Lower Fracture Risk: No Bones About It

By Editorial Staff

Flavonoids are a class of secondary plant metabolites found in a variety of fruits and vegetables - and we're thankful for them. Why? Because increasing research suggests flavonoids exert profound disease-preventing effects. For example, in a recent study involving nearly 1,200 elderly women (older than age 75), women with the highest dietary flavonoid intake (from black tea and fruits / vegetables) had a lower risk of suffering any osteoporotic fracture, a major osteoporotic fracture or a hip fracture compared to women with the lowest flavonoid intake. Specifically, women with the highest intake had a 35 percent reduced risk for any fracture, a 34 percent reduced risk of a major fracture and a 42 percent reduced risk of a hip fracture.

Osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become thin and brittle, is a significant cause of bone fractures, particularly in later age. Fractures can be debilitating and, in the case of a hip fracture, may lead to significant functional decline and eventually death. In fact, research suggests women ages 65-69 who suffer a hip fracture are five times more likely to die within one year compared to healthy women in the same age range.

The lesson: Make sure your diet includes plenty of flavonoid-packed foods! Talk to your doctor for more information about the power of flavonoids and how to use diet, exercise and other nature methods to reduce your risk of osteoporosis.