Beer, Wine and Your Bones

If you like the taste of a good brew, then here is some good news! In a recent research study of over 2,900 women and men, researchers found that beer, which contains silicon, may promote bone health. Silicon is a mineral that is thought to stimulate collagen production, which is a building block in bone formation. Wine is rich is phytochemicals, which may also benefit bones. Research does not show, however, in the battle of the sexes, that beer or wine has better or less results in either men or women. In a recent WebMD interview, Katherine Tucker, PhD says that it is possible that two glasses of wine could benefit men, while women may get a bone boost from two cans of beer. Another study of 2,847 people from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study found that men and pre-menopausal women who drank the most silicon, about 40 mg a day, had the highest bone mineral density, a measurement of bone health. Silicon is rarely listed on food labels, so it is hard to tell exactly how much you are consuming. But, you can estimate that one 12-ounce beer has approximately 7 mg of silicon.

It is important is that you drink any alcoholic beverage in moderation because while two cans of beer or two 6 ounce glasses of wine may be good for promoting bone growth, drinking more is harmful. The not-so-good news is that if you drink distilled beverages such as vodka or Scotch, daily consumption of these beverages has shown to actually promote osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a bone-wasting disease that makes your bones brittle and more prone to breaks. The disease increases with age and is more common in women than men, especially postmenopausal women.

Drinking red wine has also shown to be linked to heart health. So, what we are seeing now is a diet that is good for the heart and another that is good for the bones. Because good nutrition is good for the heart, you can consider it good for the bones as well. Other studies have shown that good nutrition also plays a significant role in brain health.

So, how much beer or wine is good for your bones? Current recommendations are for two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women. So, don't jump and run to a keg party quite yet, remember that moderation is best.

Now, if you are not a beer or wine drinker, don't start now just to promote bone growth. There are other ways to get silicon, and let us not forget that alcohol consumption raises other health risks such as osteoporosis itself. So, if you are interested in a healthier way to introduce silicon into your diet, you will want to eat dates, mangoes, melons, spinach, apples and even some bottled mineral waters will be good sources.

Publishing Rights: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article and the article is not changed, modified or altered in any way. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Copyright 2005, Michele Webb. All Rights Reserved.

Michele Webb owns her own website and is a member of a number of organizations for women Netpreneurs and business owners. She has over 20 years experience in health care, clinical trials, management, project management and software development. She currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada USA with her two dogs.

You are invited to visit her website at: http://www.ebooksnstuff.com. Or, you can email the author at: support@ebooksnstuff.com

In The News:

Remarkable aerial pictures show pink-colored snow in the Presena glacier in the Italian Alps.

A prehistoric ocher mine has been discovered in a flooded cave complex in Mexico.

Researchers have discovered that enormous sea scorpions bigger than a human swam the oceans prior to the age of the dinosaurs.

A photographer has snapped a remarkable image of a young lion cub appearing to give a kiss on its mother's nose.

Israel launched a new spy satellite into orbit from a launchpad in the center of the country early Monday morning, the Defense Ministry said.

NASA experts have used radar technology to shed new light on the subsurface of the moon.

Just days after it spotted a "bat shadow," the Hubble Space Telescope has found a "feathered spiral" galaxy in deep space.

Just days after it pulled the plug on its rheumatoid arthritis drug to treat COVID-19, biotech company Regeneron said on Monday it was starting Phase III of its double-antibody treatment for the novel coronavirus.

The decapitated bodies of at least five sea lions found on the shores of Vancouver Island, Canada, over the past few months hint that there may be a marine-mammal serial killer on the loose, or perhaps someone who is lopping off the heads of already dead sea lions, according to news sources.

Skywatchers have been enjoying the buck moon or July full moon.

Beer, Wine and Your Bones

Wine & Spirits Wine & Spirits