This study examined the associations between dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and fish intakes and hip bone mineral density (BMD) in adults (n = 623; mean age of 75 years) in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study at baseline and four years later. High intakes (≥3 servings/wk) of fish relative to lower intakes were associated with maintenance of femoral neck BMD (FN-BMD) in men (dark fish + tuna, dark fish, and tuna) and women (dark fish) (P < 0.05). Significant interactions between arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)+ docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intakes were observed cross-sectionally in women and longitudinally in men. In women with EPA+DHA intakes at or above the median, those with the highest AA intakes had a higher mean baseline FN-BMD than those with the lowest intakes (P = 0.03, P for trend = 0.02). In men with the lowest EPA+DHA intakes, those with the highest intakes of AA lost more FN-BMD than men with the lowest intakes of AA (P = 0.04). The authors concluded that fish consumption may protect against bone loss and the protective effects of a high AA intake may be dependent on EPA+DHA intake. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 May;93(5):1142-51. PMID: 21367955
