SEATTLE — Beer and wine increase bone mineral density in a dose-dependent fashion, according to data from the Framingham Offspring Study.
“I think the major effect is an estrogenic or hormonal effect of the alcohol itself,” Katherine L. Tucker, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
The findings are based on 1,631 women and 1,295 men who gave information on their alcohol intake and had bone mineral density measured as part of their participation in the Framingham Offspring study.
At the trochanter, the mean bone mineral density in the men was 0.84–0.86 g/cm
For women, the bone mineral density at the trochanter was a mean 0.68–0.70 g/cm
For both men and women, drinking daily appeared to have the most benefit, Dr. Tucker said.
The beneficial effects were seen for beer among men and wine among women, reflecting the types of alcohol most commonly consumed for each sex. Dr. Tucker added that wine would probably have been equally effective for men and vice versa.
Previous reports have suggested a positive association between alcohol intake and bone density. No other component of the beverages, aside from alcohol, appeared to account totally for the bone density improvement, according to the analysis.