Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




INTERN DAILY
NASA: Omega-3 might help reduce bone loss
by Staff Writers
Houston (UPI) May 10, 2010


disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

NASA scientists say they've determined omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil might help mitigate bone loss that occurs during spaceflight and in osteoporosis.

Researchers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston said their findings could have significant implications for both space travelers and people susceptible to bone loss on Earth.

The research involved studies using cell cultures, ground-based bed rest and data from space shuttle and International Space Station crew members.

In the cell-based studies, scientists found that adding a specific omega-3 fatty acid to cells would inhibit the activation of factors that lead to bone breakdown, specifically nuclear factor kappa B.

In a study of astronauts returning from short-duration shuttle missions, researchers found kappa B activation had increased in blood cells collected at landing, and remained elevated for two weeks.

The ground-based bed rest study determined bed rest simulates some effects of weightlessness, including muscle and bone loss. During the study, higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with less bone loss.

"These results are very exciting, and provide initial evidence that nutrition may be a key factor in mitigating bone loss in astronauts." said Scott Smith, a NASA nutritionist and one of the paper's authors.

The study that included co-authors Sara Zwart, Duane Pierson, Satish Mehta and the late Steve Gonda appears in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

.


Related Links
Hospital and Medical News at InternDaily.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








SPACE TRAVEL
NASA to study antifungal drugs in space
Wallops Island, Va., April 28, 2009
The U.S. space agency says it plans to launch a small satellite about the size of a loaf of bread to study how effectively drugs work in space. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration nanosatellite, known as PharmaSat, is a secondary payload aboard a U.S. Air Force four-stage Minotaur 1 rocket planned to be launched May 5. "PharmaSat weighs approximately 10 pounds," NAS ... read more


SPACE TRAVEL
LRO Team Helps Track Laser Signals To Russian Rover Mirror

Lunar Polar Craters May Be Electrified

Seed Bank For The Moon

Craters Around Lunar Poles Could Be Electrified

SPACE TRAVEL
Opportunity Drives Twice This Week

New Martian Views From Orbiting Camera Show Diversity

Countdown begins to 520 day 'Mars mission'

Mars Rover Sees Distant Crater Rims On Horizon

SPACE TRAVEL
'Starving yogi' astounds Indian scientists

NASA Tests Orion Launch Abort System

NASA Studies Find Omega-3 May Help Reduce Bone Loss

Engineers Diagnosing Voyager 2 Data System

SPACE TRAVEL
China Signs Up First Female Astronauts

China To Launch Second Lunar Probe This Year

China, Bolivia to build communications satellite

China To Complete Wenchang Space Center By 2015

SPACE TRAVEL
Russian Space Freighter Undocked From ISS

Researchers To Send Bacteria Into Orbit Aboard Atlantis

Russian Space Freighter Ready To Leave Orbital Station

NASA And DARPA Seek Satellite Research Proposals For ISS

SPACE TRAVEL
Integration Of Soyuz' First And Second Stages Is Complete

Arianespace Signs Contract With HUGHES To Launch Jupiter

Energia Overseas Limited Assumes DIP Financing For Sea Launch

Iran To Launch Two Satellites This Year

SPACE TRAVEL
Planet discovered lacking methane

'This Planet Tastes Funny,' According To Spitzer

Small, Ground-Based Telescope Images Three Exoplanets

Wet Rocky Planets A Dime A Dozen In The Milky Way

SPACE TRAVEL
Designed Biomaterials Mimicking Biology

New Metamaterial Device May Lead To See-Through Cameras And Scanners

Omnifocus camera set to sweep industry

Apple: iPad on sale internationally from May 28




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement