Insights & Discussion
Beer, specifically low-purine and high-active ingredient beer such as ginger, ginseng, and coix-lily, possess functional ingredients contributing to controlling chronic human diseases.
The study incorporated a comprehensive analysis of information derived from PubMed, Google, CNKI, and ISI Web of Science databases, integrating published data from 1997 to 2024. The researchers set out to elucidate the physiological impacts of beer's functional ingredients, with an intense concentration on those exerting potential health benefits. The types of beer explored encompass those produced from pure barley malt, presenting low purine and high active ingredients. More specific attention was directed towards uniquely brewed variants such as ginger, ginseng, and coix-lily beer, which replicate ancestral practices from approximately 9000 years ago.
The discussion of results inferred the observable health benefits of beer in combating 26 chronic diseases, attributing these effects primarily to the physiological behavior of the beer's polyphenols, melatonin, minerals, bitter acids, vitamins, and peptides. Importantly, these health impacts of beer were found to closely resemble those demonstrated by barley, signifying the consequential role of barley's functionality in the equation. Furthermore, it was highlighted that the production of low-purine beer could be facilitated through enzymatic and biological degradation and adsorption of purines, in conjunction with the addition of dandelion. This research, hence, provides a crucial scientific foundation for the advancement of functional beers that foster health benefits.
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Moderate beer intake does not show a protective effect against bone loss in early post-menopausal women.
2022 Frontiers in Nutrition Effect of moderate beer consumption (with and without ethanol) on osteoporosis in early postmenopausal women: Results of a pilot parallel clinical trial Trius-Soler M, Tresserra-Rimbau A, Moreno JJ, Peris P, Estruch R, Lamuela-Raventós RM
Beer Osteoporosis
In a 2-year controlled clinical intervention study, 31 postmenopausal women were divided into three groups: 15 consumed beer with alcohol daily, 6 consumed non-alcoholic beer daily, and 10 refrained from consuming any alcohol, non-alcoholic beer, and hop-related products. All participants underwent baseline and follow-up assessments, wherein plasma and urine samples were collected for biochemical testing, and data about their medical history, diet, and exercise habits were also gathered. The comprehensive, detailed examination involved the use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to determine bone mineral density and trabecular bone score. Furthermore, yearly determinations of bone formation and bone resorption markers were made.
The study showed that the markers of bone formation had indeed increased in the groups consuming beer with alcohol and non-alcoholic beer compared to the control group over the course of 2 years. However, there were no significant changes noted in the bone mineral density and trabecular bone score among the three groups throughout the study period. These findings contradict the hypothesis that moderate beer consumption could have protective effects against bone loss in early post-menopausal women.
Moderate consumption of beer, due to its melatonin content, can beneficially contribute to healthy diets and improve quality of life in certain physiological conditions.
2022 Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture The melatonin contained in beer can provide health benefits, due to its antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties Maldonado MD, Romero‐Aibar J, Calvo JR
Beer Melatonin
The methodology of the study primarily involved a comprehensive review of data, partially acquired from a MEDLINE/PubMed search spanning nearly five decades, from 1975 to April 2022. Supplementary data was also sourced from personal experiences and previously published studies about melatonin, the immune system, and beer. The aim was to examine the generation mechanisms of melatonin in beer, its concentrations, and potential impacts on health.
In discussing the results, the study highlighted the rich melatonin content of beer and its echoes in potent antioxidant, oncostatic, immunomodulatory, and cytoprotective properties. Diving further into the beneficial aspects of beer consumption, the study found that the melatonin content of beer, when consumed moderately, could serve as a protective factor. This was particularly applicable in certain scenarios such as a on healthy diet, during pregnancy, menopause and in old age. The paper strongly suggests that moderate beer consumption can enhance the quality of life.
The combinations of hop-derived polyphenols found in beer can collaboratively enhance estrogenic effects, especially when mixed with certain estrogenic pesticides.
2021 Frontiers in Nutrition Systemically Achievable Doses of Beer Flavonoids Induce Estrogenicity in Human Endometrial Cells and Cause Synergistic Effects With Selected Pesticides Aichinger G, Bliem G, Marko D
Beer Flavonoids Oestrogen
Researchers utilized the alkaline phosphatase assay testing on Ishikawa cells to investigate the combined estrogenic effects of three signature compounds - xanthohumol, 8-prenylnaringenin, and iso-xanthohumol which mirror their concentration ratios in beer. Additionally, the natural flavonoid pattern was added to a mixture of representative estrogenic pesticides to measure their combined effects.
The results indicated cumulative to slightly synergistic effects between isolated flavonoids, as well as between the flavonoid and the pesticide mixtures. Notably, these impacts were observed at low nanomolar hop polyphenol concentrations, corresponding to levels realistically found after consumption of strongly hopped beer, suggesting a potential health concern.
Moderate daily consumption of beer, both with and without alcohol, can significantly alleviate menopause-related symptoms and improve cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women.
2021 Nutrients Moderate Consumption of Beer (with and without Ethanol) and Menopausal Symptoms: Results from a Parallel Clinical Trial in Postmenopausal Women Trius-Soler M, Marhuenda-Muñoz M, Laveriano-Santos EP, Martínez-Huélamo M, Sasot G, Storniolo CE, et al.
Beer Cardiovascular Disease Menopause
In the research, 37 postmenopausal women were voluntarily put through a parallel controlled intervention trial, involving three study groups. The trial involved 16 women consuming beer with alcohol (330 mL/day), 7 women consuming non-alcoholic beer (660 mL/day), and 14 women as control.
In assessing the results, it was found that both interventions, beer with and without alcohol, substantially reduced the severity of menopause-associated symptoms. Specifically, beer with alcohol positively contributed to reducing psychological discomforts linked to menopause when compared to the control group. It was additionally noted that these beneficial effects could be traced to the non-alcoholic section of the beer, as the sex hormone profile remained largely unchanged across the different study groups. In addition, the group that consumed non-alcoholic beer conveyed improvements in their lipid profiles and exhibited lower blood pressure levels, indicating better cardiovascular health.
Moderate beer consumption could potentially alleviate menopausal symptoms by influencing the internal estrogen receptors through the phenolic compounds present in beer.
2017 Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity Beer Polyphenols and Menopause: Effects and Mechanisms—A Review of Current Knowledge Sandoval-Ramírez BA, Lamuela-Raventós RM, Estruch R, Sasot G, Doménech M, Tresserra-Rimbau A
Review Article Beer Menopause
The study used the developments in food analysis techniques over the past two decades to explore the correlation between the intake of polyphenols from moderate beer consumption and the relief of vasomotor symptoms often experienced during menopause. The focus was on phenolic compounds present in beer like 8-prenylnaringenin, 6-prenylnaringenin, and isoxanthohumol and how they interact directly with intracellular estrogen receptors to influence gene expression and sex hormone plasma concentrations.
The observed results pointed to the potential positive effects of moderate beer consumption on menopausal symptoms. It was inferred that phenolic compounds in beer could interact directly with intracellular estrogen receptors, leading to a modulation of gene expression, thereby balancing physiological hormone imbalance in menopausal women. This alternative could serve as a safer option for alleviating menopausal symptoms as traditional hormone replacement therapies have known health risks. However, these findings need to be viewed keeping in mind the implications of beer consumption on overall health.
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