A glass of milk every day keeps osteoporosis away

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 20

Don’t forget to include a glass of milk everyday in your diet and this habit should be formed right from the childhood, say experts.

Inclusion of calcium, vitamin D and protein in a diet helps in building the bone bank in the body and protect you from falling prey to disease like “osteoporosis”.

The body is formed till the age of 25 years and it is necessary to build the bone bank as well which will be possible only with the intake of right kind of diet by including calcium and vitamin D and regular exercise to make the bones strong and body fit.

Osteoporosis related fractures most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn’’t keep up with the removal of old bone. It affects both men and women, but women are more prone to it.

Dr NK Aggarwal, a city-based orthopaedician, said ageing, hormonal changes due to menopause in women, dependence on some drugs are the reasons behind osteoporosis.

“Milk should be the most important ingredient in one’s diet and it helps in bone formation. In addition to milk other calcium-rich food, vitamin D and proteins should be included in the diet adequately which helps in the formation of bone. If one develops osteoporosis then supplements should be taken regularly and exercise will also help in keeping the bones intact,” he said.

Milk, yogurt, and cheese that are sources of calcium should be included in your diet as lack of calcium in the body can lead to Osteoporosis, which causes bones to become weak and brittle, so much that a fall or even mild stress like bending over or coughing can cause a fracture, said another city-based specialist Dr Mahinder Vohra.

He said apart from taking care of diet, one should also include exercise regularly in one’s lifestyle. People who spend a lot of time sitting have a higher risk of osteoporosis than those who are more active. Any weight-bearing exercise and activities that promote balance and good posture are beneficial for bones and walking, running, jumping, dancing and weightlifting seem particularly helpful, he said.

People who have anorexia are at a higher risk of osteoporosis. Low food intake can reduce the number of calories and amount of protein and calcium ingested, he said.

What is osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones. It happens when you lose too much bone, make too little bone or both. As a result, your bones become weak and may break from a minor fall or in serious cases, even from simple actions, such as sneezing or bumping into furniture. 

What causes osteoporosis

Osteoporosis occurs when there is an imbalance between new bone formation and old bone resorption. The body may fail to form enough new bone or too much old bone may be reabsorbed, or both. Two essential minerals for normal bone formation are calcium and phosphate.