Protective effect of myo-inositol hexaphosphate (phytate) on bone mass loss in postmenopausal women

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the relationship between urinary concentrations of InsP6, bone mass loss and risk fracture in postmenopausal women. A total of 157 postmenopausal women were included in the study: 70 had low (a parts per thousand currency sign0.76 mu M), 42 intermediate (0.76-1.42 mu M) and 45 high (a parts per thousand yen1.42 mu M) urinary phytate concentrations. Densitometry values for neck were measured at enrollment and after 12 months (lumbar spine and femoral neck), and 10-year risk fracture was calculated using the tool FRAX(A (R)). Individuals with low InsP6 levels had significantly greater bone mass loss in the lumbar spine (3.08 +/- A 0.65 % vs. 0.43 +/- A 0.55 %) than did those with high phytate levels. Moreover, a significantly greater percentage of women with low than with high InsP6 levels showed more than 2 % of bone mass loss in the lumbar spine (55.6 vs. 20.7 %). The 10-year fracture probability was also significantly higher in the low-phytate group compared to the high-phytate group, both in hip (0.37 +/- A 0.06 % vs 0.18 +/- A 0.04 %) and major osteoporotic fracture (2.45 +/- A 0.24 % vs 1.83 +/- A 0.11 %). It can be concluded that high urinary phytate concentrations are correlated with reduced bone mass loss in lumbar spine over 12 months and with reduced 10-year probability of hip and major osteoporotic fracture, indicating that increased phytate consumption can prevent development of osteoporosis.