Correlation between Healthy and Unhealthy Vegetarian Diets on the Incidence of Osteoporosis
الموضوعات : Food and Health
1 - Department of Nutrition, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
الکلمات المفتاحية: Osteoporosis, Bone Density, Vegetarian, Vegans, Phytochemicals,
ملخص المقالة :
Osteoporosis is a chronic skeletal disease characterized by decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and decreased bone quality, which can increase the risk of bone fragility. Its prevalence is increasing worldwide, especially in older populations and postmenopausal women. In recent years, evidence has shown that a healthy and nutritious diet plays an effective role in reducing the incidence of chronic diseases. In this regard, a plant-based diet has received much attention due to its rich source of antioxidants and other nutrients. This short review discusses the different effects of healthy and unhealthy plant-based diets on the risk of osteoporosis. The study was designed and conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 checklist, and searched electronic databases for the literature search, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar until May 2025. The following keywords were used in different combinations: “bone mineral density or BMD or osteopenia or osteoporosis,” “vegans or vegetarians or veganism or lacto-ovo-vegetarian or healthy vegetarian diet or unhealthy vegetarian diet”. 18 articles that examined the relationship between plant-based diets and osteoporosis were selected and included in this review. The results indicate that a healthy plant-based diet, which includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, legumes, and nuts, contains nutrients such as magnesium and calcium, vitamins C and K, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that can prevent bone mineral density loss by affecting osteoblast differentiation signaling pathways, bone formation, and reducing oxidative stress. On the other hand, an unhealthy plant-based diet contains a lot of refined carbohydrates, processed foods, sugar, and sweets, which lack nutrients for maintaining bone health and increase the risk of bone mineral density loss and fractures. The quality of a healthy and unhealthy plant-based dietary pattern is a determining factor in reducing or increasing the incidence of osteoporosis. Future research should focus on long-term, controlled studies on the association of this dietary pattern with osteoporosis to provide more effective nutritional strategies.
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