According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, osteoarthritis, a chronic joint disease affects 14% of people over 25 and 34% over 65.
A new study has found that increasing milk consumption is associated with slower progression of the disease in women. In men, only those who consumed the most milk – 7 or more glasses a week saw results.
The study did not find the effect with cheese and other dairy products.
Controlling for known risk factors associated with osteoarthritis, including smoking, weight and alcohol consumption, the study was published online in Arthritis Care and Research.
The authors acknowledge this was an observational study, and does not prove a cause and effect connection.
However, when asked if people with osteoarthritis should drink more milk, lead author, Dr. Bing Lu, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard said, “yes.” “Low-fat or fat-free milk.” nytimeshealth.com 4/10/14