Beer study finds antioxidant effect fights brain diseases

SO the amber fluid may not be so evil after all. It appears it may really be flooding the brain with warm, fuzzy goodness.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 31: A man wears 'beer goggles' at the Notting Hill Carnival on August 31, 2009 in London, England. Hundreds of thousands are attending Europe's biggest street party. Carnival floats, dancers, food stalls and 40 static sound systems entertain revellers on the 3.5 mile route through the streets of west London. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

SO the amber fluid may not be so evil after all. It appears it may really be lubricating the brain — in a good way.

A new study has found that something about the ‘nectar of the gods’ has a miraculous effect: Reducing the chances of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

But don’t put on those beer-coloured glasses just yet.

A beer a day won’t keep the doctor away.

But there is something about it that will keep scientists staring at the bottom of their schooners.

It’s called Xanthohumol: And it’s been linked to reducing the likelihood of neurodegenerative disorders.

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It’s one of the components that makes up hops — that all important secret ingredient in beer.

In fact, it is one of the things that gives the amber fluid its golden colour.

It’s one of the flavonoid family of antioxidants. You may have heard of them before. They’re also common in two other indulgences: Chocolate and red wine.

If consumed in large enough quantities, they can have a positive influence on the heard, cancer and inflammation.

That’s the original berries and grapes we’re talking about: More than a moderate amount of booze is most certainly still a bad thing.

Source: American Chemical Society

But, next time you’re at the barbie, you can baffle your mates with science as you nurse a coldie.

It’s these antioxidants in beer which dull-down the bits ‘burning’ the brain.

In this instance, it’s not the neurons.

Instead, it’s the waste molecules created by our cells which are pumped full of oxygen.

These are highly reactive and tend to gather in the brain. While they have an important role, excessive amounts in the system can be damaging.

Beer (let’s not give the Xanthohumol too much credit) gets into the brain and takes the edge off these over-oxygenated troublemakers.

As with all science, it’s been rigorously tested.

No chance to volunteer though. The subjects were rats.

Or, at least, their brains in a Petri dish.

Better than just quashing the oxidants, the beer seems to have promoted the productivity of other protective genes related to combating the physical effects of stress.

No, self medication is not yet a viable answer.

But the scientists of the American Chemical Society are convinced that Xanthohumol in particular is worth pursuing as a potential treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers.

@JamieSeidel