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Bone is a living organ that constantly breaks down and rebuilds itself. As we get older, bone breaks down more and rebuilds less, which often leads to weaker bones over time. If we lose too much bone, we increase our risk of fracture and developing osteoporosis.

Women tend to have weaker bones and a faster rate of bone loss—particularly after menopause—than men. Approximately 50 percent of women in the U.S. over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. If the broken bone is in the hip, there is about a 20 percent chance that the individual will die within one year. Breaking a bone in our later years can significantly affect quality of life and the ability to live independently. Therefore, it is important to do everything we can to minimize age-related bone loss.

Lifestyle choices can help minimize bone loss, including:

• following a healthy diet with enough calcium and vitamin D;
• participating in regular physical activity; and
• refraining from smoking.

Believe it or not, drinking a beer now and then may even help.

Researchers in Spain have discovered a link between beer consumption and bone health in women. They found that women who drank moderate amounts of beer—defined in the U.S. as up to one 12-ounce beer per day—had stronger bones than those who did not.

Beer contains two important nutrients that could be beneficial to bone health: phytoestrogens and silicon. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring nutrients in plants that act similar to the hormone estrogen. Estrogen protects women from bone loss, but levels drop significantly after menopause. Estrogen deficiency is the primary cause of bone loss after menopause. Silicon is a naturally occurring mineral that may be used as a supplement to reduce bone breakdown and increase bone rebuilding in women with osteoporosis. Beer is one of the most plentiful sources of silicon in the Western diet.

It’s likely that the combination of phytoestrogen and silicon in beer helps limit bone loss. This finding has potentially important implications for bone health, although more study is needed.

It is also important to remember that drinking too much alcohol has many negative health effects, including reduced bone strength. Keep beer intake at a moderate level. That said Aug. 4 is International Beer Day. Drink a toast to healthy bones!

Kim Henige, EdD, CSCS, ACSM EP-C, is an associate professor and undergraduate program coordinator in the department of kinesiology at California State University, Northridge.