Bones From Beer? It's Happening

Imagine this.  You lose your arm in a horrible accident and new bone is generated using beer waste.

Say what?

Research has just revealed that a lab has developed biocompatible materials that can be used for bone regeneration from food industry waste, mainly bagasse (residue) from beer brewing. Throw away those prostheses made from processed sheep bones or synthetic materials which are more expensive and more harmful to the environment.

According to Medical Design Technology, the waste obtained from the beer brewing process "contains the main chemical components found in bones (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and silica), that after undergoing modification processes, can be used as support or scaffold to promote bone regeneration for medical applications such as coating prosthesis or bone grafts."

A photo at the Web site shows it, a kind of thick cottage-cheesy-looking chunk.

So the next time your bone is severely injured, look to beer, experts say. Though I think I'm sticking to the old stuff the next time I break my wrist.  




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