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The papers collected another study criticizing vegan diets. The new Oxford study says vegans are 43% more likely to suffer from broken bones than meat eaters.
The study followed over 55,000 participants for 18 years and documented nearly 4,000 fractures. It seems the biggest difference between vegans and meat eaters was when it came to hip fractures. Vegans were 2.3 times more likely to suffer a hip fracture than those who ate meat.
However, one plant-based physician is dismissing the study and its claims as another “sensational headline”.
Dr. Matthew Nagra took to social media to completely debunk the new anti-vegan headline, labeling it “fake news”.
Calcium intake
Dr. Naga’s first scruple with the study concerned the vegan group’s calcium intake. In this study, vegans consumed an average of 591 mg of calcium per day, which is well below the RDA of at least 700 mg. In contrast, the meat-eating group consumed over 1000 mg per day.
However, when researchers adjusted to calcium intake, along with confounding variables such as age, smoking, BMI, the magnitude of the risk decreased. This means that while these factors played a role, they did not account for the increased risk.
Vegan supplements
While it’s common knowledge that all vegans should at least supplement with vitamins B12 and D, only about half of the vegans in the study were taking supplements.
Doctor Naga sees it as a “huge red flag”. This means that the study did not assess or adjust for these vitamin intakes in the participants and they likely had deficiencies. Since vitamin D is incredibly important for good bone health, this is a huge oversight. He replies that when we take these variables into account, those who follow a vegan diet are not at greater risk of fractures. The high risk of fractures is not inherent in plant-based diets.
The conclusion
Numerous studies have shown that around the world, countries that consume the most dairy products have the most cases of osteoporosis. Additionally, research suggests that the most critical factor in maintaining healthy bones is engaging in physical activity and not the diet itself.
A properly supplemented whole-food vegan diet has been touted as the healthiest in the world, and that can’t be overturned by a study that can be so easily debunked.
Worried about your calcium intake?
Read our guide to make sure you’re getting enough calcium on a vegan diet.
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