7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
1.Your skeleton replaces 5-10% of itself every year! There’s not a bone in your body that you were born with!
2.Unfortunately from the age of 35 we start to lose more bone than we make and over time this can lead to a condition known as osteoporosis. Literally it means parous bone and bones pitted with little holes break very, very easily! THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:
3.Over one third of women will have one or more fractures due to osteoporosis and yes men do to at the rate of one in five.
4.The most common fracture sites are wrists, hips and the backbone. They can be seriously disabling and have life-long consequences. A crushed osteoporotic vertebra in your back can leave you permanent pain and unable to straighten up.
5.PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.
A)Exercise: Pulling and tugging on the bones by muscles stimulates the bone making cells. Walking and running are great!
B)Calcium: Make sure that you have enough calcium in your diet. This applies all through life- calcium tablets ARE NOT JUST FOR LITTLE OLD LADIES! Calculate yours and your loved ones calcium intake using an online Calcium calculator! It’s VERY EASY to use- even this old little lady could use it. If online really isn’t your thing, then know that you would need at least one pint of milk and yogurt or two of hard cheese to get enough calcium per day! For the non-Dairy and Vegan Folk, nuts, seeds and dark green leafy vegetables are good sources of calcium.
6.Vitamin D: Taking of all the calcium is no good for you unless you have enough Vit D in your system! Vit D enables the body to absorb Calcium from the gut. Known as the sunshine vitamin, it is produced in the shin when exposed to sunlight. In the diet its main sources are oily fish such as mackerel, salon, tuna, and cheese and egg yolks.
These days when we spend too much time indoors and in summer when the sun does shine, we need to wear sun-screen, means that many of us are deficient in Vit D, so a supplement may be a very good idea.
So come and talk to us in the pharmacy about supplements that may be the difference between you and a broken hip!
WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK!
For more information check out The Irish Osteoporosis Society.
