The older we get, the more fragile and porous our bones become. The majority of women over 80 are also affected osteoporosis. The slightest shock, such asa fall, can then lead to a fracture. For the first time researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have studied the effects probiotics, food supplements with bacteria beneficial to health, on the human skeleton. The results appeared in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
“Today there are effective drugs to treat osteoporosis, but since bone fragility is rarely detected before the first fracture, there is an urgent need for preventive treatments “, explains in a statement Mattias Lorentzon, one of the main authors of the study. For a year, 90 women, with an average age of 76, took either probiotics in powder form or a placebo daily. Neither the researchers nor the women knew who was receiving the active powder composed of Lactobacillus reuteri 6475.
Prevent the onset of osteoporosis
Between the start of the study and the end, the bone loss of these women in their lower legs was measured by a CT scan. As a result, those who consumed the probiotics lost half as much bone as those who received the placebo. Furthermore, the treatment was very well tolerated and there were no noticeable side effects compared to the two groups of women. “Older women are the group most at risk for osteoporosis and fractures in society. Treatment with probiotics may be an effective and safe way to prevent the onset of osteoporosis in future patients. many people, ”concludes Mattias Lorentzon.
Read also :
Baldness: an osteoporosis drug makes hair grow
Yogurt, such good bacteria