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

BACKGROUND: Studies examining the relation between bone mineral density (BMD) and fruit and vegetable consumption during adolescence are rare. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine whether usual fruit and vegetable intakes reported by adolescents have any influence on BMD. DESIGN: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.