Dai Z, et al. - The relationship between dietary fiber (total fiber and fiber from cereal, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes) and bone loss at the femoral neck, trochanter and lumbar spine (L2-4) was examined in older men and women. The clinicians proposed that in men, higher dietary fiber could modestly reduce bone loss at the hip.

• The clinicians evaluated diet by using the Willett food frequency questionnaire and measured bone mineral density (BMD) by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline (1996-2001) in the Framingham Offspring Study.
• Among 792 men (mean age, 58.1yr; BMI, 28.6kg/m²) and 1,065 women (57.3yr; 27.2kg/m²), follow-up BMD was measured in 2001-2005 and 2005-2008 .
• In multivariable regressions, they used sex-specific generalized estimating equations to estimate the difference (β) of annualized BMD change in percent (%ΔBMD) at each skeletal site per 5 g/d increase in dietary fiber.
• Further, they estimated the adjusted mean for bone loss (annualized %%ΔBMD) among participants in each higher quartile (Q2, Q3 or Q4) compared with those in the lowest quartile (Q1) of fiber intake.

• In men, higher dietary total fiber (β = 0.06, p = 0.003) and fruit fiber (β = 0.10, p = 0.008) was protective against bone loss at the femoral neck but not in women.
• Men in Q2-Q4 of total fiber had significantly less bone loss at the femoral neck vs. those in Q1 (all p < 0.04) when examined in quartiles.
• The clinicians did not observe associations with hip bone loss for women, although fiber from vegetables appeared to be protective against spine bone loss in women but not men.
• No associations were observed with cereal fiber or nut and legume fiber and bone loss in men or women.