The Study
Plant-based dietary patterns and peak bone mass in healthy young adult women.
This study looked at what young women ate and how strong their bones were at the same time, like taking a photo. It couldn't tell if eating more plants made bones stronger or weaker—it just showed a possible tiny link that wasn’t even clear. So we can’t say plants cause any change in bones.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at whether eating mostly plants affects how strong young women's bones are when they're in their late teens and twenties.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1No, the results suggest that eating a plant-based diet in your teens and twenties doesn't seem to weaken your bones — even if you don't eat meat.
- 2Women who ate more plant-based foods had no difference in bone density compared to others.
- 3Even the healthiest plant diets showed only tiny, non-significant links to bone strength.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Bone
Year
2026
Authors
S. Zagarins, D. Azarmanesh, E. Bertone-Johnson
Related Content
Claims (6)
People who eat plant-based diets experience more bone fractures and higher rates of osteoporosis than people who consume animal protein.
In healthy women aged 18 to 30, not eating meat does not change bone mineral density when accounting for body fat and physical activity levels.
In young adult women, a diet higher in healthy plant-based foods shows a very small statistical link to higher bone mineral density, but this link is not meaningful once other factors like total diet quality, body fat, and physical activity are taken into account.
In young adult women, a diet pattern classified as less healthy based on the unhealthful Plant-Based Diet Index is linked to slightly lower bone mineral apparent density, but this link is not statistically significant and no longer appears when other factors are accounted for.
Among healthy women aged 18 to 30, different types of plant-based diets do not show a measurable difference in bone mineral apparent density.
In young women, bone mineral apparent density (BMAD) showed no measurable relationship with any plant-based diet after accounting for other factors.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.