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Our understanding of the influence of overall nutrient intake on bone mineral density (BMD) is limited because most studies to date have focused on the intakes of calcium, vitamin D, or a few isolated nutrients. Therefore, we examined the association of major nutrient patterns with BMD in a sample of postmenopausal Iranian women. In this cross-sectional study, 160 women aged 50-85 years were studied and their lumbar spine and femoral neck BMDs were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Dietary intakes were assessed using a validated 168-item food frequency questionnaire, and daily intakes of 30 nutrients were calculated. All nutrient intakes were energy adjusted by the residual method and were submitted to principal component factor analysis to identify major nutrient patterns. Overall, three major nutrient patterns were identified, among which only the first pattern, which was high in folate, total fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin A (as retinol activity equivalent), vitamin C, β-carotene, vitamin K, magnesium, copper, and manganese, had a significant association with BMD. After controlling for potential confounders, multivariate adjusted mean of the lumbar spine BMD of women in the highest tertile of the first pattern scores was significantly higher than those in the lowest tertile (mean difference 0.08; 95% confidence interval 0.02-0.15; P = 0.01). A nutrient pattern similar to pattern 1, which is associated with high intakes of fruits and vegetables, may be beneficial for bone health in postmenopausal Iranian women.

The association of dietary patterns and bone health is not yet well known, and findings from the rare previous studies conducted on this issue are contradictory. We assessed the dietary patterns in relation to bone mineral density (BMD) in a sample of menopausal Iranian women. In this cross-sectional study, 160 menopausal women aged 50-85 were studied and their femoral neck and lumbar spine BMDs were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Dietary intakes were assessed with a validated 168-item food frequency questionnaire, and dietary patterns were identified by a principal component factor analysis method. Overall, six dietary patterns emerged, two of which had a significant association with BMD. After adjusting for potential confounders, women who had higher scores for the first (high in high-fat dairy products, organ meats, red or processed meats and nonrefined cereals) and the second (high in French fries, mayonnaise, sweets and desserts and vegetable oils) dietary patterns we identified were more likely to have BMD below the median in the lumbar spine (odds ratio 2.29; 95 % confidence interval 1.05-4.96; p = 0.04) and the femoral neck (odds ratio 2.83, 95 % confidence interval 1.31-6.09; p < 0.01), respectively, compared to women with lower scores. Dietary patterns abundant in foods with high content of saturated fatty acids (similar to factor 1) or with low density of nutrients (similar to factor 2) are detrimental to bone health in menopausal Iranian women. These findings highlight the importance of proper food selection for maintaining bone health.