Who knew? Then again, is it any surpise to us at the Blue Boar, who have long known of the healing properties of our favorite beverage? Newsmax reports:
It turns out that hops, which is the flavor component of beer, contains a cancer-fighting compound called xanthohumol. Xanthohumol turns out to be toxic to several kinds of human cancer, including prostate, ovarian, breast, and colon. Further, it inhibits enzymes that can activate the development of cancer, and also helps detoxify carcinogens. It even seems to slow down tumor growth in the early stages.
If I ever go on chemo, I know what I want pumping into my veins. Probably an IPA, because the hoppier the beer, the greater its cancer-fighting ability. Oh, and my women readers, listen to this!
Other compounds in hops are potent phytoestrogens which may help with post-menopausal hot flashes and also prevent osteoporosis.
Does it really get any better than that? Beer for women's health! And the Germans, bless them, are already "racing to develop a 'health' beer." Blog Nerd, call your office. The rest of you have your marching orders: here at the Blue Boar, we don't race for the cure. We drink for the cure.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Beer fights cancer
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10 comments:
Never giving up alcohol for Lent again!
No, you can give up alcohol, just not beer. Or, if you decide to give up beer (a sturdy, manly mortification if there ever was one), then drink enough on Sundays to last all week.
Remember, the six Sundays that fall between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday are not part of Lent. If they were, Lent would be 46 days instead of just 40.
This news has made me a happier woman. Now, if I can't get home brew - which beer is best to buy while waiting on the Health Beer to be developed?
Er, rather, best to *drink*. (and buy)
Hello Candlestring. The article said hops content is a factor, so I'd go with an India Pale Ale (IPA), which are very highly hopped. Hops are the seasoning in beer, in both senses of the term: as a flavor adjunct,ofsetting the sweetness of the malt, and as a preservative. The style was developed during the British colonial era, when beer for troops in India was made with extra hops to prevent spoilage on the long trek.
Aside from that, American "craft brewed" pale ales tend to be more highly hopped than English ales. The article said that dark beers tend to be more hoppy, but that is an error. Hops contribute nothing to the color of beer and not all dark beers are made with a lot of hops.
Ah, hops. The prince of plants, imparting to the noble beer its savor and aroma. Praised be God for His goodness in creating such a good plant, just one of countless plants which contain in themselves the cures for the ills of men.
And I too am never giving up beer for Lent again!
The myths of dark beer never fail to amaze me.
Dark beer means that they included a bit of darkly roasted malt in the brew. It doesn't take much to color it.
It has nothing to do with the amount of malt or hops.
Guinness, that most famous of dark beers, has hardly no hops and less malt than most "light" beers. Yet the myth persists that Guinness is a "heavy" beer.
If Guinness is so heavy, how could it float ON TOP of a black-and-tan?
Truth is, most all beers were dark until about the Civil War, when a blond pilsner first appeared at a World's Fair.
Oh my goodness! IPA is my FAVORITE!!! Dh and I are trying to set up a budget and I suggested that we needed to give up beer. Guess we'll have to find something else to cut out...and stick our beer budget under medical. ;-)
DURN. Guinness is my favorite.
Sigh, Chestertonian. I think we'll get beaten to the punch on this one.
But remember. You heard it here first.
Does the malted stuff in dark brews have all the iron? Is it true that stout has iron in it? This has been used to justify stout while nursing, which I happily partake in.
Good for you, BN, on drinking Guinness while nursing. But the iron comes from the water, not from any ingredients. And here is the sad kicker: a lot of Guinness now sold in the US is brewed in Canada, and I doubt they ship water from the wells at St. James Gate to Canada for brewing.
Next time you buy Guinness, check the label. If it says "Brewed in Canada," it probably does not have the iron content that Guinness from Ireland has. Maybe I (or any of you) should do some research into brews with high iron content. The water in Bass Ale is high in calcium, but I'm not sure about the iron.
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