Vegans, non-meat eaters at increased risk of bone fractures: study

Those who don’t eat meat, especially vegans, may be at increased risk for bone fractures, new study results show.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford and published in BMC Medicine found that people who did not eat meat, especially vegans, “had a higher risk of total or site-specific fractures, in particular. especially hip fractures.

To reach these conclusions, the researchers studied 54,858 people with an average age of 50 years. The participants, studied between 1993 and 2001, were classified into four different groups: meat eaters (29,380), fish eaters (8,037), vegetarians (15,499) and vegans (1,982).

Participants completed questionnaires with questions about their diet, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, use of dietary supplements, etc. They were followed for an average of 17.6 years. During this period, more than 3,900 fractures were reported.

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In the end, the researchers found that vegetarians had a 9% increased risk of fracture compared to meat eaters, while vegans had a 43% increased risk.

When it comes to hip fractures, vegans had a 2.3 times higher risk of this type of fracture compared to meat eaters. Vegetarians and fish eaters, meanwhile, had an increased risk of about 25%.

After adjusting the calcium and protein intake, the researchers determined that non-meat eaters were still at increased risk, although the risk decreased slightly when these factors were taken into account.

“The higher risk of fractures, especially in vegans, remained significant after adjusting for calcium and dietary protein, suggesting that these factors may only partially explain the differences in fracture risk by diet group, and that other factors may also contribute, ”they wrote.

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Vegans, vegetarians, and pescatarians were also found to have lower body mass index (BMI) compared to meat eaters, which could also contribute to the increased risk.

“Vegetarians and vegans generally have a lower BMI than meat eaters, and previous studies have reported an inverse association between BMI and certain fractures, especially hip fractures, possibly for reasons such as cushioning against impact force during a fall, increased estrogen production with increased fatness. , or stronger bones with better weight bearing, ”the researchers said.

The researchers said the study was the “first prospective study of a diet group with specific total and multiple fracture sites in vegetarians and vegans, and the results suggest that bone health in vegans requires attention. additional research.