Drinking Beer = Stronger Bones

Drinking beer might be good for your bones, according to a new scientific report that highlights yet another health benefit of drinking beer in moderation. The high silicon content in beer appears to provide the bone-strengthening benefit. Beers made with a lot of hops (such as India Pale Ales) and/or malted barley contain the most silicon and may provide the most health benefits for people with week bones.

According to researcher Charles Bamforth of the University of California, Davis:

"Beers containing high levels of malted barley and hops are richest in silicon... 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."

This is not the first research showing that beer can strengthen bones and possibly fight off osteoporosis, especially in women. Besides its silicon content, there's evidence that beer's "plant hormones" might also provide a healthy bone mineral boost!

Learn some mo': Beer Good for the Bones