Consumption Of Beer Increase The Risk Of Knee And Hip Osteoarthritis

Drinking beer, among other alcoholic beverages, increases the risk of knee and hip osteoarthritis, reports Weiya Zhang and team in Arthritis Research and therapy published on Thursday, Feb 5, 2015.

Osteoarthritis is a common form of arthritis where the material cushioning the joints, called the cartilage, is broken down, causing pain, stiffness and problems in movement. Though there is no definitive cause for osteoarthritis is established, lifestyle-related issues are the widely accepted reason for this condition.

Zhang and team studied the relation of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to Osteoarthritis among 3,171 Caucasian men and women aged between 45 and 86 who had significant symptoms of hip and knee Osteoarthritis. Questionnaires on their drinking habits were reportedly issued for collecting information on the consumption of alcoholic beverages like beer and wine.

Beer and wine are not usually considered evil for health when taken in reasonable quantities. While anticarcinogenic, mental health and cardiac health benefits of wine are known for years, a recent study by Jianguo Fang and his colleagues of Lanzhou University's school of chemistry reported that a compound called xanthohumol present in the beer gives anti-carcinogenic, anti-oxidation and cardiovascular protection to the body.

In the case-control study by Zhang and group, a positive association between hip and knee osteoarthritis, and beer consumption was observed. There were no positive evidences relating hip and knee osteoarthritis to wine and other non-alcoholic beverages like fruit juices, tea or coffee. Surprisingly there were no evidences relating alcoholic beverages other than beer to hip Osteoarthritis were reportedly observed.

Beer consumers often have beer belly and that could have added biomechanical weight on their joints, causing hip and knee osteoarthritis, suspected the researchers. Adjusting the beer drinkers BMI hip and waist ratio, Zhang and group observed that obesity is not the cause for their osteoarthritis condition but beer consumption.

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