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 from 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 fracturethere is an urgent need for preventive treatments”, explains in a statement Mattias Lorentzon, one of the lead authors of the study. For a year, 90 women, with an average age of 76, took either probiotics in powder form or a placebo every day. Neither the researchers nor the women knew who received the active powder made up of Lactobacillus reuteri 6475.
Prevent the onset of osteoporosis
Between the start of the study and the end, these women’s bone loss in their lower legs was measured by CT scan. Result, those who had consumed the probiotics lost half as much bone as those who had received the placebo. Furthermore, the treatment was very well tolerated and there were no significant side effects compared to the two groups of women. “Older women are the group most at risk of osteoporosis and fractures in society. Treatment with probiotics may be an effective and safe way to prevent the onset of osteoporosis in the future in many people”, concludes Mattias Lorentzon.
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