People with arthritis definitely suffer from chronic pain....some more than others, of course. And while medications can help control pain sometimes, there are many non drug remedies for that pesky joint pain. We've discussed many of these in prior posts...exercise, weight control, and dietary modifications, including omega-3 supplements and glucosamine. Today's post is about a newer dietary measure that I find most interesting...milk consumption!
Dr. Bing Lu of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston recently shared the results of a study on this very topic . In this study, 2,148 men and women with osteoarthritis of the knee were followed over a period of four years with respect to their health, diet, and behaviors. X-rays were obtained on each subject every year during the duration of the study. Using the X-rays researchers were able to determine the speed of arthritis progression in the subjects.
At the study conclusion, researchers found that people who drank milk had slower progression of the disease. For men, the beneficial effects only showed up in those who drank seven or more glasses per week. For women, the effects of milk were seen in those who drank milk in general. Within the study, more than 90 percent of the people had consumed fat-free or low-fat milk. The researchers did not find any positive effects in other dairy consumption, such as cheese or yogurt. Cheese, in particular, however, appeared to speed up the progression of knee osteoarthritis.
The researchers acknowledged the fact that the study is purely observational and that no cause and effect relationship was found.
The study, "Milk consumption and progression of medial tibiofemoral knee osteoarthritis: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative," was funded by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and was published in Arthritis Care & Research.
Sources:counsel & heal;wikimedia, wiley.com
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