On bended backs

Every now and then we see gray-haired people walking down the streets on bended backs as if searching for something unidentified on the ground. We let them pass by, wondering that perhaps all people upon reaching that "stage" in life will automatically suffer the same fate.

It was only a couple of years ago when media bombarded us with information concerning people with "bended backs" or in medical terms – osteoporosis.

What is osteoporosis?  Science defines osteoporosis as a multifaceted disorder in which the skeleton is sufficiently fragile so that it fractures when exposed to the mechanical forces and accidents that are routine to ordinary living. It is a crippling disease characterized by loss of bony tissue from the skeleton and deterioration of bone structure.

Nutritional factors involved in bone health include calcium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins C, D, and K, and various trace minerals. Of these factors, calcium plays the major role and has been the most extensively studied. Among the young, calcium is very important in bone formation and for growth and development.

Dietary studies have shown that Filipinos have very low intakes of calcium. The latest National Nutrition Survey (NNS) conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) in 2008 revealed that about seven in every 10 Filipinos did not meet the average requirement for calcium.  The consumption of Filipinos for milk and milk products decreased by seven grams, from 49 grams per person per day in 2003 to 42 grams per person per day in 2008.

According to the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intakes (RENI) developed by the FNRI-DOST in 2002, calcium requirement differs according to population groups and sex.  Thus, male and female adults aged 19 – 64 years old would need 750 milligrams (mg) per day of calcium, while those 65 years old and over would need 800 mg/day.

We never outgrow our needs for calcium. Since calcium is so often associated with growth, many adults feel they do not need it anymore. This is not true, because calcium is very important for the daily functioning of our body and for the replacement of calcium in our bones.

We can get enough calcium in your diet by taking sufficient amount of milk and milk products and other calcium-rich foods. Other calcium-rich food products include small fishes eaten with the bones like dilis (or anchovies) and sardines, soybean curd known as tokwa or tofu, small shrimps, and green leafy vegetables (like malunggay or horseradish, saluyot or jute, alugbati or malabarshade and mustasa or mustard). These are cheap sources of calcium and commonly eaten by ordinary households.

Ensuring an adequate amount of these calcium-rich foods in your diet will prevent you from worrying about a stooped posture later in life. Though the song "On Bended Knees" topped the music charts a couple of years ago, you don't want to experience the difficulty of having a bent back, do you?

For more information on food and nutrition, contact Dr. Mario V. Capanzana, Director, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology, General Santos Avenue, Bicutan, Taguig City; Telephone/Fax Nos.: 837-2934 or 837-3164; Direct Line: 839-1839; DOST Trunk Line: 837-2071 to 82 local 2296 or 2284; e-mail: mvc@fnri.dost.gov.ph or at mar_v_c@yahoo.com; FNRI-DOST website: http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph. (FNRI-DOST S & T Media Service: Press Release – DIVORAH V. AGUILA)