One or two glasses of wine a day can protect older women from thinning bones while abstaining from alcohol can lead to a higher risk of osteoporosis, a new study has claimed.

Researchers from University of Oregon found that regular moderate intake of alcohol after the menopause helps to maintain bone strength in women, the Daily Mail reported. In comparison, abstaining from alcohol leads to a higher risk of developing osteoporosis which leads to thinning and weakening of bones.

The study which looked at 40 healthy postmenopausal women aged around 56 found that while women were drinking 19 g of alcohol a day -- about two small glasses of wine -- they had a drop in loss of old bone that improved the balance between old and new bone, maintaining strength.

When the women were asked to stop drinking, their 'bone turnover' went up. Alcohol appears to remedy the imbalance between the dissolving of old bone and poor production of new bone that can lead to osteoporosis in older women.