Stand Up and Say Cheers to Beer

Drinking Beer in Moderation Can Help Women Strengthen Bones

Aug 18, 2009 Rebecca Campbell

According to Spanish researchers women who drink beer in moderation are less likely to suffer from osteoporosis, while wine does little to prevent the bone disease.

Women beer drinkers have something to celebrate when it comes to beer. According to new research published in the journal Nutrition, researchers have found that bone density in regular drinkers was better than non-drinkers after it conducted a study with 1,700 women with the average age of 48.

Beer Boosts Bone Strength

In a new report published in the journal Nutrition, plant hormones in beer are thought to be the explanation for bone strength in women as the high level of silicon in beer slows down the thinning that leads to fractures and boosts the formation of new bone. After conducting the research which saw 1,700 women undergoing ultrasound scans of their hands, the Spanish researchers found that the hands belonging to beer drinkers were denser than non-drinkers meaning they were less likely to suffer from osteoporosis, a bone disease that affects post-menopausal women.

Even women who were defined as light beer drinkers were considered to have better bone density than non drinkers. These findings only echo what earlier research has found, including one conducted at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, which suggested that drinking an average of eight units a week of alcohol could be beneficial.

In a recent article with the Telegraph, the researchers from the University of Extremadura, Caceres, in Spain said that ‘’Silicon plays a major role in bone formation. Beer has been claimed to be one of the most important sources of silicon in the Western diet.’’

Health Concerns over ‘Moderate’ Alcohol Consumption

Even though the latest research is likely to buy several rounds of beer to celebrate, women should take caution when drinking beer. Speaking to BBC News, Dr Claire Bowring, an expert at the National Osteoporosis Society in the UK said, ‘’while low quantities of alcohol may appear to have bone density benefits, higher intakes have been shown to decrease bone strength, with an alcohol intake of more than two units per day actually increasing the risk of breaking a bone. There are also many other health concerns linked with alcohol which cannot be ignored.’’

Elderly women who consume a daily intake of alcohol are at risk of bone damage, while the risk of post-menopausal osteoporosis is added to the loss in bone mass due to alcohol. Consequently women who consume more than the recommended amount of alcohol are at a two-time greater risk of suffering severe bone fractures later on in life than those who neither drink, nor have the bone disease.

The researchers from the University of Extremadura do not recommend anyone to start drinking beer in a bid to boost bone health. Drink one beer a day and no more as drinking more than the two units of alcohol a day is associated with harming bone health. However the researchers did say that the ingredients of beer, phytoestrogens, plant versions of oestrogen which keep bones healthy, do require further research.

The copyright of the article Stand Up and Say Cheers to Beer in General Medicine is owned by Rebecca Campbell. Permission to republish Stand Up and Say Cheers to Beer in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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