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 .
Comparative fracture risk in vegetarians and nonvegetarians in EPIC-Oxford
Objective : To compare fracture rates in four diet groups ( meat eaters , fish eaters , vegetarians and vegans ) in the Oxford cohort of the European Prospect i ve Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition ( EPIC-Oxford ) . Design : Prospect i ve cohort study of self-reported fracture risk at follow-up . Setting : The United Kingdom . Subjects : A total of 7947 men and 26 749 women aged 20–89 years , including 19 249 meat eaters , 4901 fish eaters , 9420 vegetarians and 1126 vegans , recruited by postal methods and through general practice surgeries .  Methods : Cox regression . Results : Over an average of 5.2 years of follow-up , 343 men and 1555 women reported one or more fractures . Compared with meat eaters , fracture incidence rate ratios in men and women combined adjusted for sex , age and non-dietary factors were 1.01 ( 95 % CI 0.88–1.17 ) for fish eaters , 1.00 ( 0.89–1.13 ) for vegetarians and 1.30 ( 1.02–1.66 ) for vegans . After further adjustment for dietary energy and calcium intake the incidence rate ratio among vegans compared with meat eaters was 1.15 ( 0.89–1.49 ) . Among subjects consuming at least 525 mg/day calcium the corresponding incidence rate ratios were 1.05 ( 0.90–1.21 ) for fish eaters , 1.02 ( 0.90–1.15 ) for vegetarians and 1.00 ( 0.69–1.44 ) for vegans . Conclusions : In this population , fracture risk was similar for meat eaters , fish eaters and vegetarians . The higher fracture risk in the vegans appeared to be a consequence of their considerably lower mean calcium intake . An adequate calcium intake is essential for bone health , irrespective of dietary preferences . Sponsorship : The EPIC-Oxford study is supported by The Medical Research Council and Cancer Research UK
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 .