Osseous health: the carotenoid contribution would be protective

Health, sport and leisures > Articulations, bone, muscles – others

Osseous health: the carotenoid contribution would be protective

Calcium is not the only essential nutrient to make of old bone. Several elements of the vegetable kingdom seem to play a considerable part in the mineralization of our skeleton. Among them, carotenoids, coloured pigments of the yellow fruit and vegetables, oranges and reds. Explanation.

Some preliminary studies undertaken at the man suggest that the carotenoids would inhibit the osseous resorption (its progressive disappearance with the age) and would stimulate the proliferation and the differentiation of the osteoblasts, namely the cells in the beginning of ossification. The individuals reached of osteoporosis have, according to certain studies, of the blood concentrations of carotenoids lower than those observed at the healthy subjects. Moreover, the carotenoid consumption, and fruit and vegetables in general, has a positive effect on osseous health.
Several carotenoids, like lycopene, beta-carotene, or beta-cryptoxanthine, showed interesting effects by stimulating the synthesis and/or by preventing the osseous resorption. Nevertheless, the epidemiologic evidence on the effect of the carotenoid contribution on osseous health is fewer.

Carrot, tomato, sweet pepper, salmon…

The independent sources of carotenoids in the food are the fruit and vegetables. Those having a red, orange or yellow color are those most likely to contain great quantities of carotenoids.
Certain carotenoids, such as lutein, beta-carotene or the astaxanthine, are also present in animal sources (liver, butter, salmon, egg yolks). The latter come from the concentration of carotenoids along the food chain.

The carrots are not cooked

American researchers evaluated the relation between carotenoid contribution and the Osseous Mineral Density (DMO) of the hip, the column and the head of the radius during 4 years among 334 men and 540 75 years old women on average.
They observed, at the women, an association between the lycopene contributions and the changes of DMO on the level of the lumbar column. At the men, association was significant for the contributions of total carotenoids, beta-carotene, lycopene and lutéine+zéaxanthine for the DMO of the trochanter (each of the two apophyses of the higher end of the femur).
These results thus support the beneficial role of carotenoids in the maintenance of the DMO of the elderly. They thus support the need, with the age, certainly to consume sufficient dairy products, but to also preserve a sufficient contribution out of fruit and vegetables, by privileging the variety of the colors.