From the age of thirty our bones begin to age. Almost every third woman and every fifth man is affected by bone loss. There are a few tips from the University Hospital Zurich on how to take countermeasures in good time.
editorial staff
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15. November 2022
Osteoporosis is an insidious bone disease. Over the years, bone substance breaks down throughout the skeleton, which changes the structure of our bones. As a result, human bones become more porous and unstable. Osteoporosis often goes undetected for years because the bone loss per se does not cause pain. It is estimated that every third woman and every fifth man suffers from bone loss. The respective sex hormones apparently have an influence, since testosterone production in men, for example, decreases more slowly than in women, who already have a natural estrogen deficiency after menopause.
According to the University Hospital Zurich, the following tips help to reduce the increasing risk of osteoporosis:
- Getting and staying in motion: short, quick bursts, such as jogging and jumping, would stimulate the body cells more than low-impact movements such as swimming and cycling. In old age you should move more, as well as train endurance and strength.
- Three servings of dairy products a day (e.g. yoghurt, 30 g hard cheese and 200 ml milk) increase the daily calcium requirement. But ice cream is also important.
- Sunbathing for about 30 minutes a day around midday is good for vitamin D intake, which ensures that calcium is better absorbed.
- Alcohol should generally only be consumed in small amounts. One beer (3dl) for women and two beers (3dl) for men per day are fine.
- According to the university hospital, smoking deprives the body of important vitamins and nutrients. Better to give up smoking altogether.
- It is important to avoid being underweight or overweight. An ideal Body Mass Index (BMI) is between 20 and 25.
Source: University Hospital Zurich blog post (to the whole post)
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