Vegans are about 30% more likely to break a bone
This one has real evidence behind it. The largest study found vegans had more fractures, mostly linked to low calcium, low protein and lower body weight. That points to planning calcium from fortified plant milks, calcium-set tofu and greens, not to animal products being necessary.
Bone health is not trivial, especially as people age. The largest cohort study we have found that vegans break bones, and hips in particular, noticeably more often than meat eaters. Dairy is the simplest and most reliable calcium source most people have. A diet that needs careful management to avoid a measurable rise in fractures carries a real health cost, and that cost should be stated honestly rather than waved away.
The concern is fair, and the figure is roughly right. The EPIC-Oxford cohort, the largest long-term study of British vegans, reported in 2020 that vegans had around 40% more fractures overall than meat eaters, and more than twice the rate of hip fractures. In absolute terms that was about twenty extra fractures per thousand people over ten years. Reviews of bone density point the same way.
The detail matters, though. Much of the gap was linked to lower body weight and to lower intakes of calcium and protein. Many vegans in these cohorts were not getting enough of either. So the finding is about an under-supplied diet, not something built into eating plants.
Calcium is not hard to get without dairy. Fortified soya and oat milks and yoghurts usually carry about as much as cow's milk. Tofu set with calcium sulphate is one of the richest sources there is. Kale, pak choi, broccoli, tahini, almonds, figs and beans add more. Spinach is a poor source, because its oxalate blocks absorption. Vitamin D, enough protein and weight-bearing exercise matter as much as the calcium itself. The calcium in milk comes from the cow's feed and mineral supplements anyway.
So this belongs with B12. A vegan diet needs some attention here, and someone who ignores it carries a real risk. That is a reason to plan calcium deliberately. It is not a reason to think animal products are needed for strong bones, and it does not change the ethical question.