Skip to main content
About the Institute
  • English
  • Français
  • Español
  • Portuguese
  • Polish

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. The power of your gut
  3. Osteoporosis: how the microbiota can weaken bones
  • Learn all about microbiota
    • The gut microbiota
    • The ENT microbiota
    • The pulmonary microbiota
    • The urinary microbiota
    • The skin microbiota
    • The vaginal microbiota
  • Microbiota and related conditions
    • Digestive disorders
    • Women disorders
    • Metabolic disorders
    • Skin disorders
    • Pediatric disorders
    • Psychiatric disorders
    • Neurological disorders
    • Respiratory disorders
    • Urinary disorders
  • Act on your microbiota
    • Probiotics
    • Prebiotics
    • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
    • Diet
  • Publications
    • Thematics folders
    • News
    • Press room
    About the Institute

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Healthcare professionals section

Find here your dedicated section
Biocodex logo
The power of your gut
My microbiota as a woman
Our marvelous microbiota

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. The power of your gut
  3. Osteoporosis: how the microbiota can weaken bones
The power of your gut

Osteoporosis: how the microbiota can weaken bones

Osteoporosis
The gut microbiota

Will we ever be able to prevent and treat osteoporosis by acting on the gut microbiota? This is possible according to the results of a Chinese study published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.

The power of your gut
My microbiota as a woman
Our marvelous microbiota
  • Learn all about microbiota
    • The gut microbiota
    • The ENT microbiota
    • The pulmonary microbiota
    • The urinary microbiota
    • The skin microbiota
    • The vaginal microbiota
  • Microbiota and related conditions
    • Digestive disorders
    • Women disorders
    • Metabolic disorders
    • Skin disorders
    • Pediatric disorders
    • Psychiatric disorders
    • Neurological disorders
    • Respiratory disorders
    • Urinary disorders
  • Act on your microbiota
    • Probiotics
    • Prebiotics
    • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
    • Diet
  • Publications
    • Thematics folders
    • News
    • Press room
    About the Institute

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Healthcare professionals section

Find here your dedicated section
Biocodex logo

Sources

This article is based on scientific information

Sharing is caring

Your friends might be interested in this topic. Why not share it?

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail

About this article

Created 21 October 2022
Updated 04 November 2022

Osteoporosis, which affects nearly 30% of women over the age of 50, is a major public health problem characterized by bone weakening likely to lead to repeated fractures. The mechanisms involved in this disease are not fully known, but a growing number of studies suggest that inflammation could increase the risks.

One in three women Has osteoporosis after menopause. Men are not spared, as one in five men suffers a fracture due to osteoporosis after the age of 50.

Sources

Gut microbiota: still an underexplored avenue

We know that certain microorganisms in the gut and vaginal microbiota can modulate the immune response and impact the inflammatory system. Could they be implicated in osteoporosis? This is what researchers from the University of Zhengzhou in China tried to find out.

They enrolled 132 women between the ages of 45 and 70, all menopausal for over a year, and divided them into 3 groups based on their bone density: “no bone problems,” “slightly decreased bone density” and “osteoporosis”. The scientists collected stool and vaginal secretions from all of these female volunteers to analyze and compare their vaginal and gut microbiota. 

Results: The microbiota of women with osteoporosis have different compositions than those of the other two groups, and this difference is particularly visible at the gut level (1).

The gut microbiota

Learn more

Inflammation-promoting bacteria 

The gut flora of women affected by osteoporosis was richer in bacteria whose presence is associated with a lower level of interleukin IL-10, a molecule with anti-inflammatory properties, and also in bacteria associated with the production of “pro-inflammatory” cytokines that contribute to bone destruction.

On the other hand, it was poorer than the others in bacterial species producing butyrate, a (sidenote: Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are a source of energy (fuel) for an individual’s cells. They interact with the immune system and are involved in communication between the intestine and the brain. Silva YP, Bernardi A, Frozza RL. The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020;11:25. ) (SCFA) with anti-inflammatory properties, and in bifidobacteria, which improve the intestinal absorption of calcium, essential for good bone density.

With regard to vaginal microbiota, women suffering from osteoporosis had, compared to the others, fewer lactobacteria, known to attenuate the inflammatory response and its harmful effects, and more streptococci which, to the contrary, promote it.

Bone, a constantly changing tissue

Did you think that the bone, once it has reached its maximum size, does not change? Think again! The bone is constantly being remodeled, even in adulthood. Two types of cells are involved in this phenomenon: osteoclasts, which break down old bone, and osteoblasts, which form new bone. When we are healthy, their respective activities are balanced, and the bone is constantly regenerated. However, at menopause, the lack of estrogen promotes the action of osteoclasts and slows down that of osteoblasts: bone is resorbed more and its architecture becomes fragile. This is osteoporosis. (2)

Menopause: new insights coming from microbiota? 27.09.2022 Menopause: new insights coming from microbiota? Read more

Toward targeted therapies to better prevent osteoporosis

For the researchers, these compositional changes are fundamental. They could one day be used to develop targeted therapies or serve as biomarkers to better prevent osteoporosis.

Sources

1. Yang X, Chang T, et al. Changes in the composition of gut and vaginal microbiota in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Front Immunol. 2022 Aug 12;13:930244. 


2. Florencio-Silva R, Sasso GR, et al. Biology of Bone Tissue: Structure, Function, and Factors That Influence Bone Cells. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:421746.

Tags
Osteoporosis Immunity Inflammation Menopause Bones Gut microbiota

en_view en_sources

    See also

    Gut microbiota: still many things to be discovered
    Osteoporosis: when the gut microbiota digests vitamin D poorly
    Created 21 October 2022
    Updated 04 November 2022

    About this article

    To know more about this topic.

    Main topic

    Osteoporosis

    Related microbiotas

    The gut microbiota
    The power of your gut

    Asthma and the respiratory microbiota: a close relationship

    Asthma is considered a major public health issue. Since the end of the 20th century, there has been an incr...

    Find out more

    Prebiotics: what you need to know

    With just one different letter separating prebiotics and probiotics, no wonder they get confused! To muddy ...

    Find out more

    Expert Interview : Dr Julie Lemale

    Dr. Julie Lemale is a Pediatric Gastroenterologist at the Armand Trousseau Hospital (AP-HP, Paris) and a me...

    Find out more

    Probiotics

    Probiotics: essential information for understanding and choosing them correctly. What exactly are probiotic...

    Find out more

    Antibiotic-associated diarrhea

    Antibiotics are a powerful tool in the fight against bacterial infections. While treatments sometimes appea...

    Find out more

    Is there a microbial signature for our food allergies?

    The first months of life are essential for the proper development of the immune system of newborns. This is...

    Find out more

    Microbiota and Autism spectrum disorders

    Microbiota disruptions in the first years of life, when our intestinal flora and brain are developing, can ...

    Find out more

    Metabolic syndrome

    Metabolic syndrome represents a collection of metabolic problems associated with obesity, such as hypertrig...

    Find out more

    Latest news

    News
    Periods and endometriosis: what is the role of the microbiota?
    24.01.2023

    Periods and endometriosis: what is the role of the microbiota?

    Read the article
    28.02.2023

    Why running could bring a smile to depressed teens... and their gut microbiota

    Read the article
    16.05.2022

    Gut microbiota: still many things to be discovered

    Read the article
    Patients stories - logo
    21.11.2022

    Patients stories: living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

    Read the article
    Pimenter son repas… et son microbiote intestinal ?
    24.02.2023

    Add spice to your meal... and to your gut microbiota?

    Read the article
    Actu GP : Le thé vert, c’est bon pour mon microbiote !
    28.01.2020

    Green tea is good for your microbiota!

    Read the article
    Un régime méditerranéen, bon pour le corps, bon pour le cœur
    16.06.2022

    The Mediterranean diet: good for the body, good for the heart

    Read the article
    Actu GP : Bière sans alcool, le microbiote intestinal en raffole !
    15.10.2019

    Non-alcoholic beer: the gut microbiota just loves it!

    Read the article
    My health, my microbiota
    Follow our Facebook page
    Our marvelous microbiota
    Get to understand our microbiota and the role they play in our body
    Find your dedicated section
    Healthcare professionals
    • Learn all about microbiota
      • The gut microbiota
      • The ENT microbiota
      • The pulmonary microbiota
      • The urinary microbiota
      • The skin microbiota
      • The vaginal microbiota
    • Microbiota and related conditions
      • Digestive disorders
      • Women disorders
      • Metabolic disorders
      • Skin disorders
      • Pediatric disorders
      • Psychiatric disorders
      • Neurological disorders
      • Respiratory disorders
      • Urinary disorders
    • Act on your microbiota
      • Probiotics
      • Prebiotics
      • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
      • Diet
    • Publications
      • Thematics folders
      • News
      • Press room
      About the Institute

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • YouTube

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section
    Biocodex logo
    The power of your gut
    My microbiota as a woman
    Our marvelous microbiota
    • English
    • Français
    • Español
    • Portuguese
    • Polish

    Browse the site

    • Learn all about microbiota
      • The gut microbiota
      • The ENT microbiota
      • The pulmonary microbiota
      • The urinary microbiota
      • The skin microbiota
      • The vaginal microbiota
    • Microbiota and related conditions
      • Digestive disorders
      • Women disorders
      • Metabolic disorders
      • Skin disorders
      • Pediatric disorders
      • Psychiatric disorders
      • Neurological disorders
      • Respiratory disorders
      • Urinary disorders
    • Act on your microbiota
      • Probiotics
      • Prebiotics
      • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
      • Diet
    • Publications
      • Thematics folders
      • News
      • Press room
      About the Institute

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • YouTube

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section
    Biocodex logo

    Discover

    The power of your gut
    My microbiota as a woman
    Our marvelous microbiota

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Redirection

    You are about to be redirected and leave our website

    • Be redirected
    • Stay on the Biocodex Microbiota Institute's website

    Stay with us !

    Join the microbiota community and receive "The Essentials" once a month to stay up to date with the latest news on the microbiota.

    * Mandatory Fields

    BMI 20-35

    Explore

    How to keep a healthy microbiota?
    02.03.2023

    How to keep a healthy microbiota?

    Read the article
    28.02.2023

    Why running could bring a smile to depressed teens... and their gut microbiota

    Read the article
    Pimenter son repas… et son microbiote intestinal ?
    24.02.2023

    Add spice to your meal... and to your gut microbiota?

    Read the article

    Stay updated

    Join the Microbiota Community and receive once a month “The Essential” to stay up to date on the latest news about microbiota.

    * Mandatory Fields

    BMI 20-35

    • Learn all about microbiota
      • The gut microbiota
      • The ENT microbiota
      • The pulmonary microbiota
      • The urinary microbiota
      • The skin microbiota
      • The vaginal microbiota
    • Microbiota and related conditions
      • Digestive disorders
      • Women disorders
      • Metabolic disorders
      • Skin disorders
      • Pediatric disorders
      • Psychiatric disorders
      • Neurological disorders
      • Respiratory disorders
      • Urinary disorders
    • Act on your microbiota
      • Probiotics
      • Prebiotics
      • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
      • Diet
    • Publications
      • Thematics folders
      • News
      • Press room
      About the Institute

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • YouTube

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section
    Biocodex logo

    Discover

    The power of your gut
    My microbiota as a woman
    Our marvelous microbiota

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    © 2022 Biocodex. All rights reserved.

    • Cookies Policy
    • Data protection policy
    • GTU
    • Sitemap
    • Cookies settings
    Biocodex logo