Now there’s another reason to drink beer that could possibly save your life.
What we once knew about beer as a vile beverage that you should abstain from as best as possible could change with this new research study suggesting that “hoppy” beer can actually help to reduce the risk of liver disease.
If you’re looking for ways on how to protect your liver, beer might just be that solution.
Experiment On Benefits Of Beer With Hops
Researchers from Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Germany carried out an experiment with three groups of mice. One group was given beer with hops while the other was given beer without hops. The last group was then given ethanol. Results showed the mice that drank beer without hops had the same amount of fat accumulation – which is one of the main causes of liver diseases – as those that drank the ethanol.
The results from this study strongly support previous studies done to show that people who drink hard liquor frequently – which is not made with hops – are more susceptible to liver diseases.
How to Protect your Liver with Hops
Hops come from the hops flower called Humulus lupulus and are mostly used to add flavour to the beer and it also acts as a preservative. The study conducted have also shown that hops have the ability to reduce the formation of a compound called reactive oxygen species. These compounds are blamed for causing high damage to the liver because of its high reactivity.
More evidence of hops having medicinal value lies in how researchers at the Mediterranean Neurological Institute in Italy have found that acids called humulones and lupulones can stop diseases and bacteria growth. Researchers at the university are also looking for a way to extract these compounds to develop active agents that have a chance of fighting cancers and diseases.
Drink In Moderation
But among all the positive studies done on hops, you must definitely not take it for granted thinking that regular beer drinking is the only solution on how to protect your liver. As with all the other alcoholic drinks, beer must be drunk in moderation. Although the research has shown some good signs of what hops can do to your body, it is still not known as to exactly what amount of hops should be in the beer for positive effects to be seen, as the amount can vary with different types of beer.
Featured photo credit: Beer via flickr.com
