London: If you stop eating meat altogether, it can soften the bones and increase the risk of fractures.
Extensive studies have shown that people who eat vegetables for a long time have less calcium and protein. This process progresses and the bones become weaker and even as the injured tissue shrinks, the injury has a direct effect on the bone. Which can lead to a fracture, especially of the hip bone.
Earlier, some research had shown that vegetarians were more likely to be affected by bone injuries and fractures than meat-eaters. But no detailed observation and scientific work were done on this. Now a large survey has been conducted in this regard which includes thousands of people.
The survey, called Epic Oxford, looked at 65,000 people since 1993. The survey was originally launched to look at the effects of diet on cancer in the UK. But it was also used for other diseases. The link between the eating habits of thousands of people and the incidence of hospitalizations was also noted.
Since 2010, vegetarians have more than doubled their tendency to break their hips compared to meat-eaters. In meat-only fish and vegetable eaters, the risk was slightly higher than in carnivores, up to 25%. On the other hand, those who ate only fish and seafood had a higher risk of fractures.
Expert Opinion
According to experts, on average ten vegetarians lose 20 bones per thousand people in ten years, which is a low rate, but they have a very high rate of fractures. The hip bones are most affected, especially in the elderly. The survey found that the average age of participants was 45 years.
But the same survey also found that if you like to eat vegetables regularly, it reduces the risk of cancer by 10% and the risk of heart disease by 20% in the next 15 years.
