Drinking alcohol helps prevent osteoporosis

US researchers say that menopausal women who drink about two glasses of alcohol a day can reduce their risk of osteoporosis, according to UPI news agency.

The expert team at Boston University Medical School said the study was conducted on 40 healthy menopausal women with an average age of 56.

Researchers have looked at the factors associated with osteoporosis in women who drink alcohol. They were tested after drinking about two glasses of wine a day for a while, after they stopped drinking for a while and then started drinking again.

Drinking alcohol restricts osteoporosis

Bone weakness in menopausal women is the result of an imbalance between normal bone resorption and new bone formation, a process that takes place in both men and women called bone turnover.

After menopause, old bone resorption in women continues but new bone formation does not match, leading to a decrease in bone density, the researchers said. Why this situation has so far been a mystery to medical professionals.

The study showed that abstinence led to an increase in bone turnover factors (signaling a higher risk of osteoporosis), while the return of alcohol reduced these factors.

Research results have been published in the journal Menopause.