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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #427935
Research Project: Diet Quality and Physical Activity for Healthy Aging and Chronic Disease Mitigation

Location: Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging

Title: Dairy is associated with bone material strength and trabecular bone score in Puerto Rican adults

Author
item MERRILL, LISA - University Of Massachusetts, Lowell
item NOEL, SABRINA - University Of Massachusetts, Lowell
item WANG, YAN - University Of Massachusetts, Lowell
item DAWSON-HUGHES, BESS - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item PALACIOS, NATALIA - University Of Massachusetts, Lowell
item TUCKER, KATHERINE - University Of Massachusetts, Lowell
item MANGANO, KELSEY - University Of Massachusetts, Lowell

Submitted to: Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2025
Publication Date: 5/28/2025
Citation: Merrill, L.C., Noel, S., Wang, Y., Dawson-Hughes, B., Palacios, N., Tucker, K., Mangano, K. 2025. Dairy is associated with bone material strength and trabecular bone score in Puerto Rican adults. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 9(8). https://doi.org/10.1093/jbmrpl/ziaf094.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jbmrpl/ziaf094

Interpretive Summary: Dairy foods contain nutrients that are important for bone health, and higher dairy intake is associated with higher bone mineral density. Currently there is little understanding of how dairy foods may influence bone quality. The aim of this study was to examine associations between dairy intake and two novel measures of bone quality: bone material strength index (BMSi) and spinal trabecular bone score (TBS) in adults from the Boston Puerto Rican Osteoporosis Study. This cross-sectional analysis in older adults included dietary intake assessed with a culturally tailored food frequency questionnaire. Dairy food groups were subdivided in total dairy (milk, yogurt, and cheese), milk, cheese, yogurt, and desserts and into non-fat and fat-containing dairy. The analyses revealed that higher intakes of total dairy and milk were associated with higher BMSi. Higher intake of fat-containing dairy was positively associated with TBS, whereas higher intake of non-fat dairy was inversely associated with TBS. We conclude that, in addition to improving the amount of bone, selected dairy foods appear also to improve the strength of bone. Future studies are needed to understand the mechanisms by which dairy foods are so favorable to bone health.

Technical Abstract: Dairy foods have been shown to improve bone mineral density, a measure of bone quantity, yet there is little understanding of their influence on measures of bone quality. The aim of this study was to examine associations of dairy intakes with two novel measures of bone quality: bone material strength index (BMSi) and spinal trabecular bone score (TBS), and the potential mediating role of inflammation, among adults from the Boston Puerto Rican Osteoporosis Study. This cross-sectional analysis included dietary intake assessed with a culturally tailored food frequency questionnaire. Dairy food groups were calculated as total dairy (milk, yogurt, and cheese), milk, cheese, yogurt, desserts, non-fat and fat-containing dairy. BMSi was measured using micro indentation with the Osteoprobe, and TBS was calculated from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans. Multivariable linear regression estimated the association of dairy food intakes with each bone measure. Mediation analysis evaluated direct and indirect (via inflammatory cytokines) associations between dairy intake and BMSi and TBS. Participants were 77.4% female with mean age 70.5 + or - 6.9 yr. Higher intakes of total dairy (B = 1.86, P = 0.04) and milk (B = 1.76, P = 0.06) were associated with BMSi. Higher intake of fat-containing dairy (B = 0.018, P = 0.04) was positively associated with TBS, while higher intake of non-fat dairy (B = -0.043, P = 0.02) was inversely associated with TBS. Inflammatory cytokines were not identified as mediators of these associations. Dairy food intakes were associated with measures of bone quality; however, the foods that predicted BMSi and TBS differed. BMSi was influenced by total dairy and milk, while TBS was influenced by dairy fat content. Future studies should examine the impact of dairy matrix components on immune and inflammatory pathways.