According to new research eating enough green vegetables could help reduce the risk of suffering broken bones as people age by as much as 50%. The study found that people, especially men, who lack food rich in magnesium in their diet, are at an increased risk of fractures, especially in the hip.
The study looked at 2,245 middle-aged men and found that those with low levels of magnesium were almost twice as likely to suffer fractures. Foods rich in the mineral include dark, leafy vegetables such as spinach or chard, nuts, whole grains and oily fish.
Bone fractures are one of the leading causes of disability and ill health, especially among the ageing population, increases the burden on the health care system.
“The overall evidence suggests that increasing serum magnesium concentrations may protect against the future risk of fractures; however, well-designed magnesium supplementation trials are needed to investigate these potential therapeutic implications,” said principal investigator Jari Laukkanen from the University of Eastern Finland.
