Driking Milk Helps Delay Arthitis in Women: Study

Knee osteoarthritis can be delayed in women who drink at least a glass of milk a day, according to new research that looked into ways to mitigate the affects of the mysterious condition.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that osteoarthritis (OA) is a painful swelling of the joints caused by degradation of the cartilage and the underlying bone of a joint. The condition is most common in the knees of ageing adults, and currently has no cure. In-fact, according to the (CDC), while experts theorize that the condition is the result of "mechanical and molecular events in the affected joint," the true cause of OA remains a mystery.

Still, even without a known cure or cause, preventative measures can be taken in the hopes of delaying or avoiding the unfortunate condition. Maintaining a healthy weight has always been a long known way to fight arthritis. Avoiding too much high-impact activity, such as overzealous jogging, can be another good way to avoid damage to the joints.

Now milk drinking, at least for women can be added to that list.

According to a study published in the scientific journal Arthritis Care and Research, drinking milk regularly can help delay the onset of OA in the knees.

Of 2148 individuals with knee OA participated in the study. These participants submitted self-reported dietary information at the start of the study, and the progression of OA cases in each of over 3,000 knees was then measured. This data was resubmitted and measured again in 12 month intervals over the course of two years.

At the end of the two year period, researchers behind the study analyzed their collected data. Even after adjusting results to compensate for arthritis factors such as obesity, the researchers were able to conclude that the progression of the adverse effects of OA in women who drank at least seven glasses of milk a week was far slower than the progression in women who drank three or less.

Interestingly, no such clear association was found in the male participants.

Naturally, this research raises many questions that still need to be answered, but  it is the researchers' hope that this data will inspire further investigations into the effect milk consumption has on knee OA.

The study was published in Arthritis Care and Research on April 7.