The Study
Vegetarian lifestyle and bone mineral density.
This study noticed that women who ate only plants for a long time seemed to have stronger bones than those who ate meat, but it didn't make people change their diets to test it. So we can't say eating plants made their bones stronger—just that the two things happened together.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at how what women eat affects their bone strength after menopause.
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 526 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — losing 18% vs.
- 235% bone mineral over decades suggests vegetarian diets may help slow bone loss in older women.
- 3Women who ate only plants and dairy for 20+ years lost 18% of their bone mineral by age 80; meat-eaters lost 35%.
- 4More sulfur in food led to more acid in urine.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The American journal of clinical nutrition
Year
1988
Authors
A. Marsh, T. Sanchez, O. Michelsen, F. L. Chaffee, S M Fagal
Related Content
Claims (4)
People who consume more dietary protein, including from animal sources, have higher bone mineral density.
Lactoovovegetarian diets and omnivorous diets have different levels of acid-forming compounds and calcium-to-phosphorus ratios, and these differences are associated with distinct patterns in bone mineral metabolism.
When people consume more sulfur from their diet, their urine becomes more acidic in direct proportion to the amount of sulfur consumed.
Women who ate a lactoovovegetarian diet for 20 years or more lost 18% less bone mineral by age 80 than women who ate an omnivorous diet, who lost 35% of their bone mineral by age 80.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.