Fractures in the thigh and spine can be painful consequences of osteoporosis.
The disease affects many - the following changes in lifestyle prevent them.
To prevent osteoporosis, a balanced, calcium-rich diet and regular exercise are important.
You should also get enough vitamin D.
Vitamin D * is crucial for the body to be able to absorb calcium from food, explains orthopedic surgeon and trauma surgeon Prof. Michael Amling.
If there is a deficiency, the body attacks the calcium reserves of the skeleton.
The result: "
We're losing bones
."
Most of the vitamin D is produced by the skin when exposed to sunlight.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) lists it in significant quantities in food, for example in fatty sea fish, certain offal, edible mushrooms and eggs.
The consumption of food supplements with vitamin D
, however, according to consumer advice centers, only makes sense after consulting a doctor - because an overdose can be harmful to health.
What helps against osteoporosis: Exercise is essential
Sport is also essential for healthy bones, says Prof. Amling.
He considers an "individually adapted mix" of endurance, strength and balance training to be the best option.
But every day-to-day physical activity is also recommended
, according to the head of the Institute for Osteology and Biomechanics at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf.
Amling also advises that risk factors such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption should be avoided.
The body weight is ideally in the normal range.
Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease in which bones lose strength.
They then break more easily.
The disease is also known as bone loss because bone mass decreases faster than in healthy people.
According to Amling, the disease often goes undetected for a long time.
According to the Federal Self-Help Association for Osteoporosis, around
six million people are affected
in Germany
.
Women after the menopause are particularly at risk because of the falling estrogen level.
(dpa / tmn)
*
Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editorial network
.
More sources: UKE communication
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