The Study
The influence of vegetarian and vegan diets on the state of bone mineral density in humans
This study looked at lots of other studies and found that people who eat only plants sometimes have weaker bones, but it doesn't prove that eating plants makes bones weak. It just shows they tend to go together, maybe because of other things like how much sun they get or if they take vitamins.
Analysis score
Maximum 85 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
People who eat only plants might have weaker bones than those who eat meat, but newer plant-based diets might be just as good for bones.
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 520 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Lower bone density can mean higher fracture risk, but if recent diets have improved, the risk might not be higher anymore.
- 2Vegetarians and vegans have lower bone density and more fractures, but newer studies show their bone health may now match meat-eaters.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
Year
2021
Authors
A. Galchenko, K. Gapparova, E. Sidorova
Related Content
Claims (4)
People who eat plant-based diets experience more bone fractures and higher rates of osteoporosis than people who consume animal protein.
People who follow vegetarian or vegan diets have lower bone mineral density than those who eat meat, and this is associated with a higher rate of osteoporotic fractures, even though their diets contain more vitamins C and K, magnesium, and potassium.
People who follow vegetarian or vegan diets tend to have lower bone mineral density, but their diets contain higher amounts of several nutrients linked to bone health, such as vitamins C and K, magnesium, potassium, carotenoids, manganese, copper, and silicon.
Vegetarians have similar bone mineral density and fracture risk as omnivores, and higher-quality diets are linked to the elimination of previous differences in these measures.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.