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beer is good for you//ap picture
In a new study from Saint Thomas Hospital in London, researchers have found that drinking beer is a good way to decrease chances of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is the disease which causes bones to become brittle and break easily. It is considered a major public health problem and more than 10 million people in the US today have it. Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis, but men are still susceptible to the disease.
The study included 1,700 healthy women and focused on their drinking habits. In the study the women who drank beer regularly had much stronger bones then the non beer drinkers. Even the light beer drinkers (less then 12oz a day) had strong bones when compared to the moderate drinkers.
Beer has high amounts of the mineral silicon which slows down the thinning process of the bones. Silicon is found in the husk of the grain that is manufactured to create the beer. Some researchers even believe a moderate intake of beer is better than consuming milk for calcium to prevent bone loss. So sit back and enjoy a pint or two to ensure healthy bones!
Health tip:
- When counting calories stick to light beer, they have about the same taste as regular beer, but with about 50 less calories.
- Moderation is key! Men should drink 1-2 12oz per day and for women it is 1 12oz per day.
- Choose low carb beer. The new MGD 64 has the lowest amount of carbs with only 2.3 carbs compared to 6.8 in a Heineken Light.
Comments
Obviously the author does not drink much beer. Light beer and good beer taste nothing alike as mentioned in tip #1.
Also, unfortunately good beer has a ton of calories. But I guess this is at least one reason to drink MGD.
Agreed with the above comment; light beer does NOT taste like regular beer. Those calories are worth it!
Hi Kate -
Sounds like another observational study (they could have found that using a blue brush for your hair correlates with bone mass, for example), that in the end won't mean much - this sort of study just raises the questions, rather than give us the data to make recommendations. There is, however, a mountain of high-quality evidence on calcium intake and bone health. Silicon, yes it's in the mix, but with so many Americans deficient in calcium, and with all the drawbacks of alcohol for those most at risk of low bone mass (women and teen girls), I just can't get behind the beer recommendation. Glug glug. Now if it were wine....(just kidding).
Write on, Kate! Keep on posting!
Regards,
Annie Kay MS RD RYT
National Nutrition Examiner
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