Causes of Bone Loss: Alcohol Osteoporosis , Osteopenia

Alcohol Osteoporosis, Osteopenia information.  Alcoholic drinks can affect your bones. Alcohol can have a positive affect for women who have not yet undergone menopause.  The Framingham study of women's health showed that "Women who drink a little bit have an increased oestrogen which helps protect them against heart disease and osteoporosis, but it may increase their risk slightly of breast cancer."  Please note: "drink a little bit" means no more than one drink a day; seven ounces of liquor a week.  (From interview with Professor Curt Ellison of Boston University's School of Medicine.)

 Alcohol Osteoporosis, Osteopenia Research studies

If you  want  guidelines for your alcohol use and Osteoporosis or Ostepenia you will  find some at:  Guidelines about Alcohol Osteoporosis Osteopenia 

AND if you want to read research studies for yourself, here are four research studies about alcohol and its effect on bone density:

  1. "The effect of moderate alcohol consumption on bone mineral density: A study of female twins." by Williams, F., et al. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2004. Published Online First: 1 July 2004. and this author has another article, "Moderate alcohol drinking helps prevent osteoporosis". Medical News Today, July 1, 2004;                                              
  2. Innes, John. "Moderate amounts of alcohol could protect against brittle bones."  The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland), July 1, 2004. "This study examined the effects of alcohol using identical female twins, in which one twin drank very little and the other twin drank moderately (one or two drinks each day). Twins were used because they are genetic clones. Because they have the same genes and grew up in the same environment, it is easier to control for any other possible confounding factors. Bone mineral density was measured at the hip and spine. The study found that moderate drinkers had significantly denser bones than the control group of twins consisting of very light drinkers."
  3. Siris, E.S. Identification and fracture outcomes of undiagnosed low bone density in postmenopausal women: Results from the National Osteoporosis Risk Assessment. Journal of the American Medical Association, 2001, 286(22), 2815-2822. "The National Osteoporosis Risk Assessment followed over 200,000 postmenopausal women who were seen at doctors’ offices, with no previous diagnosis of osteoporosis. As a result of screening, the study found that 39.6% had Osteopenia or low bone density and 7% had osteoporosis. The study found that drinking alcohol, estrogen replacement therapy, and exercise each reduced chances of developing osteoporosis. The findings appear in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)."
  4.  "Bone Resorption in Tissue Culture. Factors Influencing the Response to Parathyroid Hormone" by Lawrence G. Raisz. Department of Pharmacology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, N. Y. Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, N. Y. Here is the full text of this article from the Journal of Clincial Nutrition. Bone Resorption

But there are other causes of Osteopenia, Osteoporosis

There are many potential causes of bone loss. You can find complete list of things that can cause either Osteopenia or Osteoporosis at: Causes of Bone Loss

Natural remedies for reversing bone loss. Scientific studies show that it is possible to reverse your bone loss by changes in your diet and life style.   If you want to know which foods, supplements, exercises etc. can build stronger bones, read: natural ways to build stronger bones.

End of article: Alcohol Osteoporosis, Osteopenia

This site offers multiple articles about Osteopenia or Osteoporosis and how to reverse these conditions. To check them out, click on: Index of topics