In older people with osteoporosis , higher protein intake ( ≥ 0.8-g/kg body weight/day , i.e. , above the current RDA ) is associated with higher BMD , a slower rate of bone loss , and reduced risk of hip fracture , provided that dietary calcium intakes are adequate .
Intervention with dietary protein supplements attenuate age-related BMD decrease and reduce bone turnover marker levels , together with an increase in IGF-I and a decrease in PTH .
There is no evidence that diet-derived acid load is deleterious for bone health .
Thus , insufficient dietary protein intakes may be a more severe problem than protein excess in the elderly .
A summary of systematic review s and meta-analyses addressing the benefits and risks of dietary protein intakes  for  bone health in adults suggests that dietary protein levels even above the current RDA may be beneficial in reducing bone loss and hip fracture risk , provided calcium intakes are adequate .
Several systematic review s and meta-analyses have addressed the benefits and risks of dietary protein intakes for bone health in adults .
Adequate supplies of dietary protein are required for optimal bone growth and maintenance of healthy bone .
Variation in protein intakes within the “ normal ” range accounts for 2–4 % of BMD variance in adults .
Dietary factors and the incidence of hip fracture in middle-aged Norwegians. A prospective study.
Dietary data from a prospect i ve study were used to relate factors influencing calcium balance ( estimates of dietary calcium intake , protein intake from nondairy animal sources ( meat , fish , and eggs ) , and coffee consumption ) to the incidence of  hip fracture . During the years 1977 - 1983 , women and men born between 1925 and 1940 and living in one of three Norwegian counties were invited to a  cardiovascular screening that included a dietary survey . The attendance rate at screening was 91.1 % , and 90.7 % of these persons ( 19,752 women and 20,035 men ) filled in and returned a semiquantitative dietary question naire . This cohort was followed for an average of 11.4 years ( range , 0.01 - 13.8 years ) with respect to hip fracture , defined as cervical or trochanteric fracture . During follow-up , 213 hip fractures were identified , excluding fractures associated with high-energy trauma and metastatic bone disease . There was no clear association between  calcium intake or nondairy animal protein intake  and hip fracture in this cohort . However , an elevated risk of fracture was found in women with a high intake of protein from nondairy animal sources in the presence of low calcium intake ( relative risk = 1.96 ( 95 % confidence interval 1.09 - 3.56 ) for the highest quarter of nondairy protein intake and the lowest quarter of calcium intake vs. the three lower quarters of protein intake and the three higher quarters of calcium intake ) . Women who drank nine or more cups of coffee per day also had an increased risk of fracture , while there was no association between coffee consumption and hip fracture in men . Although these findings do not necessarily imply causal relations , they suggest the presence of risk factors for hip fracture that act through a negative calcium balance in this population
In older people with osteoporosis , higher protein intake ( ≥ 0.8-g/kg body weight/day , i.e. , above the current RDA ) is associated with higher BMD , a slower rate of bone loss , and reduced risk of hip fracture , provided that dietary calcium intakes are adequate .
Intervention with dietary protein supplements attenuate age-related BMD decrease and reduce bone turnover marker levels , together with an increase in IGF-I and a decrease in PTH .
There is no evidence that diet-derived acid load is deleterious for bone health .
Thus , insufficient dietary protein intakes may be a more severe problem than protein excess in the elderly .
A summary of systematic review s and meta-analyses addressing the benefits and risks of dietary protein intakes  for  bone health in adults suggests that dietary protein levels even above the current RDA may be beneficial in reducing bone loss and hip fracture risk , provided calcium intakes are adequate .
Several systematic review s and meta-analyses have addressed the benefits and risks of dietary protein intakes for bone health in adults .
Adequate supplies of dietary protein are required for optimal bone growth and maintenance of healthy bone .
Variation in protein intakes within the “ normal ” range accounts for 2–4 % of BMD variance in adults .