A study in which data from 413,914 people have been analyzed has revealed that people who follow a vegetarian diet have a 50% higher risk of suffering a hip fracture than those who consume meat regularly. This increased risk has been observed in both women and men. The authors of the study are scientists from the University of Leeds (United Kingdom) and have also identified some of the factors that could put vegetarians at greater risk of fracture.
Participants were selected between 2006 and 2010 and were part of the UK Biobank project. After reporting their type of diet, they were classified as regular carnivores (those who ate meat five or more times a week); occasional carnivores (they ate this food less than five times a week); pescetarians (they ate fish, but not meat); or vegetarians (those who ate dairy products, but not fish or meat).
The data of these people was associated with their hospital records and the cases of hip fracture that occurred during the follow-up period until 2021 were recorded. The researchers found that there were 3,503 cases of hip fracture, which implied an incidence rate general of less than 1% (0.8%).
“Vegetarians need to make sure they get a balanced diet with enough protein and maintain a healthy BMI. This will help them maintain healthy bones and muscles.”
The results have been published in BMC Medicine and show that although the overall risk of hip fracture was low, the relative risk between vegetarians and regular meat eaters was high. The main findings were:
- Vegetarians had a 50% higher risk than habitual meat eaters, regardless of gender.
- There was no difference in risk between occasional and regular carnivores.
- Pescatarians had a slightly higher risk (8%) than regular carnivores, but this difference was not significant.
The scientists calculated how these relative differences might translate to real-world cases and estimated that, on average, 6.5 habitual carnivores and 6.5 occasional carnivores would experience a hip fracture, while there would be 7 cases among pescatarians and 9.5 cases among vegetarians.
Vegetarian diet: its benefits outweigh its risks
James Webster, a PhD researcher in the School of Food Sciences and Nutrition who led the study, told the Daily Telegraph that the study “shows that while vegetarians face a higher risk of hip fracture than carnivores, 50%, this translates to only three more hip fractures per 1,000 people over 10 years. The health benefits of a vegetarian diet, including a reduced risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, may still outweigh any increase in hip fracture risk.”
In the scientist’s opinion, a low BMI (body mass index) could be a key factor that explains why your risk is higher. He has also noted that “vegetarians were 17% less likely to meet protein recommendations than meat eaters. Therefore, the important messages from our study are that vegetarians need to make sure they get a balanced diet with enough protein and maintain a healthy BMI. This will help vegetarians maintain healthy bones and muscles.”
Professor Janet Cade, who leads the Nutritional Epidemiology Group at the University of Leeds and supervised the research, said: “This research, using the large UK Biobank, confirms our previous work showing that a vegetarian diet increases the risk of hip fracture compared to habitual carnivores, in both men and women. While vegetarian diets have health benefits, understanding diet quality and the balance of key nutrients can help reduce risk and improve bone health in the future.”
