How do carbohydrate quality indices influence on bone mass density in postmenopausal women? A case-control study

Carbohydrates are the primary energy source in Asian countries, including Iran. An emerging method can be used to measure the quality of carbohydrates, including the carbohydrate quality index (CQI), which includes a variety of components. Low-carbohydrate diet score (LCDS) has been proposed as a new method of scoring micronutrient intake that could provide a reasonable explanation for the link between diet and the risk of chronic diseases.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between CQI, LCDS, glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL), insulin load (IL), and insulin index (II) with bone mass density (BMD) in postmenopausal women.

In this case-control study, 131 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis/osteopenia and 131 healthy postmenopausal women aged 45-65 participated. The dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) method measured the BMD of the lumbar vertebrae and femoral neck. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary intake. Logistic regression were used to evaluate the relation between GI, GL, II, IL, CQI, and LCDS with BMD.

Diets with higher GI increased the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis, but LCDS and CQI decreased the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis.

These findings suggest that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables and receiving various dietary vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds may be a useful way to prevent osteopenia in Iranian women.