OSTEOPOROSIS
To continue with
different diseases, we should take a look at osteoporosis, or brittle
bones. It is one of the most typical national diseases in many
countries: according to the WHO, it is the second most serious problem
after cardiovascular diseases.
(Etelä-Suomen Sanomat, 29 June 2004,
p. 15). In
Finland, as many as 400,000 persons (almost 10% of the population)
have this disease. It is especially problematic for the middle-aged
and older people, but it has its origins in the youth.
What happens is that
the bones gradually become weak and brittle, and then even a small
fall or stress can break the bones (for example, in Finland,
according to statistics there are 26,000 fractures caused by
osteoporosis annually; Etelä-Suomen Sanomat 29 June 2004, p. 15).
The process can be accelerated, for example, by cortisone products,
epilepsy medicine, drinking plenty of coffee, alcohol, and tobacco,
which can prevent the absorption of calcium.
How can osteoporosis
be prevented and be taken care of? There are a few important things.
The following points have been found to be important:
A sufficient supply of
calcium
already in the childhood and youth is one of the most important
means in preventing osteoporosis. Calcium is an important
building ingredient for bones and teeth, and that is why we
must get enough of it from our food, at least approximately 800
mg per day.
Many studies have
indicated that an insufficient supply of calcium has a clear
connection to adult age osteoporosis and also to fractures
already in childhood. For example, newspaper Etelä-Suomen Sanomat
reports (date is missing), that “Children who don’t drink milk were
found to have more fractures than usual, according to an
American study. With children who didn't drink milk, the supply
of calcium remained under the recommended levels and the
bone density was noticeably lower than that of others of the same age.
The researchers and health-care professionals wanted to challenge
parents to take care that children get enough of all the necessary
nutrients. Every third child had had a fracture before puberty. Most
of the fractures had occurred before the age of seven. A strong
skeletal structure decreases the risk of fractures already as a child
and can decrease the risk of fractures caused by osteoporosis in later
years. Milk and milk products contain important proteins to the
skeletal structure, minerals and vitamins. (...).”
Especially the
insufficient use of milk products – that contain a lot of calcium –
can be one reason why many people get osteoporosis:
Milk Consumed Already
as Child Impacts Adulthood
Drinking milk as a child
promotes the good condition of bones also as an adult, says a new
American study.
A diet without milk
or an insufficient amount of milk is connected to the brittleness of
bones and an increased risk of fractures. Those who had avoided milk
in their childhood had double the risk of having a fracture when they
were over 50 when compared with their friends who had regularly
consumed milk.
In the study, they
compared the bone density and amount of fractures in 3,200 women to
the use of milk in childhood and youth. Milk consumed in the childhood
during the ages 5–12 and 13–17 was connected to a larger mineral
content of the bone tissue. The study has been published in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Milk contains calcium
and vitamin D, which are necessary for the growth and regeneration of
bones. There are also several nutrients, such as protein, phosphorus,
zinc, and magnesium in milk, which can increase the mineral contents
of the bone.
High mineral content
reflects the firmness of the bone. A small mineral content promotes
brittleness of the bones and increases the risk for getting fractures.
Nutrients from milk
are needed during the whole lifetime, since bones always regenerate.
The same minerals from milk can be eaten in the form of yogurt,
cheese, or other milk products.
(Etelä-Suomen Sanomat, [date is
missing])
How can we take care
that we get enough calcium? The necessary amount can be gotten from
three glasses of milk per day. In addition, there is plenty of calcium
in other milk-based products (sour milk, yogurt, curdled whole milk,
cheese), fish, seed, nuts, almonds, soybean, white beans, and green
vegetables, such as cabbages and spinach.
Vitamin D
is another important ingredient for the bones. Its significance in the
prevention of osteoporosis is based on this: if there is not enough
vitamin D in our body, calcium cannot be properly absorbed into the
body. Another possible important factor in the absorption of calcium
is vitamin K, which we can get from all cabbages, spinach, peas, green
beans, avocado, and some vegetable oils. For example, broccoli came
into light in an study done in the universities of California and
Pittsburgh. According to these studies, those women who had passed
menopause and ate broccoli at least three times a week, had 80%
smaller likelihood of getting hip fractures than those women who ate
cabbage only once a week; (Readers Digest 12 / 2001, p. 70.) In
addition to this, vitamin D can have its own important meaning in the
prevention of other diseases. According to some studies, deficiency of
vitamin D can also promote cancer, infections, and diabetes. That is
why getting a sufficient supply is important.
What are good sources
of vitamin D? It is formed in our skin in sunlight, other sources are
especially fatty fishes, vitaminized margarine, milk (the vitamin
is found by nature in full milk, but in many countries, such as
Finland, it has been added also to low-fat milk), forest mushroom,
and eggs.
Exercise.
When we try to prevent osteoporosis, we cannot forget physical
exercise. Exercise that is diverse and includes knocks and bumps is
good for the bones. If osteoporosis has already developed, the most
strenuous exercise must, naturally, be avoided, but suitable exercise
can be useful in its prevention.
