✨ New research shows that eating more protein reduces hip fracture risk in women ✨

Hip fractures are one of the most feared injuries for women with osteoporosis because they can lead to disability, other chronic illnesses, or even death.

A study just published in Clinical Nutrition looked at 26,000 women from the UK Women’s Cohort. Participants entered the study between 1995 and 1998 when they were between the ages of 35 and 69.

Women completed diet and lifestyle questionnaires at the beginning of the study, and their hospital records were then followed for 20 years.

Over that time:

🔹 822 (3%) experienced a hip fracture.

🔹 There was an inverse relationship between protein intake and hip fractures (more protein, less fractures).

🔹 Each 25g per day increase in protein was associated with a 14% reduction in hip fracture risk.

🔹 Underweight women benefited even more from each 25g per day increase in protein, reducing their hip fracture risk by 45%.

🔹 It didn’t matter whether protein came from animal or plant sources.

🔹 The study did not explore extremely high protein intakes (such as 2-3 grams per kg of body weight per day).

Protein is a building block for the collagen matrix in bone. This matrix is continually being remodeled and replaced, requiring an adequate supply of protein.

So it makes sense that more protein is needed for strong bones 🦴

The recommended intake of protein per day is a minimum of 0.8 grams per kg of body weight. But this study suggests that women reduce their hip fracture by 14% with every 25 gram increase.

Here are some examples of 25 grams of protein:

🥚 3 eggs

🍗 3 ounces of chicken

🥣 1 cup Greek yogurt

🥢 6 ounces of tofu

Do you even know how much protein you eat?

Reference

Webster J, Greenwood DC, Cade JE. Foods, nutrients and hip fracture risk: A prospective study of middle-aged women [published online ahead of print, 2022 Nov 9]. Clin Nutr. 2022;41(12):2825-2832. [link]