Bones: omega-3 supplements improve their structure and mobility

Long-term intake of omega-3 fatty acids can improve the structural and mechanical properties of bones. This was demonstrated by researchers at the Collaborating Center for Osteoporosis Prevention at the University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland, through a study in mice. Their findings were published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. As such, Nicolas Bonnet and Serge Ferrari concluded that themost effective Omega-3 for bone health is eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a nutrient in which fatty fish is rich.

Omega-3 and bone health

Research over the years has suggested that adiet rich in Omega-3 can prevent bone loss. Animal studies, with results confirmed by laboratory experiments, have shown that a ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 unbalanced in favor of the former positively influences skeletal health. However, these researches have focused on Omega-3 intake for a limited period of time. To further investigate the relationship between these nutrients and bone health, Bonnet and Ferrari analyzed the effects of administering EPA and DHA (the other Omega-3 contained in fatty fish) throughout the adult life of mice.

The study

The research involved feeding 30 female mice aged 3 to 17 months on a control diet or food enriched with EPA or DHA. The effect of the different dietary regimens were evaluated by first analyzing bone microstructure. The biomechanical properties of bone were studied through a test that evaluated the elasticity and flexibility of the materials. Finally, the extent of bone tissue remodeling was assessed by monitoring the presence of markers of bone replacement and bone morphology.

Omega-3 for bones: the results

II collected data revealed that Omega-3s do not counteract the loss of bone tissue inside the tibia. However, 8 months of EPA or DHA intake allows for a 26.6 and 17.2 percent increase in the volume of porous tissue present within the vertebrae located at the end of the spine. This effect is not further increased by prolonging Omega-3 intake. In addition to this action, EPA also increases the volume and thickness of the bone tissue surrounding the femur by 8.1 and 4.4 percent, respectively. In addition, only this fatty acid (and not DHA) limits the age-associated reduction inosteocalcin, a bone protein, by 13 percent and promotes increased levels of IGF-1, a molecular marker of bone tissue production. Both omega-3s, on the other hand, are associated with increased levels of leptin, a hormone that regulates bone production. Taken together, these results indicate that prolonged intake of Omega-3 fatty acids, especially in the form of EPA, can help improve bone health.    

Source 

1. Bonnet N, Ferrari SL, "Effects of long-term supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids on longitudinal changes in bone mass and microstructure in mice," J Nutr Biochem. 2011 Jul;22(7):665-72. Epub 2010 Oct 30