Cod liver thumbs up

It tasted disgusting, but generations of children were forced to drink cod liver oil because their mothers said it was good for them.

Now, it appears, mummy did know best - scientists say the old wives' remedy slows the onset of arthritis.

If people took the oil from an early age it could cut the £5.5billion annual cost of joint surgery on the NHS, researchers said.

Their findings were based on a study of patients needing surgery because of arthritis in their knees.

Higher levels of certain chemicals within knee tissues are known to cause inflammation associated with the condition.

The researchers measured levels of these chemicals in tissue taken during knee replacement operations from 25 patients. Of these, 14 were given cod liver oil months before surgery, while the rest got a placebo.

The researchers found 86 per cent of the cod liver oil group had significantly reduced levels of chemicals - compared with a quarter of the placebo group. The oil group also had fewer chemicals linked to pain in their joints.

'By taking cod liver oil people are less likely to require joint replacements later in life,' said Prof Bruce Caterson, of Cardiff University.