According to University of Alberta assistant professor Diana Mager, northern Alberta children with celiac disease may be at a higher risk for poor bone health. Mager’s study looked at 43 celiac children between the ages of three and 17.
Mager, asserts that the lack of sun in the winter along with a lack of essential vitamins increases the risk of low bone mineral density during childhood. Vitamin D from the sun’s rays is essential to bone growth and overall health.
Mager recommends that patients eat a diet that includes a lot of vitamin D such as milk, fish and fortified dairy products. Weight bearing exercises are also helpful for bone health.
