Dietary countermeasure mitigates simulated spaceflight-induced osteopenia in mice

In a recent study, researchers explored how changes to diet might help prevent weakening of our bones during space travel. They used mice and simulated the effects of being in space by restricting their movement for two weeks while feeding them different types of foods-one regular mouse chow (Control Diet) and one with added dried plums (Dried Plum diet). After this period, they examined how well the bones inside the mice's legs were doing. The results showed that when given a special space-traveler diet-the Dried Plum diet in our case-mice had better and stronger legbone structures compared to those on regular mouse chow, even though they both moved less during their time at the research facility (which mimics conditions astronauts might face). This suggests that including dried plums or similar food items rich in nutrients could be beneficial for maintaining bone health.

This research paper, authored primarily by Sonette Steczina and colleagues from various institutions including the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science in Seattle, investigates a dietary countermeasure to mitigate osteopenia induced by simulated spaceflight conditions using mice as model organisms. The study's methodology involved feeding different groups of female C57BL/6J mice with either Control Diet or Dried Plum (DP) supplemented diets for a period of 17 days prior to the initiation of simulated microgravity exposure via hindlimb unloading. Key findings from this study revealed that baseline cancellous bone volume fraction, trabecular thickness, and cortical porosity were similar across all treatment groups before spaceflight simulation began. However, during the 28-day period of simulated microgravity exposure with hindlimb unloading (HLU), significant reductions in cancellous bone volume fraction occurred only within the DP diet group when compared to Control Diet and HLU groups without any supplementation.