone mineral density, total body fat, and appendicular lean mass. A higher Mediterranean diet score was linked to higher bone mineral density measured at the lumbar spine and to greater muscle mass, regardless of whether the women used hormone therapy previously, their prior smoking habits, or their current level of physical activity.