A examine of over 26,000 middle-aged UK girls reveals these with a vegetarian eating regimen had a 33% larger threat of hip fracture in comparison with common meat-eaters.
College of Leeds analysis, revealed as we speak (Thursday, August 11) within the journal BMC Medication, investigated the chance 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 girls, 822 hip fracture circumstances had been noticed over roughly 20 years — that represented simply over 3% of the pattern inhabitants. After adjustment for components corresponding to smoking and age, vegetarians had been the one eating regimen group with an elevated threat of hip fracture.
This examine is considered one of only a few research to check threat of hip fracture in vegetarians and meat-eaters the place the prevalence of hip fracture was confirmed from hospital data.
The scientists stress the necessity for extra analysis into the precise causes of why vegetarians had been at a better threat of hip fracture.
Vegetarian diets could be ‘wholesome or unhealthy’
Research lead writer James Webster, a doctoral researcher from the Faculty of Meals Science and Vitamin at Leeds, stated: “Our examine highlights potential issues relating to threat of hip fracture in girls who’ve a vegetarian eating regimen. Nevertheless, it isn’t warning folks to desert vegetarian diets. As with all eating regimen, you will need to perceive private circumstances and what vitamins are wanted for a balanced wholesome way of life.
“Vegetarian diets can range extensively from individual to individual and could 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 might be linked with bone and muscle well being. These kind of vitamins usually are extra plentiful in meat and different animal merchandise than in vegetation, corresponding to protein, calcium, and different micronutrients.
“Low consumption of those vitamins can result in decrease bone mineral density and muscle mass, which may make you extra inclined to hip fracture threat. This makes it particularly necessary for additional analysis to higher perceive components driving the elevated threat in vegetarians, whether or not or not it’s explicit nutrient deficiencies or weight administration, in order that we may help folks to make wholesome selections.”
Plant-based diets rising in reputation
Vegetarian diets have gained reputation in recent times, 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 possibility, with earlier proof that reveals a vegetarian eating regimen can cut back the dangers of a number of continual illnesses, together with diabetes, coronary heart illness, and most cancers in comparison with omnivorous diets.
There’s additionally a worldwide name for lowering the consumption of animal merchandise in an effort to deal with local weather change.
Understanding hip fracture threat in vegetarians is subsequently turning into more and more necessary to public well being.
Research co-author Professor Janet Cade, chief of the Dietary Epidemiology Group within the Faculty of Meals Science and Vitamin at Leeds, stated: “Hip fracture is a worldwide well being concern with excessive financial prices that causes lack of independence, reduces high quality of life, and will increase threat 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 threat. This examine is a vital step in understanding the potential threat plant-based diets might current over the long-term and what could be completed to mitigate these dangers.”
The workforce used knowledge from the UK Ladies’s Cohort Research to research attainable hyperlinks between eating regimen and hip fracture threat. The nationwide cohort of middle-aged girls was established on the College of Leeds to discover hyperlinks between eating regimen and continual illness, encompassing a variety of various consuming patterns. Dietary data was collected utilizing a meals frequency questionnaire and was validated utilizing a 4-day meals diary in a subsample of girls.
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 workforce discovered that the typical BMI amongst vegetarians was barely decrease than the typical among the many common meat eaters. Earlier analysis has proven a hyperlink between low BMI and a excessive threat of hip fracture.
Decrease BMI can point out persons are underweight, which may imply poorer bone and muscle well being, and better threat of hip fracture. Additional investigation is required to find out if low BMI is the explanation for the noticed larger threat in vegetarians.
Research co-author, Dr Darren Greenwood, a biostatistician within the Faculty of Medication at Leeds, stated: “This examine is simply a part of the broader image of eating regimen and wholesome bones and muscular tissues in older age.
“Additional analysis is required to verify whether or not there may very well be comparable leads to males, to discover the function of physique weight, and to establish the explanations for various outcomes in vegetarians and meat-eaters.”
