Although findings not consistent several studies have reported an inverse association between moderate alcohol intake and bone mineral density, especially in women who are postmenopausal.
This suggests that alcohol may help prevent osteoporosis. However only a moderate intake of alcohol is good for bones, but not for heavy alcohol use.
Moderate alcohol intake appears to have a positive benefit, i.e. increased bone mass. On the other hand, individuals who ingest excessive amounts of alcohol tend to have reduced intake and impaired absorption of both vitamin D and calcium.
Moderate drinking can be defined as one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks a for men. One single drink is defined as 1.5 ounces of proof distilled spirits, for example, 12 ounces of beer or 5 ounces of wine.
However, as osteoporosis is so dependent on lifetime diet, physical activity, obesity, and other factors, it is probably that alcohol does not play an important role in osteoporosis.
In contrast to the situation with osteoporosis high levels of drinking cause loss of balance and falls, leading to an increased risk of hip or wrist fracture.
Protective Effects of Alcohol on Bone Health
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Top articles this week
-
Nut Milks Nut and seed milks can take the place of dairy milks in many instances. They are superior to soy milk products because all soy pro... -
Ginger Tea Ginger tea preparations are among the most popular ways to take ginger. To make the tea, boil 10 grams of chopped fresh ginger ... -
Nutritional Benefits of Yoghurt One of the great all time television commercial aired in the late 1970s and featured an interview with the R...
-
Watercress Juice The juice extracted from watercress is one of the best body-cleansers and toxin-neutralizers. It is exceedingly high in ... -
When was Milking Started? For million of years breast milk has been the first beverage. Replacement with animal milk carried tremendous impl...