Dietary Bioactives and Bone Health

Dear Colleagues,

There is general agreement within the fields of food, nutrition, and medical sciences that an individual’s diet and lifestyle can substantially predispose one to, or protect against osteoporosis, low bone mass, and numerous other age-related bone diseases. Dietary bioactives, found in a wide variety of plant foods, have the great potential to influence bone health. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements has defined dietary bioactives as “compounds that are constituents in foods and dietary supplements, other than those needed to meet basic human nutritional needs, which are responsible for changes in health status.” These compounds are generally thought to be safe in food at normal consumption levels (e.g., polyphenols in plant foods). Dietary bioactives are currently being assessed for their properties beyond antioxidant capacity, including anti-inflammatory actions. Some compounds or classes of compounds have been reported to enhance bone formation and inhibit bone resorption through their actions on cell signaling pathways that influence osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation.

Emerging scientific evidence is available, including limited dose-response relationships and statistically significant improvements in bone health. However, the literature is in its infancy and well-designed clinical, observational and mechanistic data are needed to better advance our understanding of the importance and mechanisms as to why bioactives may be able to influence long-term bone health outcomes.

Dr. Taylor C. Wallace
Guest Editor

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