Food bioactives and bone metabolism

在怀孕和哺乳期间，生长发育的胎儿和随后的婴儿都依赖母亲提供营养。特别是，发育中的骨骼产生了对许多营养物质的需求，比如钙，钙通过胎盘提供给胎儿，后来通过母乳提供给婴儿。为了给母亲提供所需的钙和其他矿物质，她的骨骼在激素的调节下发生了巨大的变化。有一些数据支持母亲的骨骼会恢复到怀孕前的状态。换句话说，对人类的研究表明，怀孕一次或多次并母乳喂养孩子的女性骨折的风险并不大。然而，随着新的成像技术的发展，有新的数据表明，骨骼发生了可测量的变化和适应，其中一些变化可能对母亲的骨骼产生长期影响。为了研究怀孕和哺乳期间骨骼的变化，通常使用大鼠模型，由于一窝有多只后代，与人类相比，对母亲骨骼的需求更多——这为研究人员研究对骨骼的影响提供了一个更快速的模型。大鼠模型也为研究饮食如何影响骨骼变化提供了机会。我们的研究小组一直在研究一种茶——路易波士茶，它富含一种叫做多酚的天然化学物质，对骨细胞有积极的影响，帮助骨骼形成更多的矿物质。下一步，我们将利用这笔资金，使用这个大鼠模型来测试提供路易波士茶是否有助于在哺乳期结束后促进骨组织的恢复，甚至可能帮助母亲恢复更强壮的骨骼，从而防止衰老过程中骨骼的流失。我们将研究是否有一个特定的时间，提供路易波士茶对骨骼最有帮助。例如，也许只有在哺乳之后才有益处？我们还将进行研究，以找到一个实际剂量的路易波士茶，产生最大的好处，并测试提供路易波士茶是否有助于多次怀孕后的反复恢复骨骼。我们还将测量后代的骨骼是否会因为母亲喝了路易波士茶而发生改变。对于在其他食物中发现的其他多酚有一些数据表明，母亲富含多酚的饮食可能对后代有益。这项研究的积极发现将为制定饮食策略（可能包括强化食品或补充剂）提供基础，以支持甚至促进骨矿物质和强度的恢复，从而使母亲在怀孕和哺乳后拥有更强壮的骨骼。公司还可能利用这些发现开发含有更高水平特定多酚的食品或补品，以支持母亲骨骼的恢复。

During pregnancy and lactation, the growing and developing fetus and subsequent baby, depend on their mother for their nutrition. In particular, the developing skeleton creates a demand for many nutrients such as calcium which is provided through the placenta for the fetus and later through mother's milk for the baby. For a mother to provide the required calcium and other minerals, her skeleton undergoes dramatic changes that are regulated by hormones. There are some data to support that a mother's skeleton returns to its pre-pregnancy state. In other words, studies in humans suggest that fracture risk is not greater in women who have had one or more pregnancies and breastfed their children. However, with newer imaging technologies, there is emerging data that there are measurable changes and adaptations to the skeleton, and some of these changes may have a long-term impact on the mother's skeleton. To study the changes to the skeleton that occur during pregnancy and lactation, a rat model is commonly used and because of the multiple offspring in a litter, there is an extra demand on the mother's skeleton compared to humans - this provides a more accelerated model for researchers to study the effects on bone. The rat model also provides an opportunity to study how diet can be used to influence the changes in bone that occur. Our research team has been studying how a type of tea - rooibos tea, that is rich in natural chemicals called polyphenols, can have a positive effect on bone cells, helping bone to form more mineral. The next steps, that we will pursue with this funding, is to use this rat model to test whether providing rooibos tea can help enhance the recovery of bone tissue after the end of lactation, and perhaps even help mother's to recover with stronger bone that may protect against the loss of bone during aging. We will study if there is a specific time in which providing rooibos tea is most helpful to bone. For example, perhaps it is only after lactation that there is a benefit? We will also conduct studies to find a realistic dose of rooibos tea that yields the most benefit and also test whether providing rooibos tea is helpful with repeated recovery of bone after multiple pregnancies. We will also measure whether the bones of the offspring are altered due to mother's receiving rooibos tea. For other polyphenols found in other foods there are some data that there may be benefits to offspring by a maternal diet rich in polyphenols. Positive findings from this study will provide a basis for developing dietary strategies - that may include fortified foods or supplements - to support and even enhance recovery of bone mineral and strength such that a mother has stronger bones after pregnancy and lactation. Companies could also potentially use these findings to develop foods or supplements with higher levels of specific polyphenols to support recovery of bone in mothers.