Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia

Vegan Diet Linked to Poorer Bone Health

by Anjanee Sharma on Mar 6 2021 7:06 PM

Vegan Diet Linked to Poorer Bone Health
Research from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) finds that individuals who follow a vegan diet may have poorer bone health.
The research team examined the bone health of 72 individuals - half vegans and half who followed a mixed-food diet using an ultrasound measurement of the heel bone. Information on age, smoking status, education, body mass index, physical activity and alcohol consumption was also collected.

They also examined biomarkers in blood and urine to identify nutrients that might be related to diet and bone health. They were able to identify 12 out of 28 parameters of nutritional status and bone metabolism that are most strongly associated with bone health - amino acid lysine, vitamins A and B6, leucine, omega-3 fatty acids, selenoprotein P, iodine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, calcium, magnesium and α-Klotho protein.

Findings showed that vegans had a lower concentration of a combination of these biomarkers in most cases, which could have resulted in the poorer bone health.

Dr. Andreas Hensel, BfR President, said, "A vegan diet is often considered health-conscious. However, our scientific findings indicate that a vegan diet does affect bone health.”

The results show that vegans intake fewer nutrients relevant for the skeleton found primarily in food of animal origin. However, further studies are needed for clarification.



Advertisement
Source-Medindia


Advertisement