Just some things I found while searching healt benefits of beer.
Moderation,of course,is the key word.TOO MUCH WATER,even,CAN KILL YA.
http://www.aim-digest.com/gateway/pages ... odnews.htm
http://www.livestrong.com/article/26329 ... s-in-beer/
Hop constituents - the spice in beer
Hops - an essential and unique ingredient of beer - contribute to the characteristic aroma and bitterness that makes beer the thirst quenching drink enjoyed by the consumer. Hops also act as a natural antibiotic, ensuring that the beer remains fresh to drink. Many hop constituents, however, also add health properties to beer, according to the research of Prof. Denis de Keukeleire, director of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry at Ghent University, Belgium. He has carried out research on hops and beer for 35 years.
2-4 grams of hops are needed for every litre of beer leading to ca. 100 mgs per litre hop-derived constituents which account for various medicinal properties:
·Sedative compounds with stress combating and sleep inducing properties.
·Flavonoids with potent antioxidant activity protecting against reactive oxygen species.
·Compounds with bacteriostatic, fungistatic and antiinflammatory action.
·Estrogenic compounds counteracting complaints related to the menopause.
·Bitter compunds which stimulates the digestive tract.
·Compounds with diuretic activity and beneficial effect against bladder complaints.
Most prominent among the bioactive hop constituents are the prenylated flavonoids that are transferred to a significant extent (up to 4 milligrams per litre) from hops to beer.
According to research in progress at Ghent University prenylated hop flavonoids have an effect on enzymes that affect the ratio of androgenic and estrogenic hormones in prostate cells with an inhibition of BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) as a possible result. The interesting finding from the test tubes of Ghent University is in accordance with recent results from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study: moderate alcohol consumption almost halved the American Health Professionals risk of BPH (Am J Epidemiol 1999;149:106-15).
Among the 20 compounds, which have been identified to date, 8-prenylnaringenin (hopein) appears to be the most intriguing compound with possible chemopreventive power:
·Inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes which mediate metabolic conversion of procarcinogens to carcinogens.
·Inhibition of human aromatase and 5a -reductase = a possible inhibition of prostate cancer.
·Inhibition of angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels) = a possible inhibition of metastasis (spread of cancer from one organ to another part of the body).
Working with a screening program for chemo-preventive action of natural compounds Dr. Norbert Frank, senior scientist in the division of Toxicology and Cancer Risk Factors at Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum in Heidelberg, found xanthohumol (XN) from hops to be a very promising agent. Laboratory experiments have shown that XN is protective at all levels of the carcinogenic process. Going from laboratory to animal experiments Dr. Frank could demonstrate that XN at very low concentrations prevented the early stages of carcinogenesis in cultured mouse mammary glands providing a first direct proof for its chemopreventive potential.