For health and environmental reasons, more people are turning to plant-based diets, but there is a chance this may come with a risk for weakened bones, at least in women, according to an investigation in BMC Medicine.
The study showed that, among about 26,000 British women ages 35–69, those who never consume meat may be more likely to break a hip than women who regularly include meat and/or fish in their diets.
The women filled out food frequency questionnaires, and these were compared with hospital records to see who suffered a hip fracture during about 20 years of follow-up. More study is needed to understand and confirm this association, but the study authors suspect that low body mass index and the potential for certain nutrient shortfalls play a role.
Whilst a lower BMI is beneficial for many health conditions, people with less fat mass have less cushioning during falls, which are the major cause of hip fractures. And animal-based foods are reliable sources of several key nutrients for bone health, including protein, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Indeed, in the study, vegetarians had lower intakes of protein and vitamin B12 than folks who ate meat five or more times each week.
But by no means does adhering to a vegetarian diet doom women to break-prone bones. Maintaining a regular resistance training program and a diverse plant-based diet that meets all the requirements for key nutrients will go a long way in keeping bones strong.
See also: Strength Training, Veganism and Bone Fractures
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