Meat-free diets linked with higher risk of breaking bones, study says

Cutting out or reducing meat is often associated with health benefits, but it seems that removing meat from your diet can also have a negative effect on the strength of your bones.

A new study has utilized the findings of previous research called EPIC-Oxford, which investigated how diet can influence cancer risks, and it followed 65,000 people in the UK from 1993.

The result of this original study was a huge amount of data that could provide insights into the impact of particular diets. The findings found that those who did not eat meat were more likely to break their bones.

The study uncovered several interesting differences between non-meat eaters and those who enjoyed the produce. Vegans in this study were twice as likely to break their hip than meat-eaters, and vegetarians and fish eaters were 25% more likely to have a break in the area. In general, it was found that vegans had a greater risk of breaking their bones than meat-eaters.

However, despite the increased risk of bone damage, the scale of difference due to diet is relatively small. When compared to meat-eaters, vegans had an extra 20 bones broken per 1000 people over ten years. Furthermore, the reasons behind this increase in breaks may become less relevant.

These broken bones are thought to be due to a lack of calcium, although this may change with plant milk becoming more frequently consumed.

The study also found that vegetarians were 10 percent less likely to develop cancer. With that in mind, it seems that all diets have positive elements as well as negative. What appears to be the key takeaway from this study is making sure you have a balanced diet, no matter what you choose to eat.