Beer is a significant source of dietary silicon, a key ingredient for increasing bone mineral density, and hence a moderate consumption may help fight osteoporosis.

Food science and technology researchers from the University of California-Davis (UC-D) sought to determine the link between beer production methods and the resulting silicon content, concluding that beer is a rich source of dietary silicon.

Based on these findings, some studies suggest moderate beer consumption may help fight osteoporosis, a disease of the skeletal system characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue.

'The factors in brewing that influence silicon levels in beer have not been extensively studied,' said UC-D's Charles Bamforth, who led the study.

'We have examined a wide range of beer styles for their silicon content and have also studied the impact of raw materials and the brewing process on the quantities of silicon that enter wort and beer.'

Silicon is present in beer in the soluble form of orthosilicic acid (OSA), which yields 50 percent bioavailability, making beer a major contributor to silicon intake in the diet.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), dietary silicon (Si), as soluble OSA, may be important for the growth and development of bone and connective tissue, and beer appears to be a major contributor to Si intake.

The study also tested 100 commercial beers for silicon content and categorised the data according to beer style and source, said a UC-D release.

Details were published in the February issue of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.