Don’t blame cold for knee pain! Research reveals coffee is an accomplice of knee arthritis

In our daily lives, the health of the knee joint is often neglected. Many people mistakenly believe that knee pain is just caused by cold and think that it will go away if they endure it. However, it is not until the pain and discomfort seriously affect our ability to move that we realize the seriousness of the problem.

The knee joint, as one of the largest joints in the human body, bears the important task of supporting body weight and ensuring freedom of movement. However, as the years go by, the knee joint may suffer from wear and inflammation, which is what we call knee osteoarthritis (KOA). In this article, we will take you to an in-depth understanding of the research findings on KOA and how to prevent and alleviate this disease through dietary intervention, so as to help you better protect your knee joints and enjoy a worry-free and healthy life.

Research Methods and Process

Although some studies have found that diet may play an important role in the etiology and progression of KOA, causal evidence on this is still limited. Therefore, the team of Lv Xiaofeng from Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine used Mendelian randomization to investigate the causal effect of dietary intake on the risk of KOA, in order to prevent and alleviate KOA through dietary intervention.

The researchers first screened genetic variation sites associated with specific dietary intake from multiple genome-wide association study databases. These sites were selected as the basis for the study because they can reflect differences in dietary habits between individuals. Next, a genetic association analysis was conducted to determine the association between these genetic variation sites and KOA risk. This step helped the researchers identify genetic markers that may be associated with KOA risk. Subsequently, the researchers used Mendelian randomization analysis to use these genetic variations as instrumental variables to assess the causal relationship between dietary intake and KOA risk. The advantage of this method is that it can reduce confounding factors that may occur in traditional observational studies, thereby providing more reliable evidence of causality.

To ensure the accuracy of the study results, the researchers also conducted sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of the results. These analyses included excluding possible confounding factors, examining the association between genetic variants and exposure, and evaluating the validity of the Mendelian randomization analysis.

Research findings and conclusions

After detailed data analysis and verification, some key dietary factors were found to be associated with the risk of KOA. In short, the study found that increasing the intake of dried fruits, whole grains, cheese, and fish rich in omega-3 was associated with a lower risk of KOA. Studies have shown that these foods have a protective effect on the knee joint and help prevent and alleviate the symptoms of KOA.

The study also found that coffee intake was significantly associated with a higher risk of KOA, especially in women. This finding suggests that moderately reducing coffee intake can reduce the risk of KOA.

Although these findings provide new evidence for a causal relationship between diet and KOA, Professor Lyu Xiaofeng pointed out that these results need to be further verified in different populations, and more research is needed to clarify the potential mechanisms by which these dietary factors affect KOA risk.

Based on the researchers' findings, here are some tips for preventing KOA:

1. Adjust the diet structure: increase the intake of dried fruits, whole grains, cheese and fish rich in Omega-3, and reduce the intake of coffee. Female consumers in particular should pay attention to their coffee consumption habits and moderately reduce their intake to reduce the potential risk of disease and better maintain joint health.

2. Control your weight: Maintain a healthy weight to reduce the burden on your knee joints.

3. Appropriate exercise: Do exercises that help strengthen leg muscles and joint flexibility, such as swimming and cycling; the elderly should choose low-impact, gentle exercises, such as walking and Tai Chi, to protect the knee joints. These exercises can help alleviate the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, improve overall health, and avoid further joint damage.

4. Keep warm: Avoid cold knee joints, especially in cold weather.

5. Regular physical examinations: Through regular examinations, knee joint problems can be detected early and treated in time.

The health of the knee joint cannot be ignored. It is the cornerstone of our daily activities. Through today's sharing, I hope everyone can realize that through a reasonable diet and appropriate exercise, each of us has the ability to protect our knee joints and prevent the occurrence of knee osteoarthritis. Let us start from daily life, use scientific methods to care for our joints, and make a healthy lifestyle our common pursuit. Let us act together to create a painless and free future!

References:

Lv, Xiaofeng, Fangqi Liang, Shanshan Liu, Xinmin Deng, Rui Lai, Jihang Du, and Jian Luo. Causal relationship between diet and knee osteoarthritis: A Mendelian randomization analysis. PLoS One 19, no. 1 (2024): e0297269. https://doi.org/10.13