Research

Hormonal

Higher protein intakes (above RDA) do not negatively impact bone mineral density and may actually protect against osteoporosis and hip fractures by increasing calcium bioavailability and IGF-1 release.

You do not need to worry that eating more protein will weaken your bones. In fact, getting enough protein helps your body absorb calcium better and may lower your risk of hip fractures, especially if you are getting enough calcium in your diet.

GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
higher protein diets may actually protect against osteoporosis, in part, as a result of the increased hepatic release of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) [65]. A recent meta-analysis demonstrated that those with the highest protein intakes had significantly lower hip fracture incidence relative to those with the lowest protein intakes...
John W. Carbone et al. · Nutrients · 2019

Why this rating

Based on meta-analyses and NHANES data cited.

Source

Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit

John W. Carbone et al. · Nutrients · 2019

DOI 10.3390/nu11051136

narrative_reviewCited 188×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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