BEER MAY BE GOOD FOR YOU _______________________________________________________________________
Finally, the news men have been waiting for: beer may have health benefits.
Scientists now know that some cancers are caused by heterocyclic amines, DNA-damaging chemicals found in cooked meat and fish. But when a team at Okayama University in Japan fed these chemicals to mice, the DNA damage to their liver, lungs and kidneys was reduced by up to 85 per cent if the mice drank non-alcoholic beer instead of water, reports New Scientist magazine.
They believe that as yet unidentified compounds in lager and stout may prevent the amines binding to and damaging DNA. If these compounds can be identified, brewers might be able to produce beers particularly rich in them, or they could be added to foods.
However, before you get yourself another beer, remember that heavy alcohol consumption is blamed for around six per cent of all cancers in western countries, though moderate consumption reduces the risk of heart disease. And, since the mice drank non-alcoholic beer, the findings do not show whether moderate consumption of normal beer has any anti-cancer benefits.
For more on this story, go to: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=19075
GarryK