Optimal Meals to Reduce Bone Resorption in Women With Osteopenia

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF AARHUS · Jul 8, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying whether different small meals can help slow down bone loss in postmenopausal women who have osteopenia, a condition where bones are weaker than normal but not yet osteoporosis. The researchers want to find out if a small dairy drink (like 100 ml of milk) works as well as a larger snack that includes dairy and a banana in reducing bone breakdown. By testing five different meals and comparing them to a day without eating, they hope to discover which meal type and size best supports bone health.

Women who might join this study are postmenopausal, under 80 years old, have a certain level of bone thinning in their lower back, and a body weight within a healthy range. Participants will visit the clinic six times—five times to try different meals and once without eating—to have blood samples taken over six hours after each visit. These samples will help measure how the meals affect bone health. The study aims to find a simple, food-based way to protect bones and possibly prevent osteoporosis, without using medications.

Gender

FEMALE

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Osteopenia at the lumbar spine defined as BMD t-score -2.4 to -1.1.
• • Postmenopausal women
• • Age \< 80 years
• • CTX level ≥ 0.40 ng/ml
• • BMI 17-25 kg/m2
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • A diagnosis of osteoporosis, diabetes, primary hyperparathyroidism or active malignancy.
• • Current or recent (within two years) use of systemic glucocorticoids for 4 continuous weeks or more, anticonvulsants or anti-osteoporotic drugs including systemic estrogen treatment.
• • Low p-25-OH vitamin D-levels (\< 50 pmol/l)
• • Estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) \<60 ml/min