Really, I’m not a lush. In fact I talk about having a drink way more than I actually have one. And on the occasion that I finally get over my laziness to open a bottle, it’s usually of the wine or beer variety. So imagine my surprise when I read a study that found women beer drinkers have greater bone density than their wine drinking or abstaining peers.

According to the Spainish research published in the October 2009 issue of the journal Nutrition, it’s the possible phtyoestrogen content of beer that helps keep our skeletons stronger, though these findings need to be tested more. And this was no small study. Nearly 2,000 women were surveyed about their lifestyle habits (i.e., smoking, drinking, caffeine and eating). When it came to factors determining bone mass density, beer drinking was a significant factor as well as age, BMI (body mass index), and reproductive hormone status. What’s more: the ultrasounds of the bones of beer drinkers were greater than wine drinkers or abstainers.

So the next time I’m deciding on an alcoholic spirit to partake in, I think I’ll choose the hoppy goodness of a beer. Cheers!