Samuel
Sun, Oct-16-05, 08:47
http://www.health.com/health/article/0,23414,1103114,00.html
Health, October 2005
Good News About Brews
by Patti Woods
Put on your lederhosen—it’s time to drink to your health.
It looks like certain compounds in beer may help with bone health, prevent hot flashes, and even help you avoid cancer. In fact, beer may be gaining on red wine. Due to its popularity, beer is now providing more antioxidants per day in the typical American diet than red wine, says Joe Vinson, PhD, a University of Scranton chemistry professor. All that’s in addition to beer’s blood-thinning properties that can help fend off cardiovascular disease.
Behind the boons: two vital elements in hops, beer’s primary ingredient. One, xanthohumol, shows promise as a cancer preventive. The other, 8-prenylnaringenin, is the most potent phytoestrogen (a naturally occurring plant compound that’s been linked to reduced rates of heart disease and cancer) identified to date. Fred Stevens, PhD, an assistant professor of chemistry at Oregon State University and author of a recent study in the journal Phytochemistry, says beer is one of the few dietary sources of this special cancer-fighter.
And there’s more. Researchers at The Rayne Institute in London found that beer’s hops and barley are major sources of dietary silicon, a mineral that not only reduces bone loss but, unlike calcium, also increases bone formation.
“Moderate drinking does have beneficial effects on bone, and choosing beer over wine or liquor would mean you will also get the added benefits of silicon,” said Ravin Jugdaohsingh, PhD, one of the researchers. The American Heart Association says “moderate” means one 12-ounce beer per day for women, two for men.
Even more good news for women: The phytoestrogen in hops is known to help level out hormones, including estrogen, whose deficiency is linked to hot flashes during perimenopause. The Rayne Institute study found no difference in various beers’ silicon levels. So you can toast your health with anything from a dark German Rauchbier to a Jamaican Red Stripe.
Health, October 2005
Good News About Brews
by Patti Woods
Put on your lederhosen—it’s time to drink to your health.
It looks like certain compounds in beer may help with bone health, prevent hot flashes, and even help you avoid cancer. In fact, beer may be gaining on red wine. Due to its popularity, beer is now providing more antioxidants per day in the typical American diet than red wine, says Joe Vinson, PhD, a University of Scranton chemistry professor. All that’s in addition to beer’s blood-thinning properties that can help fend off cardiovascular disease.
Behind the boons: two vital elements in hops, beer’s primary ingredient. One, xanthohumol, shows promise as a cancer preventive. The other, 8-prenylnaringenin, is the most potent phytoestrogen (a naturally occurring plant compound that’s been linked to reduced rates of heart disease and cancer) identified to date. Fred Stevens, PhD, an assistant professor of chemistry at Oregon State University and author of a recent study in the journal Phytochemistry, says beer is one of the few dietary sources of this special cancer-fighter.
And there’s more. Researchers at The Rayne Institute in London found that beer’s hops and barley are major sources of dietary silicon, a mineral that not only reduces bone loss but, unlike calcium, also increases bone formation.
“Moderate drinking does have beneficial effects on bone, and choosing beer over wine or liquor would mean you will also get the added benefits of silicon,” said Ravin Jugdaohsingh, PhD, one of the researchers. The American Heart Association says “moderate” means one 12-ounce beer per day for women, two for men.
Even more good news for women: The phytoestrogen in hops is known to help level out hormones, including estrogen, whose deficiency is linked to hot flashes during perimenopause. The Rayne Institute study found no difference in various beers’ silicon levels. So you can toast your health with anything from a dark German Rauchbier to a Jamaican Red Stripe.