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A glass of red wine, a handful of peanuts or a nibble of chocolate could protect against osteoporosis, the Daily Mail reports.

Resveratrol, a natural compound found in red wine and grapes, mulberries, cocao powder and peanuts has anti-inflammatory properties which protect against bone loss in mice and rats.

Now Danish researchers have shown the plant compound, a type of natural phenol, increased spinal bone density in men with metabolic syndrome which has been linked to low-grade inflammation that can cause bone loss.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors, such as obesity or high blood pressure, that raise the risk of developing heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Dr Marie Juul Ørnstrup, MD, of Aarhus University Hospital said: 'Our study is the first to reveal resveratrol’s potential as an anti-osteoporosis drug in humans.

'Our findings suggest the compound stimulates bone-forming cells within the body.'

The study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism assessed bone mineral density and signs of bone formation and resorption in 66 middle-aged men with metabolic syndrome.

Over 16-weeks the men took either a 500-miligram dose of resveratrol, a 75-miligram dose of the compound or a placebo twice a day.

Men who took the higher dose of resveratrol had a 2.6 per cent increase in lumbar spine volumetric bone mineral density compared to men who had taken the placebo.

The high resveratrol group also had a 16 per cent increase in levels of the bone formation marker bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) compared to the control group.

Dr Ørnstrup said: 'In just four months on high-dose resveratrol, we saw significant improvements in bone mineral density at the spine and elevated levels of the bone formation marker BAP.

'These are encouraging results. Additional research is needed to assess whether these bone protective effects occur in populations at risk of osteoporosis during the course of long-term treatment.'

Red wine contains between 0.2 and 5.8 mg/l depending on the grape variety while chocolate contains 0.35 to 1.85 mg/kg.

Resveratrol is also sold as a supplement in health shops.