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John Barleycorn Rules!
Feb. 9th, 2010 11:47 amAt the bottom of a column in last Sunday's "Observer":
"Drinking beer could help prevent weak bones"
".. Beer is a rich source of dietary silicon, which can help cut the chance of developing diseases such as osteoporosis...
But it has to be made with malted barley.
This is the news I have been waiting for.
Many years ago, Dr Theya Molleson, my tutor in "Human Skeletal Remains in Archaeology", did a study of the skeletons from the crypt of Christ Church, Spitalfields. One of the interesting things that she discovered was that the women did not suffer from osteoporosis.
In youth women's bones from the 18th century were less robust than modern women's, and like them density decreased over time, but there was no catastrophic nosedive around the time of menopause and 18th century women in their 60s, 70s and 80s had bones that were more robust than modern women in their 50s.
We were at a loss to explain this. I suggested, half joking, that the change in pattern (during the early decades of the 19th century) might relate to women no longer drinking small beer for breakfast.
It looks now as if this might be right!
"Drinking beer could help prevent weak bones"
".. Beer is a rich source of dietary silicon, which can help cut the chance of developing diseases such as osteoporosis...
But it has to be made with malted barley.
This is the news I have been waiting for.
Many years ago, Dr Theya Molleson, my tutor in "Human Skeletal Remains in Archaeology", did a study of the skeletons from the crypt of Christ Church, Spitalfields. One of the interesting things that she discovered was that the women did not suffer from osteoporosis.
In youth women's bones from the 18th century were less robust than modern women's, and like them density decreased over time, but there was no catastrophic nosedive around the time of menopause and 18th century women in their 60s, 70s and 80s had bones that were more robust than modern women in their 50s.
We were at a loss to explain this. I suggested, half joking, that the change in pattern (during the early decades of the 19th century) might relate to women no longer drinking small beer for breakfast.
It looks now as if this might be right!
