On World Osteoporosis Day, doctors say regular physical activity such as walking, running and weight training could help make our bones stronger.
New Delhi: As India observes World Osteoporosis Day Saturday, doctors suggest early diagnosis, regular exercise and healthy diet are what people should follow to avoid occurrence of the bone disease in later stages of life.
The term osteoporosis comes from Greek words ‘osteo’ which means bones and ‘porosis’ which means ‘porous’ or riddled with holes. It occurs due to decrease in bone density over time.
“Osteoporosis is a common disorder among elderly people. It is a progressively debilitating skeletal condition associated with reduced height and stooping posture,” said Dr Dhananjay Gupta, director (orthopaedics and joint reconstruction and replacement surgery), Fortis Flt. Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital.
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The condition could be painless until there are fractures in bones, he added.
The vulnerable age-group
Usually, people in the age-group 50-55 years are at risk of getting this disease. But post-menopausal women face a greater risk, say doctors.
“Estrogen, the female hormone, lends a protective cover to the bone cartilage which reduces its wear and tear. After menopause, as the amount of estrogen hormone in the body lessens, women face greater risks of arthritis and osteoporosis,” said Dr Yash Gulati, senior consultant, orthopaedics, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.
Gulati said air pollution also accelerates the process of bone deterioration.
Prevention
Experts highly recommend taking care of bones early in life, which includes a healthy diet.
“Your diet should include calcium-rich foods such as dairy products (milk, curd, yogurt, cheese, etc) and green veggies (spinach, kale, broccoli, among others),” said Gulati.
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Vitamin D is an essential factor which regulates the absorption of calcium in the body.
“If your body is deficient in vitamin D, then no matter how many calcium-rich foods you consume, your body will not absorb it,” Gulati added.
Gupta said exercises such as walking, running and weight training could help make our bones stronger.
He also mentioned that hormonal imbalance such as excess thyroid or a deficiency of oestrogen (after menopause in females) or testosterone (after the age of 70 in males) can lead to weakened bones.
Doctors also warn that smoking and alcohol consumption can affect bone health and tend to decrease bone density.
The most important life change needed to prevent osteoporosis is to dramatically increase the amount of time spent soaking up the non-burning sunlight. For example, women in Spain who are sun seekers have only 1/11 the risk of hip fracture as women who avoid the sun. For more information and references, visit sunlightinstitute.org or read Dr. Marc Sorenson’s new book, Embrace the Sun, available at Amazon.
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