Vegans Break Bones a Lot More Often — And a Huge Study Proves It A big group of scientists followed tens of thousands of people in Britain for years and counted every broken bone. The people who ate only plants broke far more bones than the people who ate meat. The difference was especially huge for hip fractures. Vegans were more than twice as likely to snap a hip as meat-eaters. That is not a small gap. That is the kind of gap that puts older people in wheelchairs and nursing homes. The study is called EPIC-Oxford. It tracked meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans. After the researchers adjusted for age, smoking, exercise, and even body weight, the vegan group still came out on top for fractures. Their total fracture risk was about 43 percent higher. Their risk of breaking a leg was roughly double. Hip fractures were the worst. Vegans had more than twice the chance of breaking a hip compared with people who ate meat. That works out to about 15 extra hip fractures for every 1,000 vegans over ten years. Why does this happen? Vegans in the study ate less calcium and less protein on average than meat-eaters. Both nutrients help build and keep strong bones. Many vegans also weighed less, and thinner bones break more easily. Some of the risk stayed even after the scientists tried to account for calcium and protein intake. The numbers did not disappear. Long-term vegan diets, especially without careful supplements, leave bones weaker. Doctors already know that broken hips are dangerous for older adults. Many people never walk the same way again. Some die within a year. The EPIC-Oxford numbers show that choosing a strict vegan diet raises that risk in a measurable way. The people who ate meat, fish, or even dairy and eggs had lower fracture rates. The gap was clear and it survived the usual excuses. The message is simple. A diet that cuts out all animal foods can cost you bone strength. The largest long-term data we have shows vegans break more bones, especially the ones that matter most in old age. That is not theory. That is what the numbers say.