In our previous episode on Bone Health (episode #315) we covered some important bone health basics including:
⁃How plants actually contain plenty of Calcium
⁃How eating plants creates an alkaline environment to allow more calcium to be deposited where it need to be in the bone
⁃Why increased dairy consumption actually raises the risk of bone fracture
⁃The essential role of Vitamin D is for calcium absorption
⁃Why we need to get plenty of Vitamin K to guide calcium properly in the body
⁃Other minerals are important…magnesium, strontium, etc.
⁃WEIGHT BEARING ACTIVITY is the most important factor for building strong bones.
In today’s episode, Dr. Susanna discusses a recently published article that compares the risk of bone fracture in vegans vs. omnivores.
Up until the publishing of this 2020 prospective cohort study, there had not been any evidence showing any clinically significant detrimental effects of plant-based eating on bone health, as long as individuals were eating enough calcium and protein.
This newest study concludes that “Non-meat eaters, especially vegans, had higher risks of either total or some site-specific fractures, particularly hip fractures.”
Even though this study takes into account several factors that influence bone health including calcium intake, protein intake, BMI, smoking status, physical activity, etc. there are still some flaws in the study, that Dr. Susanna discusses. She points out how the study has misleading conclusions around plant baed eating.
Highlights from Today's Episode:
⁃ What the research says about plant-based eating and bone fracture risk
⁃ How calcium, protein, and Vitamin D impact fracture risk
⁃ How BMI plays a large role in maintaining bone mineral density
⁃ The nuances in plant-based eating that effect bone health (acidifying foods, etc)
⁃ How balanced WFPB eating in conjunction with other healthy lifestyle practices actually do increase bone mineral density
Links to some more good stuff
- ALL NEW EAT MORE, WEIGH LESS PROGRAM - www.alter.health/eat-more-weigh-less
- 1-on-1 Nutritional Analysis Package - www.alter.health/nutritional-analysis
- Get the Alter Health weekly WFPB Meal Guides: www.alter.health/meal-guides
- Work with us in the Thrive on Plants program: www.alter.health/thrive-on-plants