Cortisol strikes children's bones to help apples

Children's bones: fruits and vegetables should help

09/23/2014

By taking cortisone drugs, the bone structure can be disturbed. But the body's own hormone cortisol has a debilitating effect on bone stability, as shown by a long-term study of children and adolescents. The scientists suggest that children should therefore eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.

Bone formation disturbed by cortisone
Cortisone is a widely used drug that is used primarily in the field of inflammation and allergic reactions, such as skin diseases (such as itchy rash), bronchial asthma or rheumatism. However, many people are somewhat afraid of the side effects of cortisone. This apparently also not unfounded, since cortisone, rebuilt in the body to cortisol, unfortunately, can also disturb the bone structure and decades later may result in osteoporosis. This may also be the case with cortisol, which the body produces without any medication.

Bone stability of children impaired
For example, one study showed that even a slight overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol could significantly affect the bone stability of children. Nutritionists at the University of Bonn measured the cortisol levels and the density of the bones in the forearm with 88 girls and 87 boys using urine samples and computed tomography. The children between the ages of six and 18 years were „completely healthy and neither too thin nor too fat“, as Study Director Thomas Remer announced. In addition, none of the children had a worryingly high cortisol level.

The more cortisol the more fragile the bones
The researchers, your results in the journal „Journal of Bone and Mineral Research“ published, concluded that the more cortisol was found in the blood, the more fragile was the forearm bones on average. As the scientists also write, even with natural fluctuations, a clear effect was seen. The University of Bonn said that although it has long been known that the long-term cortisol intake leads to bone loss, but it is new that this also cause the quantities produced by the body.

Fruits and vegetables to lower cortisol levels
Among other things, cortisol is also released by stress, hence the name „stress hormone“. However, the children's stress burden was not part of the study conducted in the DONALD study. Nutritionists recommend that children should be encouraged to eat as many apples, bananas, spinach or potatoes as possible. Earlier studies suggest that a high-fruit and high-vitamin diet in adults may lower cortisol levels. The Bonn researchers want to investigate in another study, if so in children. „We want to know if such a cortisol lowering can also be detected for children and adolescents“, Remer explained. „That would be another argument for the already valid recommendation to take fruits or vegetables five times a day.“ (Ad)