Vegetarian women are at a higher risk of hip fracture

A examine of over 26,000 middle-aged UK ladies reveals these with a vegetarian food regimen had a 33% larger danger of hip fracture in comparison with common meat-eaters.

College of Leeds analysis, printed Thursday, August 11 within the journal BMC Drugs, investigated the danger of hip fracture in occasional meat-eaters; pescatarians, individuals who eat fish however not meat; and vegetarians in comparison with common meat-eaters.

Amongst 26,318 ladies, 822 hip fracture instances had been noticed over roughly 20 years—that represented simply over 3% of the pattern inhabitants. After adjustment for components equivalent to smoking and age, vegetarians had been the one food regimen group with an elevated danger of hip fracture.

This examine is one among only a few research to match danger of hip fracture in vegetarians and meat-eaters the place the prevalence of hip fracture was confirmed from hospital information.

The scientists stress the necessity for extra analysis into the precise causes of why vegetarians had been at a higher danger of hip fracture.

Vegetarian diets will be ‘wholesome or unhealthy’

Research lead writer James Webster, a doctoral researcher from the College of Meals Science and Diet at Leeds, stated, “Our examine highlights potential considerations concerning danger of hip fracture in ladies who’ve a vegetarian food regimen. Nevertheless, it’s not warning folks to desert vegetarian diets. As with all food regimen, you will need to perceive private circumstances and what vitamins are wanted for a balanced wholesome way of life.

“Vegetarian diets can range broadly from individual to individual and will be wholesome or unhealthy, identical to diets that embrace animal merchandise.

“Nevertheless, it’s regarding that vegetarian diets typically have decrease intakes of vitamins which are linked with bone and muscle well being. These kinds of vitamins typically are extra ample in meat and different animal merchandise than in crops, equivalent to protein, calcium, and different micronutrients.

“Low consumption of those vitamins can result in decrease bone mineral density and muscle mass, which might make you extra vulnerable to hip fracture danger. This makes it particularly necessary for additional analysis to raised perceive components driving the elevated danger in vegetarians, whether or not it’s explicit nutrient deficiencies or weight administration, in order that we may help folks to make wholesome decisions.”

Plant-based diets rising in reputation

Vegetarian diets have gained reputation lately, with a 2021 YouGov survey placing the scale of the UK vegetarian inhabitants at roughly 5-7%. It’s typically perceived as a more healthy dietary choice, with earlier proof that exhibits a vegetarian food regimen can cut back the dangers of a number of power illnesses, together with diabetes, coronary heart illness, and most cancers in comparison with omnivorous diets.

There may be additionally a worldwide name for lowering the consumption of animal merchandise in an effort to deal with local weather change.

Understanding hip fracture danger in vegetarians is due to this fact turning into more and more necessary to public well being.

Research co-author Professor Janet Cade, chief of the Dietary Epidemiology Group within the College of Meals Science and Diet at Leeds, stated, “Hip fracture is a world well being difficulty with excessive financial prices that causes lack of independence, reduces high quality of life, and will increase danger of different well being points.

“Plant-based diets have been linked with poor bone well being, however there was an absence of proof on the hyperlinks to hip fracture danger. This examine is a crucial step in understanding the potential danger plant-based diets may current over the long-term and what will be performed to mitigate these dangers.”

The staff used knowledge from the UK Girls’s Cohort Research to analyze potential hyperlinks between food regimen and hip fracture danger. The nationwide cohort of middle-aged ladies was established on the College of Leeds to discover hyperlinks between food regimen and power illness, encompassing a variety of various consuming patterns. Dietary info was collected utilizing a meals frequency questionnaire and was validated utilizing a 4-day meals diary in a subsample of ladies.

On the time they had been recruited into the cohort examine, the ladies ranged in age from 35 to 69 years.

Impact of low BMI

The analysis staff discovered that the common BMI amongst vegetarians was barely decrease than the common among the many common meat eaters. Earlier analysis has proven a hyperlink between low BMI and a excessive danger of hip fracture.

Decrease BMI can point out individuals are underweight, which might imply poorer bone and muscle well being, and better danger of hip fracture. Additional investigation is required to find out if low BMI is the rationale for the noticed larger danger in vegetarians.

Research co-author Dr. Darren Greenwood, a biostatistician within the College of Drugs at Leeds, stated, “This examine is simply a part of the broader image of food regimen and wholesome bones and muscle mass in older age.

“Additional analysis is required to substantiate whether or not there could possibly be related leads to males, to discover the position of physique weight, and to establish the explanations for various outcomes in vegetarians and meat-eaters.”

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College of Leeds