Omega-3 Fatty Acid Important for Bone Density
The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is essential for optimal bone health, a recently published study concluded. The National Osteoporosis Foundation states that approximately 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and nearly 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for developing the disease.
In this new study, researchers compared the effect of an omega-6 docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and the omega-3 DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in the growth of long bones in rats. Two-day-old rats were fed with artificial rat milk and were supplemented with one of four treatments: 1) linoleic acid alone; 2) linoleic acid plus 1 percent DHA 3) linoleic acid plus 1 percent omega-6 DPA or 4) linoleic acid plus 1 percent DHA and 0.4 percent omega-6 DPA. Eventually, the rats were weaned and fed a similar pellet food diet. When the rats reached adulthood, their bones were evaluated for fatty acid content and bone mineral density (BMD).
The results showed that the rats fed the omega-6 DPA supplemented diet had higher omega-6 DPA content in the long bones on the legs (femur, tibia) as well as the lowest bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) compared to the rats fed the omega-3 DHA-supplemented diet. This showed that the omega-6 fatty acid DPA did not replace DHA in normal bone growth and supports the importance of DHA in bone health.
The researchers concluded that DHA accumulates in the periosteum–a membrane that lines the outer surface of the femur and all bones–which is rich in bone-building osteoblast cells and nerves. The study authors stated, “DHA but not EPA appears to be a vital constituent of marrow and periosteum of healthy modeling bone; and both DHA and total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids strongly correlate to BMC.”
Reference:
Li Y, Seifert MF, Lim SY, Salem N, Watkins BA. Bone mineral content is positively correlated to n-3 fatty acids in the femur of growing rats. Br J Nutr. 2010 Apr 27. Published Online ahead of Print.
