Lebanese Osteoporosis Prevention Society & Nestlé highlight need for better eating habits

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'Vitamin D is now emerging as perhaps the leading nutritional aspect of Osteoporosis prevention and care,'

said Dr. Ghassan Maalouf, LOPS President and head of the newly opened Bellevue Medical University Center, launched in collaboration with the faculty of medicine at the Lebanese American University and Harvard University.

'In addition to fracture and fall prevention, optimization of vitamin D levels and ensuring a balanced diet can prevent Osteoporosis from occurring altogether,' he added.

Osteoporosis affects one in three women and one in eight men during their lives. It is a disease of progressive bone loss and skeletal deterioration in which bones become fragile and more likely to break, or fracture. The disease often develops unnoticed over many years, with no symptoms or discomfort, until a fracture occurs.

In Lebanon, several studies have shown a surprisingly high incidence of vitamin D deficiency in young individuals and school children.

Vitamin D is required for the body to absorb calcium, the main mineral needed to avoid Osteoporosis ailments. Mainly found in milk and dairy foods, calcium is the most prevalent mineral in the body where 99% of it resides in bones. The remaining 1% is found throughout the body where it functions to support such activities as muscle contraction and heartbeat.

Should the body lack enough calcium, it begins eating up the reserves in the bones, weakening them and eventually leading to Osteoporosis.

'Prevention of Osteoporosis starts early in life which makes it imperative to obtain the daily recommended calcium and vitamin D intake through a healthy and balanced diet,'

said Lynn Al Khatib, Nestlé Nutritionist.

'In addition to a healthy and balanced diet, weight bearing physical activity, such as jumping, weight lifting, running or even carrying groceries, strengthens the bones as well as the muscles, thus helping to avoid Osteoporosis,' Al Khatib added.