Beer, and more specifically hop flower, will have an important neuroprotective effect in protecting us from Alzheimer’s disease. How do we explain it?
The jump flower is all good on the memory front! This plant of the cannabinaceae family used as flavoring in 1001 beers served around the world will indeed be a friend of our neurons. In any case, this is the conclusion formulated by Cristina Airoldi and Alessandro Palmioli, scientists from the University of Milan, in a study published on November 7, 2022.
Supportive Evidence: In vitro, not over the counter, “components of hops flowers induced agglutination of beta-amyloid plaques, a biological phenomenon characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease,” the researchers summarized.
Antioxidants and polyphenols
“We observed four distinct hops flowers: some of them have an antioxidant power that is able to prevent the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques in neurons.” Was one flower more effective than the other? Yes that from Tettnang, known for its spicy and herbal aroma, used in most beers, in light beers of so-called bottom fermentation* but also in English ale and wheat ale. Thus, “the high content of polyphenols ensures a strong antibiotic potency and greater efficiency in inhibiting the agglutination process of beta-amyloid plaques.”
This discovery sheds light on this very delicate moment in pathology. Progress because one of the difficulties in the management of Alzheimer’s disease is to treat the patient between this first stage of the disease, the agglutination of plaques and beta-amyloid, and the onset of the first symptoms. Often, several years separate these two phases. The result: damage to the nervous system becomes irreversible even before the diagnosis is made.
“Under no circumstances should our work encourage the consumption of alcohol,” Cristina Airoldi recalls. But “this study is part of the field of Nutrients: an approach that studies the benefits of drinks and foods on biological processes at work in specific diseases.”
for blogging The benefits of hops on cognitive abilities have been the subject of several studies highlighting the effects of the flavonoid, xanthohumol, in stimulating cognitive abilities. In capsule form, buds of bitter beer acid (MHBA) have been touted as stimulating memory and attention span. They also reduce stress levels and prevent cognitive decline.
