Women who eat a lot of garlic plants are less likely to suffer from osteoarthritis of the hip joint, reports EurekAlert, citing research by British scientists.
Osteoarthritis of the hip joint is more common in women. It manifests itself with pain and limitation of motor functions. Researchers from King’s College London and the University of East Anglia hope that using the ingredients in garlic will be able to create a new drug for the disease.
Over a thousand pairs of twins participated in the study, many of which did not show any symptoms of the disease. The researchers carefully analyzed the participants’ diets and tracked any early degenerative changes in the hip, knee and spine.
They observed then that in women whose diets were rich in fruits and vegetables, especially garlic, onions and leeks, x-rays less frequently showed degenerative changes in the hip joint.
When the effects of the individual components of garlic were analyzed, it turned out that the amount of enzymes that destroy joint cartilage is limited by diallyl disulfide.
Although we do not know yet whether eating garlic increases the amount of this compound in the joints, our conclusions may point the way towards future treatments and prevention of osteoarthritis of the hip, says Dr. Frances Williams, the author of the study (PAP).