Beer is one of the best nutritional sources of silicon, which is essential for bones. As little as 10 fl oz a day could help prevent osteoporosis, which cases more than 200,000 fractures ever year, most of them in women.
There's more good news about beer: recent research reveals that the hops used in traditional brewing are a good source of phyoestrogens, which are natural plant hormones that ALSO protect against osteoporosis. If you want really strong bones, have a piece of cheese and a glass of beer with your lunch. The calcium in the cheese along with the silicon and phytoestrogens in the beer are perfect bone-builders.
Beer is also rich in vitamins B6 and B12 and folic acid, which many women lack in their diets, all of which lead to faster growing, stronger hair and nails (plus it makes your unborn babies not mutants). As a bonus, hops have a natural antibiotic action that kills Helicobacter pylori bacterium, which is the cause of most gastric ulcers. With lots of potassium but little sodium, sensible quantities of beer can be good for blood pressure.
So have a beer, any beer.
*All information from SuperFoods: Nutreint-dense Foods to Protect Your Health by Michael van Straten and Barbara Griggs
