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Beer May Boost Bone Health
Soluble OSA may be important for the growth and development of bone and connective tissue.
August 20, 2010 by Robert Goldman MD, PhD in Nutrition, Over-40 Nutrition
Silicon is present in beer in the soluble form of orthosilicic acid, which yields 50 percent bioavailability, making beer a major contributor to silicon intake in the Western diet. As dietary silicon in the form of soluble OSA may be important for the growth and development of bone and connective tissue, beer may be a significant source of dietary silicon.
Charles Bamforth, from the University of California, Davis, and colleagues studied commercial beer production to determine the relationship between beer production methods and the impact of silicon on the body. They examined a variety of raw-material samples and found little change in the silicon content of barley during the malting process. The majority of the silicon in barley is in the husk, which is not affected greatly during malting. The malts with greater silicon content are pale colored and take less heat stress during the malting process. The darker products, such as the chocolate, roasted barley and black malts, all get substantial roasting and have much lower silicon content than other malts, for reasons that are not yet known.
The hops samples analyzed showed surprisingly high silicon content with as much as four times more than is found in malt. Some studies have suggested that moderate beer drinking may help fight osteoporosis. The finding by these researchers that ?beer is a very rich source of silicon? takes on a potential importance for preventative health pending further studies into the underlying mechanisms of the bone-boosting properties of beer.
Casey, T.R., et al. (2010). Silicon in beer and brewing. J Sci Food and Agric. In press
Soluble OSA may be important for the growth and development of bone and connective tissue.
August 20, 2010 by Robert Goldman MD, PhD in Nutrition, Over-40 Nutrition
Silicon is present in beer in the soluble form of orthosilicic acid, which yields 50 percent bioavailability, making beer a major contributor to silicon intake in the Western diet. As dietary silicon in the form of soluble OSA may be important for the growth and development of bone and connective tissue, beer may be a significant source of dietary silicon.
Charles Bamforth, from the University of California, Davis, and colleagues studied commercial beer production to determine the relationship between beer production methods and the impact of silicon on the body. They examined a variety of raw-material samples and found little change in the silicon content of barley during the malting process. The majority of the silicon in barley is in the husk, which is not affected greatly during malting. The malts with greater silicon content are pale colored and take less heat stress during the malting process. The darker products, such as the chocolate, roasted barley and black malts, all get substantial roasting and have much lower silicon content than other malts, for reasons that are not yet known.
The hops samples analyzed showed surprisingly high silicon content with as much as four times more than is found in malt. Some studies have suggested that moderate beer drinking may help fight osteoporosis. The finding by these researchers that ?beer is a very rich source of silicon? takes on a potential importance for preventative health pending further studies into the underlying mechanisms of the bone-boosting properties of beer.
Casey, T.R., et al. (2010). Silicon in beer and brewing. J Sci Food and Agric. In press