Women on a vegetarian diet have a higher risk of breaking a hip later in life, new research shows.

Scientists report that a vegetarian diet is "often associated with lower intakes of nutrients related to bone and muscle health," after their study found that vegetarian women had a 33 percent higher risk of hip fracture compared to women who regularly eat meat.

The study, which involved more than 26.000 women aged 35 to 69 from great Britain, assessed the risk of hip fracture in vegetarian women, those who eat fish but not meat, and those who eat meat occasionally compared with regular consumers.

After about 20 years, the scientists observed 822 hip fractures in the women, about three percent of those included in the study, published in the journal "BMC Medicine".

Experts from the University of Leeds found that an increased risk of hip fracture was only found in vegetarian women compared to women who regularly consume meat.

The data is taken from "The UK Women's Cohort Study", which follows women over a long period of time to assess risks and links between diet and health.

In the group of women, 28 percent are vegetarians, and one percent are vegans.

"Our study highlights a potential concern regarding the risk of hip fracture in vegetarian women. However, this is not a warning for people to abandon a vegetarian diet, as with any diet, it is important to understand what nutrients are needed for a balanced and healthy lifestyle," says the study's lead author. James Webster, a scientist from School of Food Science and Nutrition in Leeds.

He added that vegetarian diets often have lower intakes of nutrients linked to bone and muscle health.

"These types of nutrients are generally more abundant in meat and other animal products than in herbs, such as protein, calcium and other micronutrients," he said, adding that "low intake of these nutrients can lead to lower bone mineral density." and muscle mass, which can put you at risk of breaking a hip."

The co-author of the study, the professor Janet Cade, added that hip fracture is a global health problem with high economic costs that causes loss of independence, reduced quality of life and increased risk of other health problems.

She also noted that this study is an important step in understanding the potential long-term risks of a plant-based diet and what can be done to mitigate those risks.

The scientists said further research is needed to assess whether similar results can be confirmed in men.