WINE…IT DOES A BODY GOOD

Forget milk!  This sounds like a much nicer way to help out the bones. A review team from the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research has found that regular moderate intake of alcohol after menopause helped maintain bone strength.  The experts, who analyzed a study by the University of Oregon, concluded that abstaining from drinking led to a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. Instead modest drinking could work just as well as some drugs, suggested the review, which was published in the journal menopause.  Hundreds of thousands of postmenopausal women take drugs called bisphosphonates daily to help combat thinning bones.

The latest analysis, which adds supports the conclusion’s of previous studies, reviewed the study of 4O healthy postmenopausal women aged around 56. The review found women who daily drank about two small glasses of wine – the equivalent of 19g of alcohol a day – had a drop in the loss of old bone.  This in turn improved the balance with their new bones and helped maintain strength. Later, their “bone turnover” improved after the women were asked to stop drinking.  But a day after they began drinking again, their bone turnover was once again reduced. This meant alcohol was reducing the loss of old bone which improved the balance between old and new bone, thus maintaining strength.  One reviewer said: “The results suggest an effect of moderate alcohol consumption similar to the effects of bisphosphonates.”  Campaigners warned against drinking more to protect bones because excessive alcohol increased the risk of fractures as well as increasing the risk of falls.