HONOLULU — Though vegans do not eat dairy, they have surprisingly good bone health, according to results from a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Heather J. Hinkley, Ph.D., of the British College of Osteopathic Medicine, in London, recruited 60 white females. Age ranged from 20 to 44 years, and all had been vegan for a minimum of 5 years. Exclusion criteria included use of hormone therapy, use of corticosteroids or thyroxine for more than 6 months, onset of menopause before age 45, lactation in the previous year, presence of rheumatoid arthritis, or previous osteoporosis-related fracture.
Broadband ultrasound attenuation of the calcaneum was examined for all women to assess bone mineral density. The results were compared with ultrasound attenuation data on 110 age-matched white female omnivores.
Though the vegan women had a slightly lower mean ultrasound attenuation, the difference was not significant. Weight also was not significantly different in vegan women, and no significant difference in body mass index was seen. There was no link between the duration of the vegan diet and ultrasound attenuation results.
The researchers observed that 66% of the vegans took calcium supplements, which may have benefited their bone density.
In addition, a lack of dietary animal protein in the vegan's diet may actually benefit the acid/base balance, resulting in less movement of bone mineral and decreasing calcium excretion, preserving bone health and integrity, they suggested.