When you were young, your mom and dad likely encouraged you to drink a glass of milk every day so that "your bones will grow up big and strong." If that sounds familiar, then your folks had the right idea. It has been well-documented by researchers that an abundance of calcium and vitamin D does wonders for creating strong and healthy bones. Now a new study has chalked up yet another plus for drinking milk: It can help slow the progression of knee arthritis in women.
New research conducted by the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute found that the more milk — either low-fat or fat-free — a woman drank, the slower that osteoarthritis in their knees developed. These effects seem to be limited for milk and not shared throughout other dairy products, as yogurt seemed to have no effect on arthritis progression and cheese actually sped up the process. Curiously, these increases and decreases were only exhibited in female subjects, with male osteoarthritis seemingly unaffected.
"Milk has long been known to play an important role in bone health. It contains the nutrients, such as phosphorus, calcium, protein and fortified with vitamin D, that are essential for daily life," Marlo Mittler, a New York-based nutritionist unaffiliated with the study, told HealthDay News. "The actual component of milk that allows it to play a preventative role in osteoarthritis progression still needs to be explored. It is also important to note that it is not whole milk but the low-fat and fat-free milk that shows to be effective in the delay."
Adding D3 vitamin supplements to your daily routine can also help improve skeletal health and strengthen bones. Click here to learn more about our vitamins D3 and bone support supplements.