Clean eating fad could risk generation of brittle bones
A GENERATION gripped by ‘clean eating’ fads and dairyfree diets could be raising their risk of developing osteoporosis in later life.
The National Osteoporosis Society found four in ten young adults have tried fashionable diets that avoid dairy, gluten, grain and sugar – while more than a fifth had severely restricted their intake of milk and cheese.
Fuelled by social media, the clean-eating trend has surged in popularity in recent years – with some advocates – such as sisters Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley – achieving celebrity status by gaining hundreds of thousands of online followers.
However the charity warned that restrictive diets among younger generations will lead to widespread health problems in later life, including osteoporosis which causes bones to become brittle and break.
Professor Susan Lanham-New, an expert in nutrition at the University of Surrey, said: ‘Diet in early adulthood is so important because by the time we get into our late 20s it is too late to reverse the damage caused by poor diet and nutrient deficiencies and the opportunity to build strong bones has passed.
‘Without urgent action being taken to encourage young adults to incorporate all food groups into their diets and avoid particular “clean eating” regimes, we are facing a future where broken bones will become just the norm.
‘We know that osteoporosis is a painful and debilitating condition and young adults have just one chance to build strong bones and reduce their risk of developing severe problems in later life.’
The National Osteoporosis Society surveyed more than 2,000 adults and found 70 per cent of those aged 18 to 35 were on or had
‘Broken bones will become norm’
been on a diet and 18 to 24-yearolds were most likely to have tried clean eating.
The diets often focus on avoiding processed foods and eating raw, unrefined produce.
Dairy is a key source of calcium, an essential nutrient for the health and strength of bones.
Wellbeing expert Liz Earle, who is leading the charity’s A Message to My Younger Self campaign, said she feared for her own daughters.
She said: ‘When I was growing up, my meals weren’t photographed and shared on social media. The pressure young women are under to match what their idols on Instagram are eating is really high,’ she said.
But others insisted it is perfectly possible to get enough calcium without dairy products, by eating plenty of leafy greens, nuts and pulses.
Veronika Powell, campaigner at vegan charity Viva!Health, said: ‘Young people are not stupid – they are perfectly capable of making informed decisions based on the facts.
‘Muddying the water with misleading headlines and scare stories is doing them a disservice.’
Experts say soya milk, dark green vegetables such as broccoli or kale and dried fruits and nuts are good sources of calcium.