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Show "Drink Your Milk" Is Healthy Advice "Drink your milk" is good advice for adults as well as children. The calcium cal-cium contained in milk and other dairy products is essential to preventing prevent-ing osteoporosis in later life. OSTEOPOROSIS means "porous bones" and it is estimated to affect 15 million Americans. Characteristically, Characteristical-ly, the condition is diagnosed in women past the age of 40. The symptoms symp-toms are weak, porous bones which fracture under light pressure. One of the major causes of osteoporosis in older adults is the lack of adequate calcium intake and bone development during the growth years, says Dr. Deloy Hendricks, professor of nutrition and food sciences at Utah State University. "A DIET consistently low in calcium cal-cium causes the body to switch over to an internal source of calcium, which is the body's own skeleton. The body gradually breaks down the bones to fulfill the body's need for calcium," Hendricks says. He says although your diet is important im-portant in prevention of osteoporosis, there are other factors involved. You can assess your own risk of one loss disability by answering these questions ques-tions and tallying your points: --Sex: If you are a postmenopausal woman or have undergone hysterectomy hysterec-tomy and are not taking estrogen replacement re-placement treatment (add 2). Women past menopause can lose VA percent of their skeletal mass per year. If you are a premenopausal woman (add 1). Osteoporosis seems to be related re-lated to the hormone estrogen. Women who are low estrogen producers produc-ers seem to lose calcium more quickly. --Age: For either sex, if you are over age 70 (add 3), 60-69 (add 2) and 50-59 (add 1). --Ethnic Group: If you are Caucasian Cauca-sian (add 1). Research indicates that other ethnic groups lose bone mass more slowly and blacks generally have a larger bone mass to begin with. --Body Frame: If you have a slight body frame (add 2) and if you have a medium frame (add 1). The larger the bone mass you start with, the longer it will take your bones to get to a breaking break-ing point. --Calcium Intake: If your daily consumption con-sumption of milk or dairy products is less than two glasses per day (add 2). If it is between two and four glasses or its equivalent per day (add 1). One ounce of cheese is equivalent to one glass of milk. -Sunlight: If you have a lifestyle that generally allows you one hour or more of direct sunlight per day, or if you routinely drink a quart of vitamin D fortified milk per day (subtract 1). Exercise: If you have a regular routine of heavy exercise four times a week, or if your job is very physically active (subtract 1). Research indicates indi-cates that people who exercise regularly regu-larly retain more calcium in their bones. -Fluoride: Check your city water supply. If it contains at least 1 part per million fluoride or if you take 1 mg of fluoride per day (subtract 1). Fluoride decreases the rate of bone absorption by the body. -Drugs: If you take glucocortides for long-term treatment of asthma or rheumatoid arthritis, or if you take anticonvulsive drugs for long-term treatment of a seizure disorder (add 1). Hendricks says if you add up your points and the total is more than eight, you are at high risk of bone loss disability. disa-bility. If your total is 4-7, you are at moderate risk and a score of three or less puts you in the low risk category. |
