Wang Yuh-Feng, Chiu Jainn-Shiun, Chuang Mei-Hua, Chiu Jing-Er, Lin Chin-Lon
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan.
Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17(1):101-6.
Diet is thought to be one of the leading causes of bone mineral loss in aging people. In this study, we explored the potential impact of a vegetarian diet on bone mineral density (BMD) in adult Taiwanese men and women. This was a cross-sectional study of the relationship between diet (vegetarian versus non-vegetarian) and BMD and the incidence of osteoporosis. Bone mineral density was determined in a cohort of 1865 adult male and female patients who underwent routine examination in a regional teaching hospital in Taiwan between February 2003 and February 2004. Subjects with definite vertebral problems, known osteopathy, or poor posture were excluded. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used to determine BMD, on the right hip in men and on lumbar vertebrae L2 to L4 in women. The subjects were grouped according to sex and diet, and were then stratified by age within each of the four groups. The outcome measures were the BMD value and the incidence of osteopenia or osteoporosis according to defined criteria. Bone mineral density gradually declined with increasing age in Taiwanese men, while Taiwanese women showed a precipitous decrease in BMD after the 5th decade. However, no statistical differences in BMD were observed between vegetarians and non-vegetarians of either sex. The proportion of subjects with osteopenia or osteoporosis also appeared comparable between vegetarians and non-vegetarians of either sex. BMD shows an age-related decline in Taiwanese men and women, and eating a vegetarian diet does not appear to affect this decline.
饮食被认为是老年人骨矿物质流失的主要原因之一。在本研究中，我们探讨了素食对台湾成年男性和女性骨密度（BMD）的潜在影响。这是一项关于饮食（素食与非素食）与骨密度及骨质疏松症发病率之间关系的横断面研究。对2003年2月至2004年2月期间在台湾一家地区教学医院接受常规检查的1865名成年男性和女性患者进行了骨密度测定。排除有明确脊椎问题、已知骨病或姿势不良的受试者。采用双能X线吸收法（DEXA）测定骨密度，男性测定右髋部，女性测定腰椎L2至L4。受试者按性别和饮食分组，然后在四组中的每组内按年龄分层。根据既定标准，结果指标为骨密度值和骨质减少或骨质疏松症的发病率。台湾男性的骨密度随年龄增长逐渐下降，而台湾女性在50岁后骨密度急剧下降。然而，无论男女，素食者和非素食者的骨密度均未观察到统计学差异。无论男女，素食者和非素食者中骨质减少或骨质疏松症患者的比例也似乎相当。台湾男性和女性的骨密度均呈现与年龄相关的下降，且食用素食似乎不会影响这种下降。
