Get the facts straight to improve bone health.(malnutrition affects bone health)

NEW ORLEANS -- With a virtual alphabet soup of vitamin and mineral supplements available--and a constant barrage of new nutritional advice each week--it's a challenge to know what truly bolsters bone health, Neil Binkley, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry.

General malnutrition is actually a common phenomenon in the United States, said Dr. Binkley, of the Institute on Aging at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. According to one study, 11% of patients older than 65 are undernourished. More importantly for bone health, some studies have suggested that elderly patients with fractures are more likely to be malnourished. Keeping an eye out for malnourished patients could help reduce the risk of falls and fractures, he said.

Although supplements provide an easy solution, food is still the best source of vitamins and minerals. Dr. Binkley shared the following diet and nutrition tips:

Phosphorus

Phosphorus insufficiency is generally not a common problem, but it tends to occur in some of the more vulnerable populations. Phosphorus deficiency decreases mineralization and osteoblast function while increasing osteoclast function.

An estimated 15% of women over age 80 receive less than 70% of the U.S. recommended daily allowance (RDA) of phosphorus (1,000 mg). It has also been suggested that patients who fail to respond to calcium supplementation may, in fact, have inadequate phosphorus intake.

Vitamin D