​Hip fracture is considered as the most serious complication of osteoporosis, accounting for the majority of fracture-related death and healthcare costs among those 50 years and above.

A long-term study conducted by Duke-NUS and NUS has revealed that a diet rich in plant-based food like vegetables, fruit and soya could reduce the risk of hip fracture by strengthening the bones. Results of the study was published last month in The Journal of Nutrition.

63,257 Chinese men and women aged 45-74 years were enrolled in the study.   The participants in the top 20 per cent who consumed the most amount of food in the vegetable-fruit-soya pattern had a 34 per cent lower risk of developing hip fractures, compared with those whose consumption were in the lowest 20 per cent.

Assoc Prof Koh Woon Puay, Site-Principal Investigator of the study and faculty in Duke-NUS, said,"There was no scientific reason for us to suspect that our findings will not be applicable to other races.”

The findings were part of the outcomes from the Singapore Chinese Health Study, which looked into lifestyle and diet factors of major chronic diseases in Singapore.   Previous findings from the study showed impact of consuming western fast food on heart disease and link between coffee and lower risk of liver cancer.

Follow the link to read the full story on TODAY Online: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/plant-based-diet-lowers-risk-hip-fracture-study

Source : TODAY Online.  Reproduced with permission.