Healthy bones a matter of culture and good diet
Healthy bones a matter of culture and good diet
Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
If you thought that the reduction of bone mass was a natural part of the aging process, you can afford to be more optimistic. While osteoporosis can affect you at any age, it can also be prevented.
Osteoporosis, often called the "silent disease," is characterized by low bone mass and the structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased susceptibility to fractures, especially of the hip, spine and wrist.
In Asia, as reported at www.afic.org, the incidence of osteoporosis is increasing for a number of reasons, including genetic factors, that people are living longer, and that people are less fit than they should be.
According to the website, it is predicted that between 1990 and 2050, Asia will suffer the highest incidence of bone fractures.
Research also indicates that lifestyle choices can lead to degenerative disease -- including osteoporosis -- later in life, and the most influential factor is daily diet. So when it comes to healthy bones, calcium is still the key.
The Asian Food Information Center (AFIC) website affirms that calcium is vital for bone growth, 45 percent of which takes place during adolescence. Many people do not realize that, while bone length is established in adolescence, around 20 percent of bone density and strength can continue to be built until the age of 30. So, even in your 20s, you can still build a bone bank by depositing calcium for life.
Vitamin D is also essential in bone development and the sun is the primary source of this vitamin. The sun's rays help to process the raw material -- from food and other supplements -- to become vitamin D inside the body. Sunlight, therefore, helps add to the list of healthy pluses that those living in tropical countries, including Indonesia, can enjoy.
However, the fact that Indonesians are more exposed to the sun than people in other subtropical countries or continents suggests that their low-calcium diets put them at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis.
A recent survey conducted by the Ministry of Health Research and Development Center put Sumatra and Java at the top of the list of people at risk of developing osteoporosis.
Another survey of 101,161 people in 2002, found that 29 percent of them had osteoporosis. In the same year, the ministry also revealed the alarming statistic that one in three Indonesian women develop osteoporosis, while, for men, the ratio was one in seven.
It was also found that the average calcium intake of Indonesians was only one-quarter of that suggested by the World Health Organization. The average Indonesian's calcium intake is 254 milligrams per day, compared to the suggested 1,000 mg per day.
Meanwhile www.afic.org also stated that the people of Indonesia -- as well as of neighboring Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong -- should aim for a daily calcium intake of 500 mg.
Dairy products have long been considered the best source of calcium, but many Indonesians (also Asians in general) are lactose intolerant. Dairy products are also not part of their traditional diet.
However, there are some foods that are high in calcium and already part of the traditional Asian diet, including dried (salted) fish, kailan, tofu, bean curd and sardines.
The high consumption of red meat -- rich in phosphor and tending to inhibit the distribution of calcium in the blood -- also contributes to the higher risk of osteoporosis today.
A healthy and calcium-rich diet must be encouraged in childhood as studies show that bone mass can be increased from age seven up.
The Indonesian Association of Osteoporosis (Perosi) said in a statement that osteoporosis is incurable and once developed, 100-percent recovery is impossible. "It's better to prevent it or slow down its development since this disease is closely linked to daily intake and lifestyle."
Perosi said that prevention is not a costly business, as long as people know what osteoporosis is, and how to prevent it.
Together with the health ministry and other private sectors, Perosi has launched a campaign to prevent osteoporosis. Among other actions, the declaration of Oct. 20, as Indonesian Osteoporosis Day (it is also World Osteoporosis Day), highlights the commitment of all related parties to waging war against this silent disease.
Various activities, including public seminars, media conferences and mass aerobics classes have already been held.
People at risk of developing osteoporosis:
Those with a genetic makeup that puts them at risk
Women who experience an early menopause
Women who never get pregnant
Women who were pregnant as teenagers
Those who have a disease of the liver or pancreas
Those who suffer chronic diarrhea over a prolonged period
Smokers
Alcohol drinkers
Those who consume too much caffeine
Inactive people who rarely exercise
Those who are infrequently exposed to the sun
Those who have a high-protein diet
Early prevention
Active lifestyle with regular and proper exercise
Enough calcium
Enough vitamin D
Not smoking, reduced consumption of alcohol
Source: Perosi
Calcium content of some common foods
- Cheese (50 gram) -- 493 milligrams calcium
- Milk (250 ml) -- 315 mg
- Buttermilk (250 ml) -- 301 mg
- Plain yogurt (175 ml) -- 292 mg
- Ice cream ( 125 ml) -- 93 mg
- Sardines (eight small) -- 153 mg
- Almonds (125 ml) -- 200 mg
- Sesame seeds (125 ml) -- 100 mg
- Beans (125 ml) -- 90 mg
- Soybeans (250 ml) -- 175 mg
- Chicken (roasted, 90 g) -- 13 mg
- Beef (roasted, 90 g) -- 7 mg
- Tofu ( 125 ml) -- 130 mg
- Broccoli ( 125 ml) -- 38 mg
- Orange (180 g) -- 52 mg
- Banana (179 g) -- 10 mg
- Lettuce (2 large leaves) -- 8 mg
source: www.mambir-online.com