The likelihood of women who do not consume meat breaking their hips later in life are higher than their meat-eating counterparts, a new study has claimed. Vegetarianism has grown worldwide amid a call to reduce animal product consumption to tackle climate change. As a result, it has become an important public health need to understand the risk in vegetarians. The study is one of few to compare the risk of hip fracture in meat-eaters and vegetarians where hospital records confirmed hip fracture.
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As part of the study, scientists studied 26,000 women for 20 years and found that the vegetarians were a third (33%) more likely to experience fractures. Experts from the University of Leeds said some vegetarians might lack nutrients for good muscle and bone health, raising the risk of breaks.
However, the study authors added that people should not abandon vegetarian diets.
Among the 26,318 women, the researchers recorded 822 hip fracture cases over 20 years. After adjustment for factors such as age and smoking habits, vegetarians were the only diet group that had an elevated risk.
James Webster, a doctoral researcher from the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds and the lead author of the study, said: “Our study highlights potential concerns regarding risk of hip fracture in vegetarian women. However, as with any diet, it is important to understand personal circumstances and what nutrients are needed for a balanced healthy lifestyle.”
The study was published in the BMC Medicine journal.
Webster said vegetarian diets had lower nutrients such as calcium and protein, which were more abundant in meat.
“Low intake of these nutrients can lead to lower bone mineral density and muscle mass, which can make you more susceptible to hip fracture risk.”
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However, he pointed out that vegetarian diets could vary from person to person and was “healthy or unhealthy, just like diets that include animal products”.
The scientists said women could maintain bone health by maintaining their weight, adding nutrients such as B12 to their diet, and by being active.
Co-author Dr Darren Greenwood said: “This study is just part of the wider picture of diet and healthy bones and muscles in older age. Further research is needed to explore the role of body weight, and to identify the reasons for different outcomes in vegetarians and meat-eaters.”
Professor Janet Cade, another co-author, said the research was an important step in understanding the potential long-term risks associated with plant-based diets and what could be done to mitigate those risks.
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The researchers added that further studies were needed to assess if similar results could be found in men.
