Older women could guard against osteoporosis by drinking beer
Older women could guard against osteoporosis in later life by drinking a pint of beer a day.
A new study has shown that ale is an ideal source of dietary silicon, which is crucial in the formation of new bone. Bone is continuously being lost and reformed and silicon is vital for helping to renew it.
Although silicon is contained in some plants and beans, one of the richest and most easily absorbed sources is beer, as it is an ingredient of the malt used in the brewing process. Several previous studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between the amount of silicon in a person`s diet and their bone mineral density.
In the new study, Professor Jonathan Powell, head of nutrition research at Cambridge University, studied the effects of beer on bone formation and found that ethanol - which is also present in alcohol - helps to prevent bone loss and silicon encourages the growth of new bone.
Real ale, which is less refined and processed and so higher in silicon, is preferable to lagers.
`A pint of beer contains around 8mg of silicon - around a third of our daily recommended intake.
`Pre-menopausal women would benefit from drinking a half-pint a day as a means of absorbing silicon, and post-menopausal women would benefit from a pint of beer a day.`
Approximately three million people in the UK are thought to have osteoporosis, and there are more than 230,000 fractures every year as a result. Sufferers include Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, who is known to be partial to a glass of real ale.
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