Identical twins may look alike on the outside, but their drinking habits may lead to differences on the inside, according to new research.
In a study of 46 pairs of female twins, scientists found that, if one twin drank moderately and the other drank rarely, the moderate drinker had "significantly denser bones both at the spine and the hip," said Tim Spector, a researcher in the Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit at St. Thomas' Hospital in London.
Denser bones help keep brittle bones at bay, Spector said. Healthy individuals are constantly breaking down and replacing bone, but brittle bones develop when the body reabsorbs necessary minerals from existing bones and doesn't form new bone. This condition may develop into osteoporosis, increasing the risk of bone fractures, especially in older individuals. Previous research has found that moderate wine drinking may increase bone mass in elderly women.
The study was initiated because "the effects of alcohol on bones were unclear," Spector said. And studying twins was particularly helpful, the authors wrote, because "[identical] twins are uniquely matched for age, sex and genetic factors, all of which are known to influence both bone mineral density and the propensity to consume alcohol."
The study first appeared online on July 1 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. For it, the scientists recruited pairs of adult female twins, of which one twin drank moderately (defined as up to three drinks a day in the United Kingdom) and the other twin had less than one drink per week. On average, the moderate drinkers consumed eight drinks per week. (The authors defined an average drink in England as a half-pint of beer, a 4- or 5-ounce glass of wine or a standard shot of spirits.)
The twins answered questionnaires on health and lifestyle details, such as smoking habits. To determine bone density, the women received X-rays of their hips and back. Blood and urine samples were also collected to examine the rate at which the body was reabsorbing bone.
The scientists then compared the twins' bone density and found that the moderate drinkers had "significantly" stronger bones than their twins who were nondrinkers or light drinkers. (Smokers had the thinnest bones in the group, the authors noted.) The moderate drinkers showed higher levels of minerals per square centimeter of bone, with an average density of 0.982 grams/cm2 in the hip, while the light drinkers had an average of 0.964 g/cm2. The moderate drinkers' spines had an average density of 1.020 g/cm2, and the light drinkers had 1.011 g/cm2.
However, the researchers also observed that the non- and light-drinking twins did not have lower-than-average bone density. That indicated that low levels of alcohol consumption do not increase the risk of brittle bones and that moderate consumption "may even be beneficial" to bone health, they wrote.
The scientists believe moderate alcohol consumption may exert a beneficial effect on bones through its effects on hormones or its "influence on the micro-architecture of the bone," rather than through a mechanism related to bone formation and reabsorption.
In the study, the researchers cautioned that twins may not reflective of the general population and that women who have more than 21 drinks a week are probably at a higher risk of fractures because of their "increased risk of falls."
But Spector said, if supported by further research, their results indicate that in the future "women with osteoporosis [may] be told [by physicians] that a glass of wine a day would be healthy" for their bones.
# # #
For a comprehensive look at the potential health benefits of drinking wine, check out senior editor Per-Henrik Mansson's feature Eat Well, Drink Wisely, Live Longer: The Science Behind A Healthy Life With Wine
Read more about the potential health benefits of light to moderate alcohol consumption:
July 8, 2004
Wine Consumption May Not Lead to Gout, Study Finds
June 24, 2004
Moderate Wine Drinking May Decrease Ovarian Cancer Risk, Study Finds
June 3, 2004
Moderate Drinking Not Linked to Brain Damage, But Heavy Drinking Is, Study Finds
April 12, 2004
Moderate Drinking Cuts Health Risks for Men With Hypertension, Study Finds
March 31, 2004
Moderate Drinking Not Linked to Irregular Heartbeat, Study Says
March 29, 2004
Sherry May Be Good for Heart Health Too, Study Finds
March 11, 2004
Drinking Alcohol Reduces Risk Factors for Heart Disease in Elderly, Research Finds
Feb. 26, 2004
Light Drinking Linked to Better Cardiovascular Health in Elderly, Study Finds
Feb. 12, 2004
Red Wine May Help Reduce Damage from Smoking, Study Finds
Jan. 15, 2004
Study Finds Red Wine Destroys Bacteria That Cause Lung Infections, Heart Disease
Dec. 24, 2003
French Scientists Find New Anti-Cancer Substance in Red Wine
Nov. 3, 2003
Red-Wine Compound Shows Potential for Alleviating Bronchitis, Emphysema, Research Finds
Oct. 3, 2003
The Beer Gut Takes a One-Two Punch: Research Finds Drinking May Not Lead to Weight Gain
Sept. 24, 2003
Women Who Drink Wine More Likely to Become Pregnant, Research Shows
Sept. 22, 2003
Moderate Wine Drinking May Reduce Risk of Rectal Cancer, Study Shows
Sept. 10, 2003
Researchers Discover New Potentially Beneficial Compounds in Wine
Aug. 26, 2003
Red-Wine Compound May Hold Secret to Fountain of Youth, Harvard Researchers Believe
Aug. 22, 2003
Doctors Should Start Recommending Alcohol Consumption, Argue Australian Researchers
July 22, 2003
Risk of Diabetes Lower in Young Women Who Drink Moderately, Harvard Study Finds
June 4, 2003
Moderate Drinking May Reduce Tumors in the Colon
May 30, 2003
Red-Wine Compound Might Help Prevent Cancer-Causing Sunburns, Study Finds
May 23, 2003
Red-Wine Polyphenol May Help Keep the Heart Healthy, Research Finds
May 1, 2003
Red-Wine Compound Shows Potential for Fighting Skin Cancer
April 25, 2003
Grape-Seed Extract to Be Tested for Effectiveness in Reducing Scars From Radiation Treatments
April 11, 2003
Light to Moderate Drinking May Be Associated With Lower Rates of Dementia in Elderly, Says Study
Feb. 26, 2003
New Research Sheds More Light on Link Between Drinking and Stroke Risk
Jan. 31, 2003
French Scientists Develop White Wine That Acts Like a Red
Jan. 16, 2003
Wine, Beer Wipe Out Ulcer-Causing Bacteria, Study Shows
Jan. 10, 2003
Frequent Drinking Lowers Chance of Heart Attack, Study Shows
Jan. 7, 2003
Drinking Has Little Effect on Risk of Lung Cancer, Research Finds
Dec. 24, 2002
Moderate Alcohol Consumption May Be Better for Women's Hearts Than for Men's, Canadian Study Finds
Dec 23, 2002
Moderate Wine Consumption Linked to Lower Risk of Dementia, Study Finds
Nov. 7, 2002
Red-Wine Compound to Be Tested As Anti-Cancer Drug
Nov. 5, 2002
Drink to Your Health and Pour Some on the Counter, Too
Nov. 4, 2002
Moderate Wine-Drinking May Help Prevent Second Heart Attack, French Study Finds
Aug. 31, 2002
Wine Drinkers Have Healthier Habits, Study Reports
Aug. 22, 2002
Red Wine Helps Keep Obese People Heart-Healthy, Study Finds
July 24, 2002
Red Wine May Help Fight Prostate Cancer, Spanish Study Finds
June 11, 2002
Wine Consumption, Especially White, May Be Good for the Lungs, Study Finds
June 3, 2002
Moderate Drinking May Decrease Women's Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes
May 15, 2002
Wine Drinkers Less Likely to Catch Common Cold, Research Finds
April 15, 2002
Study Sheds New Light on How Red Wine May Help Fight Cancer
Jan. 31, 2002
Moderate Drinking May Be Good for the Brain, Not Just the Heart, New Study Finds
Jan. 31, 2002
Wine Drinking May Reduce Risk of Dementia in Elderly, Italian Study Finds
Jan. 21, 2002
English Scientists Claim to Crack French Paradox
Dec. 31, 2001
New Study Sheds More Light on Antioxidants in Red Wine
Dec. 13, 2001
Moderate Drinking Does Not Reduce Chance of Becoming Pregnant, Research Finds
Nov. 27, 2001
Moderate Drinking Can Slow Hardening of Arteries, New Research Shows
Nov. 6, 2001
Study Examines Drinking's Effect on Brain Health in Elderly
Aug. 15, 2001
Wine Drinkers Smarter, Richer and Healthier, Danish Study Finds
April 25, 2001
Chemical Compound Found in Red Wine May Lead to Treatment for Prostate Cancer
April 20, 2001
Drinking Wine After a Heart Attack May Help Prevent Another, Study Finds
Jan. 9, 2001
Wine Consumption Linked to Lower Risk of Strokes in Women, Finds CDC Study
Sept. 30, 2000
Wine May Have More Health Benefits Than Beer and Liquor
Aug. 7, 2000
Moderate Alcohol Consumption May Reduce Women's Risk of Heart Disease, New Study Shows
July 25, 2000
Harvard Study Examines the Role of Moderate Consumption in Women's Diets
June 30, 2000
Scientists Uncover Why Resveratrol May Help Prevent Cancer
May 31, 2000
Moderate Consumption Still Part of Healthy Diet
May 22, 2000
Moderate Drinking May Lower Men's Risk of Diabetes, Study Finds
May 17, 2000
European Study Links Wine Drinking to Lower Risk of Brain Deterioration in Elderly
May 12, 2000
Wine May Increase Bone Mass in Elderly Women, Study Finds
Feb. 4, 2000
Dietary Guidelines Committee Revises Recommendations on Alcohol
Dec. 17, 1999
Moderate Drinking Can Cut Heart Attacks By 25 Percent
Nov. 25, 1999
Study Finds Moderate Drinking Cuts Risk of Common Strokes
Nov. 10, 1999
Study Points to Potential Benefits of Alcohol for Heart Patients
Jan. 26, 1999
Moderate Alcohol Consumption Cuts Risk of Stroke for Elderly
Jan. 19, 1999
Light Drinkers Face No Added Risk of Breast Cancer
Jan. 5, 1999
New Studies Link Wine and Health Benefits
Oct. 31, 1998
Here's to Your Health: Is it now "medically correct" for a physician to prescribe a little wine to lower the risk of heart disease?