A study of more than 26,000 middle-aged women in the UK found that vegetarians had a 33% higher risk of hip fractures than regular meat eaters.
Researchers from the University of Leeds examined the risk of hip fracture in occasional meat eaters, pescatarians—those who consume fish but no meat—and vegetarians in comparison to regular meat eaters. Their findings were published today in the journal BMC Medicine.
Over a period of almost 20 years, 822 hip fracture cases involving 26,318 women were noted; this amounted to just over 3% of the sample. Vegetarians were the only eating group with a higher risk of hip fracture after accounting for factors like smoking and age.
This is one of the few studies to assess hip fracture risk between vegans and meat-eaters using hospital records.
The researchers emphasize the importance of further investigation into the exact reasons why vegetarians were more likely to suffer a hip fracture.
Vegetarian diets could be ‘healthy or unhealthy’
Leeds School of Food Science and Nutrition doctorate researcher James Webster, the study’s principal author, stated: “Our study highlights potential concerns regarding the risk of hip fracture in women who have a vegetarian diet. However, it is not warning people to abandon vegetarian diets.”
It does not, however, advise people to stop eating vegetarianism. Like with any diet, it’s critical to comprehend one’s unique situation and the nutrients required for a balanced, healthy lifestyle.
Like diets containing animal products, vegetarian diets can vary greatly from person to person and can be healthy or ill.
“However, it is concerning that vegetarian diets often have lower intakes of nutrients that are linked with bone and muscle health. These types of nutrients generally are more abundant in meat and other animal products than in plants, such as protein, calcium, and other micronutrients. “
Low intake of these nutrients can result in poorer muscle mass and bone mineral density, which can increase your risk of developing a hip fracture. In order to assist people to make healthy decisions, it is especially crucial that future study is done to better understand what causes the greater risk in vegetarians, whether it be specific dietary deficits or weight control.
The popularity of plant-based diets
In the UK, about 5-7% of the population is vegetarian, according to a 2021 survey by YouGov. This means that vegetarian diets are becoming more popular. With prior research demonstrating that a vegetarian diet can lower the risks of various chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer compared to omnivore diets, it is frequently seen as a healthier dietary alternative.
In an effort to combat climate change, there is a global demand for limiting the consumption of animal products.
For this reason, it is becoming increasingly vital for public health to gain an understanding of vegetarians’ increased risk of hip fracture.
The head of the Nutritional Epidemiology Group at Leeds University and study co-author Professor Janet Cade said: “Hip fracture is a global health issue with high economic costs that causes loss of independence, reduces the quality of life, and increases the risk of other health issues.
“Plant-based diets have been linked with poor bone health, but there has been a lack of evidence on the links to hip fracture risk. This study is an important step in understanding the potential risk plant-based diets could present over the long-term and what can be done to mitigate those risks.”
The team looked into potential correlations between food and risk of hip fracture using data from the UK Women’s Cohort Study. University of Leeds researchers constructed a national cohort of middle-aged women to study the link between food and chronic disease, which included a wide range of eating patterns. A 4-day food diary was used to confirm the dietary data acquired using a food frequency questionnaire on a subsample of women.
When they joined the cohort study, the women were between the ages of 35 and 69.
Low Body Mass Index
The study’s researchers discovered that vegetarians’ average BMI was marginally lower than that of typical meat eaters. Earlier studies have shown that having a low BMI makes you more likely to break your hip.
A lower BMI may suggest underweight individuals, who may have weaker bones and muscles and a higher risk of hip fracture. If low BMI accounts for the reported greater risk in vegetarians, more research is required to confirm this.
Dr. Darren Greenwood, a biostatistician and study co-author from Leeds School of Medicine, 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 confirm whether there could be similar results in men, to explore the role of body weight, and to identify the reasons for different outcomes in vegetarians and meat-eaters.”
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