Not beer, but sprouted grain, boosts bones
A new study reports that some types of beer contain a lot of silicon, which may counter some age-related bone degeneration. The study, carried out by the Department of Food Science & Technology at the University of California, resulted in the kind of simplistic " beer is good for you " headlines and lazy reporting we've all come to expect. The truth is more complex -- and interesting. Beer is an ancient beverage, dating back at least 9,000 years. By definition, beer is a drink made primarily from water and grass seeds (otherwise known as grains). Alcoholic beverages always need a source of sugar. In the case of beer, that sugar is normally supplied by the grain, which has starch that's converted into sugar during the brewing process. Most beers are made with malted barley. The malting process is little more than taking whole barley grains, and sprouting them -- starting the growing process, called germination -- then drying the grains in an oven once the sprouts ...