Beer. Good for the Bones!

According to recent studies, scientists have found that beer contains nutritional properties that can contribute to a healthy diet, if consumed in moderation. One of beer’s active ingredients that contribute to these health benefits is folate. Folate is a water-soluble form of vitamin B that occurs naturally in certain foods, such as egg yolk, leafy vegetables, beans, and grain. Folate, or vitamin B, is essential to many bodily functions. It is especially important in synthesizing and repairing DNA, cell division, and producing red blood cells. Studies have shown that folate aids in a variety of different medical complications, such as bone health, the prevention of cancer, and in the reduction of birth defects.

Beer also contains large amounts of silicon, which is found in connective tissues and in the skin of humans. Researchers have also linked silicon with increasing bone-mineral density in humans. Silicon can also be found in fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Nutritionists are not certain on the amount of silicon that should be consumed daily, however humans have an average intake of between 20 and 50 mg per day.

The brewing technique and ingredients used in the beer have an affect on how much folate and silicon end up in the final product. Malted beers contained the most silicon, followed by barley and wheat. When it came to brewing styles, studies showed that vigorous processing released greater amounts of silicon into the beer. The method used to dry the grain also had a result on the silicon level. The more the grain is dried, the more flavor the beer has, however it reduces the amount of silicon present in the beer. Therefore, dark beers, in which excessive drying techniques are used, have less silicon.

I chose this article because I felt like it coincided with the video we watched in class discussing the history of beer. When I stumbled upon this article I felt that it was appropriate to blog about considering that we just had a class discussion on the movie, and how a majority of the class felt that it was somewhat of an exaggeration. I felt that there was some interesting scientific evidence proving the that beer does in fact help ones bone density.

Source: http://news.discovery.com/human/beer-healthy-bones.html