Fruit and vegetable consumption and bone mineral density: the Northern Ireland Young Hearts Project

Studies examining the relation between bone mineral density (BMD) and fruit and vegetable consumption during adolescence are rare.

Our objective was to determine whether usual fruit and vegetable intakes reported by adolescents have any influence on BMD.

BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the nondominant forearm and dominant heel in a random sample of 12-y-old boys (n = 324), 12-y-old girls (n = 378), 15-y-old boys (n = 274), and 15-y-old girls (n = 369). Usual fruit and vegetable consumption was assessed by an interviewer-administered diet history method. Relations between BMD and fruit and vegetable intake were assessed by using regression modeling.

Using multiple linear regression to adjust for the potential confounding influence of physical and lifestyle factors, we observed that 12-y-old girls consuming high amounts of fruit had significantly higher heel BMD (beta = 0.037; 95% CI: 0.017, 0.056) than did the moderate fruit consumers. No other associations were observed.

High intakes of fruit may be important for bone health in girls. It is possible that fruit's alkaline-forming properties mediate the body's acid-base balance. However, intervention studies are required to confirm the findings of this observational study.