Beer in your Bones

Thanks to some new research out of the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis, we have yet another impressive attribute to ascribe to beer and its health benefits. It seems that beer is rich in dietary silicon, a critical component of bone health.

The lead researcher on this project was Charles Bamforth who also authored the terrific book entitled “Grape vs. Grain - A Historical, Technological, and Social Comparison of Wine and Beer.” You can purchase this book at a discount by clicking on the  photo to the left, by the way. 


According to Bamforth, and his colleague Troy Casey, “beers containing high levels of malted barley and hops are richest in silicon.” The most interesting aspect of the study, for me, is the fact that Bamforth and his colleague analyzed 100 commercial beer samples – everything from light lagers to dark ales. The highest concentrations of dietary silicon were found in ales, particularly in darker ale styles and in IPAs (India Pale Ales). In fact, IPAs came out on top of the heap at 41.2 mg/L due to their high hop levels. Hops, it seems, contain about four times the amount of dietary silicon that malted grain does. 


At the other end of the spectrum, wheat beers and light lagers tested at the bottom of the barrel, since they utilize much smaller amounts of malted barley and lower hop rates. Adjuncts like rice or corn – used in most popular American light lagers – don’t contribute significant amounts of dietary silicon. 


So, score another one for beer. In fact, we can really be more specific and say score another one for craft beer! The use of all-malt recipes and liberal hopping rates does more than make tasty beer … it makes better beer better for you than the cheap fizzy yellow stuff you see the majority of people swilling down. 

I say stick to better beer and better health!