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Beer could help 'protect brain against Parkinson's and Alzheimer's' " As self-delusional arguments go, it sounds like it is up there with claims that a bowl of ice-cream supplies a quarter of your daily calcium needs. However, scientists in China have found that drinking beer could help protect the brain from a number of degenerative brain diseases. A team of researchers at Lanzhou University have published a study which claims that xanthohumol, a type of flavinoid found in hops, could help protect the brain against the onset of diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and dementia. According to Jianguo Fang,...

It might be your preference to crack open a bottle of red wine at the end of a hard day but you may be better off pouring a pint. Researchers at the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg have discovered that beer contains a powerful molecule that helps protect against breast and prostate cancers. Found in hops, the substance called xanthohumol blocks the excessive action of testosterone and oestrogen. It also helps to prevent the release of a protein called PSA which encourages the spread of prostate cancer. Scientists have long known that substances in hops help to block oestrogen....

Nov. 7) — "Mmmm … beer." This oft-repeated sentiment of Homer Simpson is a mantra for the millions of beer drinkers in the United States. As popular as beer is, however, it often has gotten a bad rap as a calorie-loaded beverage that only serves to create paunchy beer bellies and alcohol-fueled lapses in judgment. But that negative image may begin to fade: Research is showing that beer could join the ranks of other guilt-inducing but wildly popular foods -- chocolate, coffee and red wine -- as a possible disease-fighter. It turns out that beer hops contain a unique micronutrient...