Total urinary polyphenols and longitudinal changes of bone properties. The InCHIANTI study

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Bone Biology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Polyphenols, from plant-based foods, possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• These compounds are investigated for their potential role in osteoporosis prevention.
• Urinary total polyphenols (UTP) serve as a biomarker for dietary polyphenol intake.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between UTP levels and longitudinal changes in bone properties.
• To assess the impact of polyphenol intake on bone health over time in the InCHIANTI cohort.

Main Methods:

• The InCHIANTI study included 956 participants providing 24-h urine samples for UTP assessment.
• Bone properties (mass, diaphyseal design, material quality) were measured using peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT) of the tibia.
• Mixed models analyzed the relationship between baseline UTP tertiles and changes in bone characteristics over a follow-up period (1998-2004).

Main Results:

• Higher baseline UTP levels correlated with better bone mass, diaphyseal design, and material quality at the tibia.
• Participants in higher UTP tertiles exhibited greater cortical bone area, mineral content, and thickness at baseline.
• However, these same participants experienced accelerated deterioration of these bone parameters during the follow-up period.

Conclusions:

• Dietary polyphenol intake, estimated by UTP and questionnaires, was associated with accelerated long-term bone health decline.
• Findings do not support increasing polyphenol intake for osteoporosis prevention.
• Further research is needed to clarify the complex relationship between polyphenols and bone metabolism.