Welcome to Social Buzz, a daily column looking at what’s trending on social media platforms. I’m Caitlin Fichtel,

October 20 marks World Osteoporosis Day – but despite being a relatively common condition, many people are unaware they’re at risk. According to Age UK, osteoporosis – which is associated with weakened bones and often referred to as a ‘silent disease’, as symptoms can creep up on people – affects approximately three million people in the UK. Yet, many only find out they have it when they break a bone. “[Osteoporosis] is a condition characterised by weakened bones, making them more prone to fractures,” explains Dr Zulqarnain Shah, a medical director at SSP Health. “It occurs when the body loses too much bone or makes too little bone, or both. Diagnosis of osteoporosis typically involves a combination of medical history, physical examination, and specialised tests, such as bone mineral density scans,” Shah adds. Could I be at risk of osteoporosis? According to Age UK, around half of women over 50, and around one in nine men in the same age group, will experience a fracture due to osteoporosis. However, several risk factors contribute to the development of the condition, meaning some people may be more likely to get it. “These include menopause, low calcium and vitamin D intake during younger years, family history, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and certain medications,” explains Shah. “While it may not be possible to prevent all cases of osteoporosis, adopting a healthy lifestyle with regular weight-bearing exercise, a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol intake can help reduce the risk.” Being aware of osteoporosis can be particularly important if you have a family history. “A family history of osteoporosis or fragility fractures can indicate an increased risk,” explains Dr Elise Dallas, GP at The London General Practice. Other things that increase risk include having a history of “rheumatoid arthritis, low levels of oestrogen due to early menopause, anorexia nervosa or Turner’s syndrome, hyperthyroidism, parathyroid disease, Crohn’s and coeliac disease, and conditions that cause long periods of immobility”, adds Dallas. What are the symptoms of osteoporosis? When you have osteoporosis, you may suffer from “increased fracture risk, height loss, and chronic pain”, says Shah. “Fractures associated with osteoporosis are known as ‘fragility fractures’, which can occur with minimal impact. Fractures commonly occur in the spine, hip, and wrist, and can lead to significant pain, disability, and reduced quality of life,” he explains. Are there any early warning signs? Shah says: “Early signs of osteoporosis may not be apparent until a fracture occurs. However, a precursor condition called osteopenia may be detected through scans before the onset of full-blown osteoporosis.” Osteopenia is where the density of the bones decreases, but not thoroughly enough to be classed as osteoporosis. There are no real symptoms however, so it can only be detected with scans. The good news is, lifestyle measures and sometimes treatment can help prevent it getting worse. How is osteoporosis treated? Treatment for osteoporosis is mostly aimed at “strengthening bones and preventing fractures”, says Shah. “This typically involves a combination of lifestyle modifications, such as exercise and dietary changes, along with medication. “Medications may include calcium, vitamin D and bisphosphonates, hormone therapy for postmenopausal women, selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), and other options. “SERMS help manage the way oestrogen interacts with your body and has a similar impact on osteoporosis as hormone replacement therapy, to help mitigate the impacts of hormones on osteoporosis,” Shah explains. “Regular monitoring and adherence to treatment plans can help slow down or stop the progression of osteoporosis. A bone density scan – also known as a DEXA scan – can help monitor the progress of a condition and may be done at three to five-year intervals to assess progress. “Once a patient has been on bisphosphonates for five years, they may go on a ‘pill holiday’ for a couple of years, though the benefits of taking bisphosphonates continue long after the medication is stopped.” Getting support and advice to manage any pain and mobility challenges and reduce the risk of falls and injuries can also be very important for people living with osteoporosis, along with finding ways to stay active. If you are worried about your bones and osteoporosis risk you can reach out to charities like the Royal Osteoporosis Society and find out about your risk level. Read More How to support a child with a stammer From colourful gowns to drones, these wedding trends are set take over 2024 Call The Midwife ‘should come with a health warning’ Halloween: 10 wicked ways to kit out your haunted house Black magic: Go back to black this season with the catwalk-inspired trend How to prep your home for when the clocks go back

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It’s hard to resist garlic sometimes, but its pungent smell can often last long on the tongue and what better way to get rid of it than good old yoghurt? Garlic contains a compound called sulfur volatiles that can cause a bad odour after being eaten. Researchers wanted to better understand how yoghurt and its components can eliminate or reduce such strong odours. For the study, researchers from the Department of Food Science and Technology at Ohio State University, Columbus tested the garlic deodourising capabilities of yoghurt and its individual components of water, fat and protein to see how each stood up to the smell. As a result, the team found both fast and protein were effective at trapping garlic odours, leading the scientists to suggest high-protein foods may one day be formulated specifically to fight garlic breath. “High protein is a very hot thing right now – generally, people want to eat more protein,” said senior study author Sheryl Barringer, professor of food science and technology at the university. “An unintended side benefit may be a high-protein formulation that could be advertised as a breath deodorizer in addition to its nutritional claims,” she said. “I was more excited about the protein’s effectiveness because consumer advice to eat a high-fat food is not going to go over well.” In the lab experiment, researchers placed equal amounts of raw garlic in glass bottles and confirmed the smell of the garlic was released in concentrations that would be detected by the human nose. Scientists measured the levels of volatile molecules in gaseous form present before and after each treatment. It was revealed that garlic alone reduced 99 per cent of the major odour-producing raw garlic volatiles. When introduced separately, the fat, water and protein components of yoghurt also had a deodorising effect on raw garlic, but results showed fat and protein performed better than water. Looking at fat’s performance, a higher quantity of butter fat was more effective at deodorisation. The proteins which were studied included different forms of whey, casein and milk proteins, all of which were effective at deodorising garlic. This may be because of their ability to trap the volatile molecules before they are emitted into the air. A casein micelle-whey protein complex performed the best. “We know proteins bind flavour – a lot of times that’s considered a negative, especially if a food with high protein has less flavour. In this case, it could be a positive,” Barringer said. Additional experiments that involved changing the pH of the yoghurt to make it less acidic (4.4 pH to 7 pH) actually appeared to lower the yoghurt’s deodorisation effect on the garlic. However, changing the pH of water did not seem to make any difference on the water’s deodorization effect. “That’s telling me it goes back to those proteins because as you change pH you change the configuration of proteins and their ability to bind. That said we definitely should be looking at these proteins,” Barringer said. “It probably depends on the protein, as well, because different proteins react differently to pH. So that may be an important thing as we look at other proteins for their garlic deodorization effect.” The team also tested the deodorising effect of yoghurt and its components on fried garlic, in the process they found that drying garlic alone can significantly reduce garlic odour. Yoghurt and its individual ingredients neutralised a lower percentage of volatile compounds of fried garlic compared to raw garlic. Study authors think this may be because there were fewer volatiles to trap than were present in the raw cloves. The findings have provided a foundation for future studies on proteins that might help fight the garlic breath. In the meantime, Barringer predicts that Greek yoghurt, with a higher protein profile than the whole milk plain yoghurt used in the study, may be particularly effective at getting rid of garlic breath. Fruit-flavoured yoghurts will probably work, too, she said – and whatever is used, it must quickly follow ingestion of raw garlic. “With apples, we have always said to eat them immediately,” she added. “The same with yoghurt is presumed to be the case – have your garlic and eat the yoghurt right away.” The study was published in the journal Molecules. Read More 11 best mouthwashes that will keep your mouth minty fresh Women less likely than men to receive CPR from strangers, study finds Study finds toxic ‘forever chemicals’ may be ‘intentionally added’ to some period products Teenager’s death after drinking too much water was ‘preventable’ Could bats hold the secret to beating Covid and cancer? Groundbreaking migraine treatment offers ‘new hope’ for patients

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