Update on Calorie Restriction and Bone Loss
The pendulum of evidence is swinging back to suggest that the practice of calorie restriction doesn't lead to bone loss. Via ScienceDaily: "Calorie restriction is the only intervention known to decrease the rate of biological aging and increase longevity ... Young adults who follow a diet that is low in calories but nutritionally sound for six months appear to lose weight and fat without significant bone loss ... After six months, average body weight was reduced by 1 percent in the control group, 10.4 percent in the calorie restriction group, 10 percent in the calorie restriction plus exercise group and 13.9 percent in the low-calorie diet group ... Bone mineral density and blood markers of bone resorption and formation (processes by which bone is broken down and regenerated on a regular basis) were measured at the beginning of the study and again after six months. ... Compared with the control group, none of the groups showed any change in bone mineral density for total body or hip."
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922174521.htm