Research Looks at Vegetarian/Bone Density Relation
Jul 13th, 2009 | By admin | Category: Diet & Nutrition, FeaturedIt’s difficult to argue against the benefits of a vegetarian diet, but could there be a downside to it as well?
A recent study conducted by a joint Australian and Vietnamese team found that vegetarians had 5% less dense bones than those whose diet contained meat. And the further one went from animal products, the greater the problem became, with vegans experiencing a 6% decline in bone density.
The good news, according to lead researcher Tuan Nguyen, seems to be for the ovolactovegarians.
Nguyen found that there was “practically no difference” between the bone density of meat-eaters and ovolactovegarians, who do not eat meat or seafood but include eggs and dairy in their diets.
“The results suggest that vegetarian diets, particularly vegan diets, are associated with lower bone mineral density,” Nguyen wrote in the study published in a recent edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Even for vegans, though, Nguyen notes that the findings are “clinically insignificant,” but merit further study. In the meantime, those who eschew meat (as opposed to chewing it) may wish to start targeting more calcium-rich foods when planning their diets, such as dark green leafy vegetables, sprouts, beans/peas and seaweeds.
Source: NY Daily News
Popularity: 4% [?]
