Scientists at Innsbruck Medical University have performed a great service to mankind by demonstrating that beer has important health-promoting properties.
Scientists at Innsbruck Medical University have performed a great service to mankind by demonstrating that beer has important health-promoting properties.
In research published this week Professor Dietmar Fuchs and his team show that beer extracts block the inflammatory cascade initiated by interferon gamma. These pathways are closely linked with the pathogenesis of heart disease, among other chronic ailments. The healthy effects are similar to those reported previously for red wine.
But before dashing out to order several health-giving pints all round, there's one slight hitch.
The effect is inrelated to the alcohol content of beer. "The effects could indeed be observed in extracts of alcohol-free beers," says Fuchs. "Our finding must not be understood as an encouragement to drink alcohol."
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