ARE YOU AT RISK OF FRACTURE? FIND OUT HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY AND PREVENT BONE PROBLEMS!

Twenty-five thousand fractures every day, of a wrist or femur or vertebra, one every 3 seconds. It is caused by osteoporosis, a disease with no obvious symptoms, which undermines bone health. This mainly affects women, but does not spare men, but it can be prevented by practicing a few simple rules.

From infancy to maturity, physical activity, correct lifestyles and nutrition are the pillars on which to build a resistant but flexible "scaffolding", to which, on the advice of the doctor, drug therapy is added to overcome any shortcomings of vitamin D and calcium.

In the fetal phase, good maternal nutrition allows to optimize the development of the baby's skeleton. From childhood to 25, the growth process continues with a key moment in adolescence. The accumulation of bone mass achieved in this phase of life is the basis on which the adult skeleton will live, which will no longer be able to replace bone tissue with the same speed. Usually around the age of 40, bone loss begins.

To limit it, it is necessary to intervene with a "diet capable of guaranteeing the right amount of calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients, do regular physical activity, avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Particular attention must be paid to women who around menopause they lose bone tissue in large quantities, and for men the most critical period is around 70 years.

Food with a high calcium content such as milk and cheese, dried fruit and legumes should be preferred. In the case of low levels of vitamin D, the doctor may recommend the intake of drugs capable of making up for the deficiency (especially those who have little exposure to the sun, the obese and those who have diseases that reduce the absorption of the vitamin are at risk. D, or taking certain medications such as cortisone).

Pathologies that affect the absorption of vitamin D and calcium

Diseases of the gastrointestinal system such as colitis, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, can represent risk factors for osteoporosis. In these cases it is good to contact your doctor who may request blood tests, so as to assess any deficiency and the need to take supplements or appropriate drug therapy.

And who is lactose intolerant?

The tendency of those who have difficulty digesting lactose is to avoid products that contain it, facing a higher risk of osteoporosis. The suggestion is to identify those products with low lactose content on the supermarket shelves. Intolerant people, on the other hand, must speak to their doctor and find the most suitable solution to ensure an adequate intake of calcium.

For those interested in investigating the issue, from 5 to 10 October, at over 2,500 pharmacies throughout Italy, as part of the initiative "The health of Bones", promoted by family doctors and by the main scientific societies in the sector, with the unconditional contribution of Abiogen Pharma, it will be possible to receive useful information to learn more about our skeleton, understand how to take care of it today and live a life without sacrifices tomorrow.

For more information on how to keep your bones healthy, go to the website www.salutedelleossa.it or visit one of the more than 2,500 pharmacies participating in the Bone Health Week from 5 to 10 October throughout Italy.