The elderly are prone to osteoporosis and should cooperate with aerobic or muscle-strengthening exercises for health care. (123RF)
Text/Lai Minru
One in every five Chinese people is suffering from the crisis of osteoporosis. Since osteoporosis has no obvious symptoms, it is easy to be ignored. It is not until you fall and fracture that you realize the seriousness of the situation. As for the rumors about drinking bone soup to supplement calcium, nutritionists said, This is a wrong association, thinking that “eat bones, replenish bones”, but the calcium in bone soup is only 1/10 of milk, so you will not get enough calcium by drinking soup alone.
Wu Menghuang, director of the Department of Orthopedics of Beijing Medical University, explained that osteoporosis is mainly caused by excessive loss of calcium in the bones, which makes the bones fragile and easy to break. According to statistics from the National Health Administration, osteoporosis is the fourth most common chronic disease in people over 65 years old. Among domestic men over 50 years old, 1 in 5 has osteoporosis, and the proportion of women is twice that of men.
Calcium supplementation preserves bones and prevents fractures
Wu Menghuang said that there are almost no symptoms of osteoporosis, and people often notice it only when their height becomes shorter. When it reaches a certain level, serious fractures will occur if you accidentally fall.
Wang Baiyao, a physician at the Department of Orthopedics, Peking University Medical University, said that fractures commonly occur in three locations: the hip, spine, and wrist. Among them, hip fractures are most likely to cause serious complications. Recent studies show that the incidence of hip fractures in Taiwan is 1st in Asia and 9th in the world. The risk of fractures in osteoporosis patients is 2 to 4 times higher than that of the general population. More importantly, according to research, once a first fracture occurs, about 50% of patients will A second fracture occurred.
Wang Boyao said that in addition to acute pain after osteoporosis fractures, some patients require long-term hospitalization, bed rest and long-term rehabilitation, limited mobility, and are unable to take care of themselves. Taking hip fracture patients as an example, about 40% are unable to walk independently, which not only affects The quality of life of patients and families is more likely to be the most critical factor affecting the end of life of the elderly.
Wang Boyao reminded that high-risk groups for osteoporosis include menopausal women, those with a history of fractures, malnutrition or underweight, and those with chronic diseases such as autoimmune diseases and rheumatic diseases.
Su Xiuyue, director of the Nutrition Office of the Affiliated Hospital of Peking University, recommends that you should consume sufficient calcium. It is recommended that you have 1 to 2 cups of milk, 1 to 2 slices of cheese, half a box of tofu, and 2 slices of dried tofu every day, along with high-calcium foods such as Dried fish, black sesame seeds, etc. If you cannot consume enough of the above foods, supplement with calcium tablets if necessary.
In addition, it should be combined with aerobic or muscle-strength exercise, and proper sun exposure is required. As for the rumor that drinking bone soup to supplement calcium is actually a wrong association. The calcium in bone soup is only 1/10 of milk, and drinking soup will not get it. enough calcium.
Su Xiuyue reminded that human bones reach peak bone density between the ages of 20 and 30, and then bone mass will slowly lose as age increases. Therefore, preventing osteoporosis not only prevents bone loss, but also builds the foundation of bone. During the golden period of growth and development of children, providing enough protein and calcium (2 to 3 cups of milk/day) so that the body has enough raw materials to build bones is an important strategy to prevent future osteoporosis. ◇
2023-11-07 16:09:38
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