We already told you a few months ago that Spanish children are at the tail of Europe in terms of bone health, and we remembered the importance of calcium, vitamin D and physical exercise to get healthy bones and an adequate bone development of our children.
The Hispanic Foundation of Osteoporosis and Bone Metabolic Diseases (Fhoemo) has detected that 60% of Spanish boys have vitamin D deficiency and only ten percent of girls take the correct amount of calcium daily to have healthy bones and strong for the future.
The data is worrisome, since childhood is a crucial period for bone development: At this time in life, more than 90% of the bone mass that will be grown as an adult is formed.
Among the reasons that cause this deficit we can point out sedentary life, poor diet and the few outdoor activities. The solution does not seem difficult: the intake of dairy products, rich in calcium, and the practice of some physical activity. To supplement the lack of vitamin D, which is synthesized with sun exposure and is present in very few foods in the diet (certain blue fish), Fhoemo aims to boost intake of vitamin D-fortified dairy foods.
I understand that a vitamin D supplement is suitable for breastfeeding and non-exposed babies, but for children who have a varied diet, will not a moderate exposure to the sun and the intake of foods that carry vitamin D be sufficient?
That way osteoporosis could be prevented, among other bone problems. Osteoporosis is characterized in that the rate of bone destruction is faster than that of formation, with the consequent increased risk of fractures. It is a relatively common phenomenon, and as we say it is essential prevention from childhood.
