Say goodbye to cheese!

The milk It could be a useful weapon against arthritis of the knees for women, but the same can not be said for yogurt or cheese, according to a new study.

How much more milk low fat and fat-free women drank, the progression of osteoarthritis of the knees was lower, according to the study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the United States . But milk consumption did not show the same benefit for men.

 

Say goodbye to cheese!

The researchers led by the doctor Bing Lu from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, they also discovered that eating larger amounts of cheese had the opposite effect and accelerated the arthritis process of the knees in women.

Ingest larger amounts of yogurt it had no effect on arthritis of the knees in either women or men, according to the study.

Osteoarthritis is the leading form of arthritis and affects nearly 27 million Americans aged 25 and older, the researchers said, and knee arthritis tends to be more common and more serious in women.

The study, published in the magazine Arthritis Care & Research , "is the largest study that has investigated the impact of the intake of dairy products on the progression of osteoarthritis of the knees," said Lu.

Lu believes that, based on these and other findings, "milk consumption is an important factor for the health of bones ".

The new study had 1,260 women and almost 900 men with arthritis in the knees who provided information on their dietary habits. Her knees were evaluated at the beginning of the study and again after 12, 24, 36 and 48 months.

Although the study found a relationship between the intake of milk and the health of the knee, did not show that there is a cause and effect relationship.


"Our findings indicate that women who drink milk frequently they could reduce the progression of osteoarthritis. More studies are needed on milk intake and delayed progression of osteoarthritis, "concluded Lu.

Two experts in nutrition believe that the milk It could have a role in maintaining the health of the knees.

"No doubt more research is needed, but it would be reasonable to encourage women with osteoarthritis to think of low-fat, fat-free milk as another tool to combat the progression of the disease," said Christine Santori, registered dietitian and diet manager. program of the Weight Management Center at the Syosset Hospital, in Syosset, New York.

Marlo Mittler, a nutritionist at the Cohen Children's Medical Center in New York, New Hyde Park, New York, said, "Milk has long been known to be an important factor in bone health, it contains nutrients, such as phosphorus, calcium, proteins and is fortified with vitamin D, which are essential for daily life. "

According to Mittler, "the real component of milk that allows it to have a preventive role in the progression of osteoarthritis has yet to be explored, it is also important to point out that it is not about whole milk, but about low fat and free milk. of fat which is effective in that delay ".

Mittler said estrogen's role in bone health could explain why milk intake seems to help reduce arthritis in women's knees, but not in men's. Calcium could also affect women's bone health differently than men's, he added.

According to Mittler, the cheese's high fat content could explain why that food actually accelerated the progression of arthritis in the knees. Santori added that drinking milk It is not the only way to keep the knees in a healthier state.

"Steps can be taken to reduce the symptoms," he said. "The most important thing of all is to maintain a weight healthy, not only to reduce pressure on the joints, but also to reduce the inflammatory action of fatty tissue. Consuming vitamin C for the production of cartilage plus omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory agents could also be beneficial. "


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