Who's At Risk?




Nov 16, 07:27 pm

Who’s At Risk?

     Osteoporosis is known to strike people of north European and Asian descent, says Dr. Gregory Mundy, head of the endocrinology division at the University of Texas Health Center. Three key factors make Asians, and especially Chinese women, predisposed to osteoporosis.

     First, the petite Asian frame, with its small bones and muscles, offers less resistance to the ailment than the large-boned bodies of African Americans, for instance.

     Second, Asians typically suffer from a lack of calcium, the nutrient essential for developing a healthy skeletal system. The dearth of this nutrient in traditional Asian diets is alarming. One study found the average Asian diet contained less than half of the daily calcium intake of 1,000 milligrams recommended by government health experts. The average Western diet doesn’t fare much better, offering only two-thirds of the Recommended Daily Allowance.

Reasons for our low calcium intake lay in lifestyle and biology. Dairy products like milk, cheese and ice cream constitute the bulk of our calcium sources, but since they are rich in fat and calories, we typically avoid them.

     Reasons for our low calcium intake lay in lifestyle and biology. Dairy products like milk, cheese and ice cream constitute the bulk of our calcium sources, but since they are rich in fat and calories, we typically avoid them.

     Even if we did crave dairy products, many of us couldn’t enjoy them. Many Asians are predisposed to lactose intolerance. About 50 million Americans -particularly Asians, African Americans and Native Americans-suffer from this condition that causes stomach pains, gas and bloating after consuming dairy products. Lactose intolerants fail to produce the enzyme that breaks down lactose, the natural sugar in dairy products. The gastrointestinal difficulties they then suffer reinforces a distaste for dairy products and contributes significantly to calcium deficiency, according to a recent study by Tufts University.

     The third culprit is the modern lifestyle. Excessive use of nicotine, alcohol and caffeine can deplete the nutrients that build bones. A sedentary existence spent behind desks and steering wheels fails to increase bone density the way walking and jogging do.

     “People in their native countries seem to be different than Asian women living in the U.S.,” Mundy says. “The more Westernized the person, the more prone she is to osteoporosis. It’s possible that in a more traditional lifestyle, women get more exercise and develop stronger muscles around the hip.”

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