Beer Is Good For You…Really

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A new study of 100 commercial beers shows the beverage is a significant source of dietary silicon, a key ingredient for bone health.

Researchers aren’t recommending drinking beer to meet your daily silicon needs, but their study does add to others on the potential health benefits.

The type of silicon in beer, called orthosilicic acid, has a 50 percent bioavailability, meaning that much is available for use in the body. Some foods, like bananas are rich in silicon but only 5 percent is bioavailable.

This soluble form of silica found in beer could be important for the growth and development of bone and connective tissue, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Past research has suggested that moderate beer consumption may help fight osteoporosis, a disease characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue.

Another past study involving nearly 1,700 women reported last year in the journal Nutrition showed participants who were light to moderate beer drinkers had much better bone density than non-drinkers.

Two beers are the equivalent of just under a half liter, so a person could get 30 mg of the nutrient from two beers. Researchers say individuals consume between 20 and 50 mg of silicon each day in the U.S.

However, other studies show that consuming more than one or two alcoholic beverages a day may be, overall, bad for health.

The take-home message for the casual drinker: “Choose the beer you enjoy. Drink it in moderation,” lead researcher Charles Bamforth of the University of California-Davis told LiveScience. “It is contributing silicon (and more) to your good health.”