Veggies On The Lips Strengthen Hips

Hip fractures can kill the elderly. Twenty percent of seniors who fracture their hips die within a year. Another 33 percent become physically impaired and lose their ability to live independently.

Research in Asia shows that if men eat more fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids, the plant pigments that give carrots their orange and collard greens their green, they may lower their risk of breaking their hips.

The study found that, in men, hip fracture risk decreased with increasing intakes of total vegetables and of total carotenoids, particularly β-carotene. The protective effect was higher in lean men than in men who were overweight. In contrast, in this research, the intake of vegetables or carotenoids seemed to have no association with hip fracture risk in women.