Polyphenol Antioxidants and Bone Health: A Review

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterized by bone loss and structural deterioration of the bone tissue, leading to an increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fractures, most frequently in the hip, wrist and spine (Sendur et al., 2009). Bone loss is associated with such factors as age, menopause in women, smoking, alcohol excess, calcium and vitamin D deficiency, low weight and muscle mass, anticonvulsant and corticosteroid use as well as certain co-morbid conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (Javaid et al., 2008). Worldwide, it has been estimated that fractures caused by osteoporosis account for approximately one in three among women and approximately one in five among men over the age of 50. Although the mechanisms underlying osteoporosis are not fully understood, there is evidence suggesting that oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is associated with its pathogenesis (Sahnoun et al., 1997; Basu et al., 2001; Rao et al., 2007).