Meals scientists on the College of Leeds within the UK have discovered that for girls, a 25g a day enhance in protein was related to, on common, a 14% discount of their threat of hip fracture. In a shock twist, in addition they found that each further cup of tea or espresso they drank was linked with a 4% discount in threat.

Writing within the journal Scientific Vitamin, the researchers famous that the protecting advantages had been better for girls who had been underweight, with a 25g/day enhance in protein lowering their threat by 45%.

The protein might are available in any type: meat, dairy or eggs; and for folks on a plant-based food plan, from beans, nuts or legumes. Three to 4 eggs would offer round 25g of protein as would a steak or piece of salmon. 100g of tofu would offer about 17g of protein.

Simply over 3% of the ladies within the examine group skilled a hip fracture.

Observational examine

The investigation — Meals, vitamins and hip fracture threat: A potential examine of middle-aged girls — is predicated on a big observational evaluation of greater than 26,000 girls.

As an observational examine, the researchers had been in a position to establish associations between components in food plan and well being. They might not single out direct trigger and impact.

James Webster, a doctoral researcher within the Faculty of Meals Science and Vitamin at Leeds who led the examine, stated: “Internationally, the prices to people and societies brought on by hip fracture are huge.

“Hip fracture can typically result in different persistent sicknesses, lack of independence, and untimely dying. Within the UK, the annual price to the NHS is between £2 to £3 billion.

“Weight loss plan is an element that folks can modify to guard themselves by sustaining wholesome bones and muscle groups. This examine is without doubt one of the first to analyze relationships between meals and nutrient intakes and threat of hip fracture, with hip fractures precisely recognized by means of hospital information.

“The outcomes spotlight which points of food plan could also be helpful instruments in lowering hip fracture threat in girls, with proof of hyperlinks between increased protein, tea and occasional intakes and a decreased threat.”

Proteins are the fundamental constructing blocks of life and are wanted to maintain cells, tissues and muscle groups working correctly in addition to contributing to bone well being.

The really useful protein consumption within the UK is 0.8g per kilogramme of body weight per day, a restrict some dietary consultants consider is just too low. Because the examine revealed, individuals who had the next protein consumption had a discount within the threat of hip fracture. Nonetheless, intakes of protein that are very excessive — the place consumption is larger than 2 to 3g of protein/kg physique weight/day — can have destructive well being results. The examine was not in a position to discover these very excessive protein consumption ranges.

Professor Janet Cade, who leads the Dietary Epidemiology Group at Leeds and supervised the analysis, stated: “Within the UK most individuals eat an ample quantity of protein, nonetheless, sure teams, akin to vegetarians or vegans have to test that their protein intakes are excessive sufficient for good well being.”

Why underweight girls may even see better threat reductions

Girls who’re underweight could also be extra prone to have decreased bone mineral density and muscle mass. Growing intakes of a number of meals and vitamins, particularly protein, could assist scale back hip fracture threat extra in underweight girls than in wholesome or obese girls by serving to to determine or restore bone and muscle well being. Nonetheless, the researchers word that this discovering wants additional analysis to substantiate this.

Tea and occasional each include biologically energetic compounds known as polyphenols and phytoestrogens which can assist to keep up bone well being.

Professor Cade added: “That is an fascinating discovering provided that tea and occasional are the UK’s favorite drinks. We nonetheless have to know extra about how these drinks might have an effect on bone well being but it surely is perhaps by means of selling the quantity of calcium current in our bones.”

UK Girls’s Cohort Examine

The info used within the examine got here from the UK Girls’s Cohort Examine, which recruited individuals between 1995 and 1998. On the time they entered the examine, the ladies ranged between 35 and 69 years of age.

At recruitment, they had been requested to fill out questionnaires about their food plan and way of life. This data was then linked with hospital information over the next 20 years, which revealed what number of had suffered a hip fracture or had a hip changed.

Of the 26,318 girls concerned within the examine, 822 circumstances of hip fracture had been recognized, that’s 3.1%.

Meals, vitamins and hip fracture threat: A potential examine of middle-aged girls by James Webster, Dr Darren C. Greenwood and Professor Janet E. Cade, all from the College of Leeds.