Beer for Bones?

If you drink beer regularly, you may be giving your bones a break—a break from osteoporosis, that is.

According to new research from the University of California, Davis, beer is a rich source of silicon, a mineral that helps make and keep bones strong. In fact, beer is a major source of silicon in the Western diet, in a form that is readily absorbed by the body. But not all beers are created equal.

Researchers analyzed the raw materials used in beer making and various brewing styles; they then tested 100 commercial beers for their silicon levels. “Beers containing high levels of malted barley and hops are richest in silicon,” the paper concludes. Here are some more specific findings of the study, which was published in the February issue of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture:

• Barley-based beers have more silicon than wheat-based beers. Silicon is concentrated in the husks of barley, which are not affected greatly during brewing.
• Lighter-colored barley beers have more silicon than darker ones (such as chocolate, roasted barley, and black malt), because they undergo less heat stress during processing.
• Hops, which are used as flavoring agents, had as much as four times more silicon than is found in malt. But hops are used in much smaller amounts. Still, you can expect “hoppier” beers to have more silicon.
• On average, Indian Pale Ales (IPAs) had the most silicon, followed by other ales, and then lagers; wheat beers, light lagers, and non-alcoholic beers had the least silicon.
• Overall, the beers contained 6.4 to 56.5 milligrams of silicon per liter. There’s no official recommended daily intake level for silicon, but the average diet supplies about 20 to 50 milligrams a day.

Silicon is an often overlooked mineral that helps promote bone formation and prevent bone loss. A study several years ago found that men and pre-menopausal women with the highest silicon intake had higher bone mineral density at the hip. Other research has shown that people absorb the silicon from beer well.