Osteoporosis
What you need to know:
We don’t often associate this condition with the young, but all teenagers - particularly girls - need to know that this is the time to start taking precautions against it. Being over 50 probably seems light years away to them, but that’s when they’ll be at risk of having a minor fall and ending up with severe, sometimes crippling fractures, like broken hips if they don’t start acting now.
Osteoporosis, or brittle bones disease, is often called the silent killer because it progresses without any symptoms until that fateful fall. It affects as many as one woman in three, mainly because of hormonal changes after the menopause, but one man in 12 is also affected as a normal part of the ageing process.
Adopting good lifestyle and eating habits in their early teens can dramatically reduce the risk of developing brittle bones.
The most important guidelines, particularly for young women, are:
- Keeping to a sensible weight. Constant dieting puts them at risk, dramatically so if it leads to anorexia. In fact, any condition - apart from pregnancy, of course - which leads to the monthly periods stopping, is a danger factor
- Getting enough calcium - mainly in dairy foods. Unfortunately, this is one food-group, which weight-conscious teenage girls often cut down on in the mistaken belief that all dairy foods are fattening. In fact, even whole milk contains only 4 per cent fat. Many women don’t get the recommended 1000 mg of calcium a day. Remember, too, that uncooked wheat bran interferes with the absorption of calcium, so don’t let them sprinkle it over their breakfast cereals
- Getting sensible amounts of weight-bearing exercise. That doesn’t mean weight lifting, but any activity in which the body is carrying its own weight. So netball, tennis, football, jogging (as long as it’s on a soft surface and for not more than half an hour at a time - which will damage the knees), even going for a brisk walk will help. But swimming won’t - it’s still an excellent form of exercise for muscles, but as your body is supported by the water, it’s not weight bearing
- Not doing too much exercise. Ballet dancers, gymnasts and elite runners are all at risk of osteoporosis, possibly because their sport means they’re normally underweight
- Getting enough vitamin D. The body manufactures its own supply of this vital vitamin when sunlight falls on the skin and we can’t absorb calcium without it
Obviously, they shouldn’t sunbathe like crazy if we have a hot summer - some joke! - and put themselves at risk of skin Cancer, but getting outside even on bright autumn and winter days will help
- Eating oily fish, like salmon, sardines, mackerel and herrings - they’re an excellent source of vitamin D. Tinned sardines are the perfect bone food as you can mash them up with the bones and get both calcium and vitamin D
- Eating plenty of low-fat dairy products, chickpeas, wholegrain, pulses and vegetables
- Not smoking or drinking too much alcohol and not eating very large amounts of animal protein
- Avoiding salt and too many fizzy drinks
- Eating more Soya protein
Any young person who has a disease of the digestive system - like coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease and all inflammatory bowel conditions - is at increased risk of developing osteoporosis. So are those who’ve had prolonged periods of bed rest or who’ve had to take steroids for long periods. Having a family history of osteoporosis means they should also take extra care.
Prevention also means being very suspicious of mild falls, which cause fractures. Even in young women, injuries like this should be alarm signals of potential problems, which need to be investigated with a bone density, scan - particularly if they’re in one of the increased risk groups and especially if there’s a history of brittle bones in the family.
The most useful Supplements:
- Calcium - withMagnesiumand boron
- Vitamin D (natural plant hormones)
- Soy isoflavones (natural plant hormones)
The most useful Herbs:
- Dong quai (Chinese angelica)
- Stinging nettle tea
- Sage
- Alfalfa
- Horsetail extract
Other useful advice:
If, in the very unlikely event that a young person does develop osteoporosis, Osteopathy, Yoga and The Alexander Technique will help improve their posture, which helps maintain healthy bones, and a registered naturopath will be able to give more dietary advice.
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