Coeliac Ali Walsh looks into preventing the condition that affects those with lower bone mineral density...
When I think about gluten-free, I often only think about food. What can I eat? What’s off limits? Where can I get a decent pie? ut when I first got diagnosed with coeliac disease back in the nineties, there was a heavy plug for preventing osteoporosis. My dietitian told me to consume 00mg of calcium a day (well over the recommended daily amount). At first, I tried eating it, but that proved rather di cult it felt like I was forever forcing down a pint of milk. In the end I bought myself some chunky tablets a chalky sort that seemed to double in size in my mouth and hoped that would do the trick.
I was also advised to do weight-bearing exercise. To this, I was a bit of a swotty student. I bought every fitness video going and trained as an aerobics instructor. I even ran the London marathon in aid of Coeliac UK dressed as a stuffed crust pizza slice (as one does).
You might think this is all very well, but why be so bothered about osteoporosis, the health condition where bones are more likely to break or collapse?
Coeliac informs us, eople with coeliac disease may have low bone mineral density ( MD), which is what is used to diagnose osteoporosis. Low MD can affect up to of people when they are diagnosed with coeliac disease at any age. That’s a huge percentage of coeliacs, and it’s interesting to see that age isn’t a factor.
If you’re a silent coeliac you don’t escape unscathed, either. ven people with few symptoms of coeliac disease can have a significantly lower MD than the general population. Coeliac continues, a risk factor for osteoporosis would be a lack of bone building exercise, such as walking or running .
Fast-forward to 2020 and I wish I could say my dedication to exercise and calcium consumption were as saintly as two decades ago. (Clue: it’s not. For a start, they no longer make those tablets.)
So what’s a gal to do?
Kitting yourself out
I decide to put a shout-out on Twitter for experts on osteoporosis. I want to know what sort of exercise I should be doing. And then I wonder: do I actually have anything to wear? ummaging through my drawers for some winter workout clothes proves slightly depressing. I find four greying sports bras, a pair of cycling shorts and some socks where the elastic’s gone. Momentarily my heart lifts at
