Probiotic supplements could help address menopause-associated bone loss, says study

According to a new study, probiotic supplements could protect against bone loss associated with the menopause and potentially be an affordable treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis.

The study, by the Emory University of medicine and Georgia State University, US, conducted an experiment with mice and found evidence that probiotic bacteria may have potential as a treatment for bone loss associated with the menopause.

The researchers used mice that had had their ovaries removed, meaning that the animals underwent the same hormonal changes that occur when women reach the menopause.

The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, showed that the resulting loss of oestrogen caused an increase in the permeability of the gut, allowing bacterial products to activate immune cells in the intestine. This, in turn, caused immune cells to release signals that break down bone.

The research indicates that probiotics were able to prevent these effects and dampen the inflammatory signals driving the immune cells. Mice in the study that were not treated with probiotic bacteria lost half of their bone density a month after ovary removal, whereas the bone density in probiotic-treated mice stayed the same.

This study suggests that many of the probiotic bacteria found in yoghurt products could potentially be used to help older women avoid bone diseases. However, it was noted, that further clinical studies would be needed to determine the degree to which these findings can be applied to humans.

The study’s senior author Dr Roberto Pacifici says, “Our findings highlight the role that intestinal microbes play in modulating gut permeability and inflammation in the context of sex steroid depletion. We think there are direct implications for the treatment of osteoporosis that should be tested clinically.”

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