A daily glass of wine might be just as good as medication when protecting against fragile bones in older women, according to experts from an international review forum.

According to an article on the Daily Mail, experts noted that regularly enjoying a moderate glass of wine can help sustain bone strength in menopausal women but abstaining from alcohol can lead to an increased likelihood of developing osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is known as the "silent disease" because there are no indicators or noticeable symptoms until a victim suffers a bone fracture after a seemingly harmless fall or small incident. Sadly, once an osteoporosis sufferer has broken or fractured a bone, they are at a significantly increased risk of breaking another.

Experts from the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research analysed a recent study from Oregan University that tracked 40 healthy postmenopausal women that were around the age of 56.

The study found that when the postmenopausal women were drinking about two small glasses of wine daily there was a notable decline in bone loss.

But according to the researchers, when the women stopped consuming alcohol their "bone turnover" surged which in turn is said to increase the osteoporosis risk.

The next day when the women were asked to start drinking again, their bone turnover decreased.

Alcohol seems to balance the disproportion of old bone breaking up and the slow manufacturing of new bone. Slow or poor production of new bone can lead to osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

The forum said that alcohol seems to channel changes at a cellular level and that moderate drinking of beer and wine is beneficial to men and postmenopausal women because it improved bone strength.

According to the forum, this could partly clarify the anomaly of why drinkers have enhanced bone strength.

One reviewer said: "The results suggest an effect of moderate alcohol consumption similar to the effects of bisphosphonates."

Bisphosphonate is a drug many postmenopausal women take in order to combat thin and brittle bones from osteoporosis.

But experts also warned against overindulging in alcohol because heavy drinking can also lead to thinning bones.

Sarah Leyland of the National Osteoporosis Society warned against drinking more to protect bones and said: "Moderate amounts of alcohol might be beneficial for bones, but excessive alcohol increases the risk of fractures, as well as increasing the risk of falls."

The study was published in the journal Menopause.