Good news for beer drinkers: It could be good for your health.

A study from the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research has indicated that silicone-rich foods such as beer can be good for your health because it provides up to one-fourth of the daily dietary requirement for silicone. Other sources of silicone include whole grains, certain fruits and vegetables and water.

Beer is not the only alcohol that can be good for your health in moderation, said Sean Shesgreen, an NIU professor whose specialties include wine and restaurants in the United States, France, England and Ireland.

“Doctors are reluctant to point out that even hard liquor has health benefits because they fear people will use this information to increase their drinking,” Shesgreen said.

Shesgreen also said he knows alcohol, even gin and whiskey, can lower one’s cholesterol.

“I have read that white and red wine are linked to long life because they help people relax and are rich in iron and other useful minerals and vitamins,” he said.

Drinking alcohol in other countries is considered normal and healthy, Shesgreen said. He said a possible reason the United States has such a high alcoholism rate is because people are not exposed to alcohol early on, as they are in other countries.

“Italy has one of the lowest rates of alcoholism in Europe but one of the highest rates of wine consumption,” Shesgreen said. “Italian families introduce their children to wine at a very young age when they offer it mixed with water at family meals. So kids see it as a food and link it to family life.

“Not only is it good for university students to drink, it’s good for kids much younger to imbibe – at home, in moderation, with their families. If they do this, they are less likely to become binge drinkers and alcohol abusers,” Shesgreen said.