Mediterranean diet and exercise may slow bone loss in older women

(Sandee LaMotte/ CNN Health) — Older women who stayed on a reduced-calorie Mediterranean diet, walked and did resistance training for three years improved their bone density, especially in their lower backs, a new study found.

“A reduced-energy Mediterranean diet involves participants consuming a modified version of the traditional Mediterranean diet with approximately 30% fewer calories than their usual intake,” said coauthor Jesús Francisco García-Gavilán, a senior biostatistician at the University Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain.

Women in the study, who ranged in age from 55 to 75, were also able to prevent bone deterioration that typically occurs during weight loss, according to the research published Tuesday in the journal JAMA Network Open.

“Previous research has indicated that losing weight, particularly through diet alone, can lead to a reduction in bone density, which poses risks for older adults. Additionally, exercising alone does not always prevent this issue,” García-Gavilán said in an email. (…)