A new study suggests that drinking milk could help slow down arthritis in women's knees.
The researchers said that while it's not definite that milk caused the slowing of arthritis progression and that men did not experience the same effect, the results shows evidence that nutrition may help fight off arthritis, Reuters reported.
"Milk is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, dairy calcium and protein and has long been recognized for its important role in bone health," said Dr. Bing Lu, leader of the study from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass.
The study was published in Arthritis Care and Research.
The researchers found that the more low-fat or fat-free milk women drank, the slower osteoarthritis progressed in the knee, U.S. News Health reported. They also found that eating higher amounts of cheese, on the other hand, sped up the progression of knee arthritis in women.
The study found that eating high amounts of yogurt has no effect on knee arthritis in women or men.
In the study, 1,260 women and about 900 men with knee arthritis gave information about their dietary habits. Their knees were evaluated at the beginning of the study and again 12, 24, 36 and 48 months later, U.S. News Health reported.
The results showed an association between milk intake and knee health. However, the results could not prove that it was a cause-and-effect relationship.
"Our findings indicate that women who frequently drink milk may reduce the progression of osteoarthritis," Lu said. "Further study of milk intake of delay in osteoarthritis progression is needed."
The researchers acknowledged that the high intake of milk could just be a sign of a healthy lifestyle overall, Reuters reported.
Dr. Cathy Alessi, acting director of the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center in the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, said the study was interesting, and that there is more evidence that nutritional factors besides dieting to keep a healthy weight could affect the progress of arthritis.
"So this study is, I think, more evidence of a possible link between nutrition and arthritis," Alessi said.
