Antioxidant-rich berries exert modest bone protective effects in postmenopausal smokers without improving biomarkers of bone metabolism

Phenolic compounds from berries have shown bone protective effects in animal studies. We hypothesized that consumption of 45 g of blackberries or blueberries for 9 months will prevent smoking-induced bone loss in postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal smokers (n = 45) and nonsmokers (n = 20) were recruited. Smokers were randomly assigned to treatment groups: smoker control (n = 21); smoker + 45 g freeze-dried blackberries (n = 8); or smoker + 45 g freeze-dried blueberries (n = 16). We measured bone mineral density (BMD) at 0 and 9 months, urinary deoxypyridinoline, bone alkaline phosphate, osteocalcin, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and highly sensitive C-reactive protein at 0, 3, 6, 9 months. Bone loss of total body BMD was statistically significant in S-C and S-BL groups, but not in S-BB and NS groups (p = 0.0284). Findings indicated that blackberries but not blueberries modestly protected against smoking-induced bone loss in postmenopausal smokers. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.