High Protein Diet Can Lower Hip Fracture Risk

A high protein diet can lower the risk of hip fractures in older people.
The Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) of Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston have discovered that older people who eat more protein in their daily diets are less likely to get hip fractures in falls and accidents.
The monitored the protein intake of almost 1,000 pensioners and the connection between their diet and the incidence of fractures experienced.
Those who were in the lowest quarter for protein consumption had experienced almost 50 per cent more hip fractures than those who had more protein in their daily diets.
The study co-diretor, Dr Marian Hannan, concluded that study participants who ate higher quantities of protein in their diet were significantly less likely to suffer a hip fracture.
The Food Standards Agency recommendations relating to protein are between 44 and 55g of protein for men and between 36 and 45g per day for women.
Great sources of protein include poultry, with a a chicken breast having 27g, lean meat, fish, eggs, cheese, milk, tofu and pulses.
Not many people know that bread is a source of protein, with a single slince of wholemeal containing 3g. This is of course can supplement daily intake of proetin without eating meat or dairy products. Nuts, mycoprotein (such as Quorn), seeds and wheat proteins as found in cereals and rice all contribute to increasing protein in an older person’s diet.
Protein enables the builiding of stronger muscles, which can help reinforce the skeleton when subjected to the trauma of a fall. It is also linked to higher bone density, which gradually decreases with age and can be affected by conditions such as osteoporosis .