British research suggests that some vegetarians may not be getting enough nutrients for good bone and muscle health
A British study analyzed data from over 26,000 women and found that vegetarians have a third more chance of breaking the hip
compared to meat eaters.
I study
The analysis, published in BMC Medicine on 11 August, divided the women (aged between 35 and 69) according to the amount of meat introduced in the diet, selecting four diets: regular meat eaters (5 or more times a week), occasional (less than 5 times a week), pescetarians (who eat fish but not meat) and vegetarians.
The risk of fractures was monitored for 22 years. The increased risk was found for vegetarians and not for the other diet categories.
The reasons for the increased risk
The authors warn that it is observational study, therefore, it does not demonstrate direct causality, nor does it explore the reasons for this increased danger. Some hypotheses are made: vegetarians may suffer from some nutritional deficiency (such as vitamins D and B12) if they are not careful to balance the diet and consequently have weaker bones and lower muscle mass and both of these things predispose people to hip fractures, says Dr James Webster, a researcher at the University of Leeds who co-authored the study. Researchers also suspect that vegetarians are more likely to be underweight than meat eaters, and somehow the fat mass can protect the skeleton during a fall. We must not give up the vegetarian diet, however, because it is healthy in other ways (can reduce the risk of diabetes, obesity, heart disease and some cancers, ed) and environmentally friendly, but be careful to plan well and compensate for nutrients that are mainly contained in some animal proteins, said Dr. Webster.
Worldwide, one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50 experience one or more fractures in their lifetime. The number of fragility fractures and cases of osteoporosis is growing everywhere, resulting in higher and higher health care costs.
August 19, 2022 (change August 19, 2022 | 09:48)
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