무릎 관절염에 ‘직방’인 음식이 있다는데...Milk may delay knee osteoarthritis in women

 

 

kcontents

 

아이들의 성장이나 발육에 필수적인 영양소를 담고 있다는 우유.   초등학교 급식에서도 어김없이 찾아볼 수 있는 ‘건강’의 대명사 우유가 최근 위기에 봉착했다. ‘암을 유발할 수 있다’거나 ‘초식동물인 송아지에 최적화돼 있어 잡식성인 인간에겐 해로울 수 있다’는 주장들이 나오고 있기 때문이다.   하지만 적어도 여성의 무릎 관절염만큼은 우유가 도움이 될 것 같다.   미국 브리검 여성병원 빙 루 박사팀은 초기 퇴행성 무릎 관절염 환자 2148명을 대상으로 우유를 마시게 하는 실험을 진행한 결과, 우유가 여성의 무릎 관절염 진행 속도를 늦춘다는 사실을 알아내 학술지 ‘관절염 치료 및 연구’ 7일자에 발표했다. 연구팀은 초기 무릎 관절염이 진행 중인 남성 888명, 여성 1260명의 무릎 관절이 벌어진 정도를 매년 X선으로 촬영해 4년 동안 사진을 모았다. 관절이 벌어질수록 관절염 상태는 악화됐음을 뜻한다. 연구팀은 이후 이 환자들에게 우유를 마시게 하고, 그 양을 하루 3컵에서 7컵까지 천천히 늘렸다. 그러자 여성 관절염 환자들의 벌어진 관절이 평균 0.38mm에서 0.26mm까지 서서히 좁아졌다. 반면 여성 환자와 달리 남성 환자는 우유를 마셔도 별반 차도가 없었다. 루 박사는 “무릎 관절염과 식단 사이의 상관관계를 밝힌 가장 큰 규모의 연구”라면서 “여성은 관절염의 진행을 늦추기 위해 우유를 매일 마시는 게 좋다”고 말했다. 과학동아 이우상 기자 idol@donga.com

 

Milk may delay knee osteoarthritis in women

 

By Peter Russell WebMD UK Health News Medically Reviewed by Dr Sheena Meredith 7th April 2014 – Drinking skimmed or semi-skimmed milk may delay the progression of osteoarthritis in women, according to new research. The same was not true for other dairy products, the study found. Yoghurt did not protect against osteoarthritis, while women who ate cheese tended to see their condition worsen more rapidly.   Milk did not appear to affect the advance of knee osteoarthritis in men. Swelling and deformity Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the natural cushioning between joints - cartilage - degenerates. Small injuries within joints triggers an immune reaction, which causes inflammation that leads to a breaking down of cartilage tissue leading to pain, swelling and deformity.   It is estimated that around 8.5 million people in the UK are affected by joint pain from osteoarthritis. In those aged over 45, knees are the joints most often affected by osteoarthritis, and women aged 75 and over are the group with the highest prevalence of knee pain.   Milk is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, dairy calcium and protein, and has long been recognised for helping promote bone health. However, the authors of the latest study, published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research, say little work has been done on establishing a link between diet and osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.   "Milk consumption plays an important role in bone health,” lead author Dr Bing Lu explains in a statement. "Our study is the largest study to investigate the impact of dairy intake in the progression of knee OA." Joint space width The researchers examined data from 1,260 women and 888 men involved in the Osteoarthritis Initiative – a long-term study aimed at promoting new treatments for the condition.   The diet of the volunteers was recorded at the start of the study and X-rays were taken to measure the width of the joint space – an indication of how much cartilage has been lost. All the volunteers were assessed each year for the next 4 years.   The researchers found a correlation between how much fat-free or low-fat milk women drank and joint space width in their knee.   Those who drank no milk saw their joint space decrease by an average of 0.38mm compared with 0.29mm for those who drank up to six 8 oz glasses each week and an average of 0.26mm for those who drank more than 7 glasses each week.   These results remained valid even after the researchers took account of disease severity, body mass index (BMI) and other dietary factors. "Our findings indicate that women who frequently drink milk may reduce the progression of OA," concludes Dr. Lu. However, he adds: "Further study of milk intake and delay in OA progression are needed."   'Extremely interesting' Professor Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK, says the findings of the US study are "extremely interesting", but cautions that it is too early to send out the message that women with knee osteoarthritis should drink more milk to prevent their condition getting worse.   In a statement he says: "Although the link between levels of milk consumption and the progression of knee osteoarthritis is not well understood, the researchers suggest that elevated dietary calcium intake may be a factor.   We know that vitamin D is needed for the body to absorb and process calcium, and there’s also some evidence that osteoarthritis of the knee and hip progresses more quickly in people who don’t have enough vitamin D.   "We’re currently funding a large clinical trial to find out of if taking vitamin D supplements can stop the deterioration of the knee joint due to osteoarthritis, and we expect the results soon." http://www.webmd.boots.com/osteoarthritis/news/20140407/milk-may-delay-knee-osteoarthritis-in-women

 

Arts & Culture
CONPAPER