Although nutritionists and the food industry have cautioned that a diet devoid of dairy foods can lead to the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, scientists found that those who stick to raw food vegetarian diets (vegans) have surprisingly strong bones, even though they avoid meat and dairy products.

But how can raw food vegans, who believe in eating only plant-derived foods, have strong bones? The answer: Sunlight.

Vegans' Strong Bones

Scientists compared 18 patients (ages 33-85) who had maintained a strict raw food vegan diet (including unprepared foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts and sprouted grains) for more than three years with people who ate an average diet. The study showed that raw food vegans had an average body mass index (BMI) of 20.5, compared to a BMI of 25 in the average diet group.

Additionally, the vegans had low levels of C-reactive protein (linked to diabetes and heart disease) and IGF-1 (connected to breast and prostate cancer). The most important finding, however, was that vitamin D levels among those in the raw food group were significantly higher than average. Vitamin D is:

• Made by the skin when the body is exposed to sunlight
• Key to keeping bones strong

Scientists explained that the raw food vegans involved in the study were clever enough to expose themselves to sunlight in order to increase their vitamin D concentrations.

Archives of Internal Medicine March 28, 2005;165(6):684-689

Reuters March 28, 2005

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I firmly believe that all of us are designed to have some animal protein and I disagree very strongly with veganism. Vegans are an extreme, and I believe unhealthy, variant of vegetarians who avoid all animal proteins. I believe about one-third of people actually thrive on vegetarian diets that are low fat and low protein, but we all need some animal proteins to stay healthy. For carb vegetarian types this does not have to include any red meats but does include eggs, white chicken and turkey and healthy fish. You need protein to build strong bones and when you exclude all animal protein from your diet you can actually lose bone density. You do have to be careful though, as excess protein can also lead to bone loss through creating an acid environment in your blood that causes your body to excrete calcium into your urine from your bone to buffer the excess acid (hydrogen ions). Related Articles: Can Eliminating Meat From Your Diet Lower Your Blood Pressure? Can Vegan Diets Hurt Kids? Is Being a Vegetarian Part of Living Healthy and Longer?