The nutritional components of beer and its relationship with neurodegeneration and alzheimer’s disease

Authors of a review published in the journal Nutrients state that the prevalence of degenerative diseases has risen in western countries. Growing evidence suggests that dementia and other cognition affectations are associated with ambient factors including specific nutrients, food ingredients or specific dietary patterns. Mediterranean diet adherence has been associated with various health benefits and decreased risk of many diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. Beer, as part of this protective diet, contains compounds such as silicon and hops that could play a major role in preventing brain disorders.
In a review, the researchers address different topics regarding Mediterranean diet, beer and the consumption of their main compounds and their relation to neurological health. Taking into account published results from their group and other studies, the hypothesis linking aluminum intoxication with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s disease and the potential role of regular beer is also considered. Beer, in spite of its alcohol content, may have some health benefits; nonetheless, its consumption is not adequate for all subjects. Thus, the review analyses some promising results of non- alcoholic beer on several mechanisms engaged in neurodegeneration such as inflammation, oxidation, and cholinesterase activity, and their contribution to the behavioural modifications induced by aluminum intoxication.
The review ends by giving conclusions and suggesting future topics of research related to moderate beer consumption and/or the consumption of its major compounds as a potential instrument for protecting against neurodegenerative disease progression and emphasizes the need to develop nutrigenetic and nutrigenomic studies in aged people and animal models.
Source: The Nutritional Components of Beer and Its Relationship with Neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s Disease. FJ Sánchez-Muniz, A Macho-González, A Garcimartín, JA Santos-López, J Benedí, S Bastida and MJ González-Muñoz. Nu rients 2019, 11(7), 1558