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Bone Up on Vegan Nutrition
Non-meat-eaters may have a higher fracture risk.
By Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Jan 19, 2021
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A recent longitudinal investigation from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) at Oxford University provides some interesting facts for plant-eaters to chew on. That’s especially true for those who eschew animal-based foods altogether but still want to protect bone strength.
As reported in BMC Medicine, British scientists discovered that among nearly 55,000 individuals, non-meat-eaters had higher risks of either total or some site-specific fractures, including hip fractures, over an average of 18 years. Vegans who consumed lower amounts of protein and calcium had a 43% higher risk of fracture anywhere in the body.
Meat-free diets themselves are not the concern; problems arise when people fail to adequately source bone-friendly nutrients like protein, zinc and calcium—abundant in animal foods—from the plant kingdom. The breaking point can be averted with appropriate nutrition counseling and a varied plant-based diet.
See also: Healthy Bones and Plant-Driven Diets
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Very misleading. “Meat free diets themselves are not the concern.”
Perhaps the article should be about people who don’t get the proper nutrients in their diet, vegan, or not.
Vegan means different things to different people. Junk food vegan, or whole food vegan can be the difference between proper nourishment, or not.
Excellent point, Paula!
It’s clear right here: “Vegans who consumed lower amounts of protein and calcium had a 43% higher risk of fracture anywhere in the body.” Where is the “misleading” problem?
The question is: where might you get “appropriate nutrition counseling”? Good advice needed!