Beer boosts bones and fends off osteoporosis
Drinking beer especially pale ale strengthens your bones and could stop them becoming brittle, a study suggests.
Researchers found that the drink contained a substance that boosts bones and could mean they are less likely to suffer from osteoporosis.
They discovered that beer, especially pale ales, contains high levels of silicon known to slow down the bone thinning that leads to fractures and boosting the formation of new bone.
The finding, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, backs up previous research which also showed that the drink was good at fending off brittle bones – especially in women.
"The factors in brewing that influence silicon levels in beer have not been extensively studied", said Dr Charles Bamforth, lead author at the University of California.
They found that lighter beers with a greater use of hops had the most silicon.
Silicon is present in beer in the soluble form of orthosilicic acid (OSA), up to half of which can be absorbed by the body making beer a major contributor to silicon intake in the Western diet.
Based on these findings, some studies suggest moderate beer consumption may help fight osteoporosis, a disease of the skeletal system characterised by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue.
The researchers found that the extra heat used in malting darker beers tended to destroy some of the silicon. Beers with more hops naturally had more silicon they found.
Osteoporosis or low bone density is often described as a silent epidemic of the 21st century. In the UK alone it results in more than 200,000 fractures annually and costs the NHS more than £1 billion a year.
Three million Britons are affected by osteoporosis.
The actual biological role of silicon in bone health and formation is not known though it is thought to help manufacture collagen, one of its major components.
"Beers containing high levels of malted barley and hops are richest in silicon," concludes Dr. Bamforth.
Researchers found that the drink contained a substance that boosts bones and could mean they are less likely to suffer from osteoporosis.
They discovered that beer, especially pale ales, contains high levels of silicon known to slow down the bone thinning that leads to fractures and boosting the formation of new bone.
The finding, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, backs up previous research which also showed that the drink was good at fending off brittle bones – especially in women.
"The factors in brewing that influence silicon levels in beer have not been extensively studied", said Dr Charles Bamforth, lead author at the University of California.
They found that lighter beers with a greater use of hops had the most silicon.
Silicon is present in beer in the soluble form of orthosilicic acid (OSA), up to half of which can be absorbed by the body making beer a major contributor to silicon intake in the Western diet.
Based on these findings, some studies suggest moderate beer consumption may help fight osteoporosis, a disease of the skeletal system characterised by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue.
The researchers found that the extra heat used in malting darker beers tended to destroy some of the silicon. Beers with more hops naturally had more silicon they found.
Osteoporosis or low bone density is often described as a silent epidemic of the 21st century. In the UK alone it results in more than 200,000 fractures annually and costs the NHS more than £1 billion a year.
Three million Britons are affected by osteoporosis.
The actual biological role of silicon in bone health and formation is not known though it is thought to help manufacture collagen, one of its major components.
"Beers containing high levels of malted barley and hops are richest in silicon," concludes Dr. Bamforth.
Beer, especially pale ales, contains high levels of silicon known to slow down the bone thinning that leads to fractures Photo: CORBIS"Wheat contains less silicon than barley because it is the husk of the barley that is rich in this element. While most of the silicon remains in the husk during brewing, significant quantities of silicon nonetheless are extracted into wort and much of this survives into beer."
Dr Claire Bowring, National Osteoporosis Society, said the research did not mean that people head for the pub.
“These findings mirror results from previous studies which concluded that moderate alcohol consumption could be beneficial to bones," she said.
However, while the National Osteoporosis Society welcomes measures to improve bone health we do not recommend anyone increases their alcohol consumption on the basis of these studies. While low quantities of alcohol may appear to have bone density benefits, higher intakes have been show 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.”
Dr Claire Bowring, National Osteoporosis Society, said the research did not mean that people head for the pub.
“These findings mirror results from previous studies which concluded that moderate alcohol consumption could be beneficial to bones," she said.
However, while the National Osteoporosis Society welcomes measures to improve bone health we do not recommend anyone increases their alcohol consumption on the basis of these studies. While low quantities of alcohol may appear to have bone density benefits, higher intakes have been show 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.”
For more information visit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7168666/Beer-boosts-bones-and-fends-off-osteoporosis.html