Beer good for bones

Drinking beer may help fend off brittle bones, as new research has found it to be a rich source of silicon.

Silicon is found in beer in the soluble form of orthosilicic acid (OSA) and scientists think it may be important for the growth and development of bone and connective tissue.

Past research has suggested that drinking moderate amounts of beer beer may help fight osteoporosis, a condition caused by low bone density. This in turn leads to the bones breaking easily.

So researchers from the University of California compared the silicon content in over 100 types of beer brewed in a variety of ways.

"The factors in brewing that influence silicon levels in beer have not been extensively studied" said Dr. Charles Bamforth, who led the study.

The silicon content the beers sampled averaged 6.4 to 56.5 mg/L. Dark coloured beers contained less silicone than lighter ones due to extra heat used during the malting process

"Beers containing high levels of malted barley and hops are richest in silicon," said Dr. Bamforth.

"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, he added.

Commenting on the findings in this month's Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Claire Bowring from the National Osteoporosis Society, said: "These findings mirror results from previous studies which concluded that moderate alcohol consumption could be beneficial to bones.

"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."

This article was published on Mon 8 February 2010