Protein and Bone Meta-Analysis

Summary

Dietary protein increases the production of the anabolic hormone, insulin like growth factor (IGF-1) and increases calcium absorption. IGF-1 increases bone mass by increasing osteoblast activity, and may increase mineralization of bone matrix. Therefore, protein deficiency may decrease bone strength and alter bone micro-architecture. However, there has been concern that too much protein may be detrimental to bone. Protein intake may cause more metabolic acid to be produced due to the breakdown of sulphur amino acids. This may be harmful as it may cause calcium to be leached from bone. As a modifiable factor in osteoporosis prevention, it is very important that the role of dietary protein in bone health is clearly established.

Project Status : November 2008

Andrea Darling has worked on this project, initially as her Final Year Project for her UG Degree Qualification in Nutrition & Dietetics. She was awarded the Nutritica Prize for the Top Scoring Nutrition Project. She has continued the work and is now employed as a Research Fellow in the Nutritional Sciences Division at the University of Surrey.

Andrea was a 2008 SET Finalist and presented her work orally at the 2008 Nutrition Society Summer Conference.

Her Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review is now complete and has been submitted for publication.

Project Objectives

No research group have previously systematically reviewed the evidence of the effects of protein on bone. Hence, the effect of protein intake on indices of bone mass density, bone turnover and fracture risk were quantified via a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Results and Findings

Darling A., Torgerson DJ., Millward DJ. Lanham-New SA. Protein intake and bone health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2008 (in press) (Impact Factor 3.58). Oral Presentation at the 2008 Nutrition Society Summer Conference, University of Nottingham. 30th June to 3rd July 2008.

Final write up of paper for Dietary Protein and Bone Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis is complete and the paper has now been submitted for publication.