High fibre diet may lower the risk of knee osteoarthritis experts discover

A high fibre diet has been linked to a reduced risk of knee osteoarthritis, highlights research in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

The findings are based on two long-term studies involving thousands of people.

Analysis of the data showed that eating more fibre was associated with a lower risk of painful knee osteoarthritis. Compared with the lowest intake, the highest intake was associated with a 30% lower risk in one study and a 61% lower risk in the other study. But it was not associated with X-ray evidence of knee osteoarthritis.

The authors comment:

“These data demonstrate a consistent protective association between total fibre intake and symptom-related knee [osteoarthritis] in two study populations with careful adjustment for potential confounders.”

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