Increasing the frequency of consumption of fruits and vegetables from less than 1 serving of fruits and vegetables per day to 3-5 servings may slash hip fracture risk significantly in older adults.
This study assessed the influence of high dietary ingestion of fruits and vegetables on the incidence of hip fracture among older people in the United States and Europe. With the aid of validated food frequency questions, researchers collected and examined data on the dietary habits of 142,018 men and women aged 60 years and above. The occurrence of hip fracture in each of the participant was also ascertained.
Researchers observed that the risk of fracturing a hip bone was 39% higher among individuals who consumed less than 1 serving of fruits and vegetables per day compared to their colleagues who ate moderate amounts of fruits and vegetables comprising of 3-5 servings daily. This study concluded that "older adults with such low fruit and vegetable consumption may benefit from raising their intakes to moderate amounts in order to reduce their hip fracture risk."