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PubMed2005

Effects of the combination of hydrophobic polypeptides, iso-alpha acids, and malto-oligosaccharides on beer foam stability.

The influence of hydrophobic polypeptides concentrated in beer foam, together with the composition of iso-alpha acids and the content of malto-oligosaccharides in beer on foam stability, has been investigated. The objective was to find out whether a shortage of one of these positive contributors to foam stability could be compensated for by an increased presence of another or whether optimum levels of each contributor is necessary. For that purpose, an image analysis method to evaluate beer foam quality was developed. The foam collapse time was the parameter chosen to group beers according to their foam stability. Profiles of hydrophobic polypeptides that concentrate in beer foam, iso-alpha acids, and malto-oligosaccharides of 14 beer brands were acquired by high-performance liquid chromatography. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to show the relationship between beer brands and its composition. Beers that contained propylene glycol alginate as a foam enhancer showed high foam stability except for one beer, which had a low content of hydrophobic polypeptides, thereby highlighting the requirement of threshold levels of hydrophobic polypeptides to obtain stable foam. The data of samples that were devoid of a foam additive were subjected to a discriminant statistical analysis. Foam stability declined in proportion to decreases in hydrophobic polypeptides and to a lesser extent to decreases in iso-alpha-acid contents. Apparently, the content of malto-oligosaccharides were found to have no major influence on foam stability. The model of discriminate analysis was found to explain 100% of the variance in data with 85.2% success in classifying all samples according to the model, suggesting that foam stability is mainly governed by the beer constituents evaluated in this study.

Acids↗

PubMed2002

Effect of beer on the plasma concentrations of uridine and purine bases.

We conducted the present study to determine whether beer, both with and without ethanol content, increases the plasma concentration and urinary excretion of purine bases and uridine. Because 10 mL of regular beer (with ethanol) was found to contain 0.34 g of freeze-dried beer (without ethanol) and 0.5 mg of uridine, 5 healthy males were given regular beer (10 mL/kg of body weight) and freeze-dried beer (0.34 g/kg of body weight) or uridine (0.5 mg/kg of body weight). The plasma concentrations of hypoxanthine, xanthine, and uridine increased by 3.5-fold (P <.05), 4.7-fold (P <.05), and 1.8-fold (P <.05), respectively, 30 minutes after regular beer ingestion, and the urinary excretion of hypoxanthine, xanthine, and uridine increased by 4.0-fold (P <.05), 4.5-fold (P <.01), and 1.7-fold (P <.05), respectively, when measured 1 hour after ingestion. The plasma concentrations of uric acid and total purine bases increased by 6.5% (P <.05) and 7.6% (P <.05), respectively, 30 minutes after regular beer ingestion, whereas the urinary excretion of uric acid did not increase, while that of total purine bases increased by 1.3-fold (P <.05) when measured 1 hour after ingestion. As for freeze-dried beer, the plasma concentrations of uric acid total purine bases increased by 4.4% (P <.05) and 4.6% (P <.05), respectively, and that of uridine by 1.5-fold (P <.01) 30 minutes after ingestion, while the urinary excretion of uridine increased by 1.4-fold (P <.01) 1 hour after ingestion. However, the plasma concentrations and urinary excretion of hypoxanthine and xanthine and the urinary excretion of uric acid and total purine bases did not change significantly. As for uridine ingestion, the plasma concentration of uridine increased by 1.37-fold (P <.01) 30 minutes after ingestion, and the urinary excretion of uridine increased by 1.3-fold (P <.01) 1 hour after ingestion. However, the plasma concentrations and urinary excretion of hypoxanthine, xanthine, uric acid, and total purine bases did not change significantly. These results suggest that the purines in beer played a major role in the increase in the plasma concentration of uric acid, while both uridine and ethanol in beer had a significant effect on the increase in plasma concentration of uridine.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Effects of allopurinol on beer-induced increases in plasma concentrations and urinary excretion of purine bases (uric acid, hypoxanthine, and xanthine).

To determine the effects of allopurinol on beer-induced increases in plasma and urinary excretion of purine bases (hypoxanthine, xanthine, and uric acid), we performed three experiments on five healthy study participants. In the first experiment (combination study), the participants ingested beer (10 ml/kg body weight) eleven hours after taking allopurinol (300 mg). In the second experiment (beer-only study), the same participants ingested beer (10 ml/kg body weight) alone, while in the third experiment (allopurinol-only study), they took allopurinol (300 mg) alone. There was a two-week interval between each of the studies. Beer-induced increases in plasma concentration and urinary excretion of hypoxanthine in the combination study were markedly higher than those in the beer-only study. On the other hand, the sum of increases in plasma concentrations of purine bases in the beer-only study was greater than in the combination study, whereas the increase in plasma uridine concentration in the combination study did not differ from the beer-only study. In addition, allopurinol administration inhibited the beer-induced increase in plasma concentration of uric acid. These results suggest that abrupt adenine nucleotide degradation may increase plasma concentration and urinary excretion of hypoxanthine under conditions of low xanthine dehydrogenase activity, which is mostly ascribable to allopurinol. Further, the difference in the sum of increases in plasma concentrations of purine bases between the combination study and beer-only study was largely ascribable to a greater increase in urinary excretion of hypoxanthine in the combination study. In addition, allopurinol intake seems to be effective in controlling the rapid increase in plasma uric acid caused by ingestion of alcoholic beverages.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for analysis of beer for fumonisins.

A recently developed sensitive indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to the determination of fumonisins in beer. Intra-assay and inter-assay recoveries averaged 98.7-102.8% at added fumonisin B1 (FB1) levels of 0.5-50 ng/ml beer, and coefficients of variation were 2.8-4.4 and 4.7-8.6%, respectively. Cross-reactivity of fumonisin B2 (FB2) compared with FB1 averaged 67% in beer. Two experiments were carried out to compare ELISA with liquid chromatography (LC) for determination of fumonisins in beer. In the first experiment, 19 samples (five previously known positive, nine other samples and five spiked samples) were passed through commercial immunoaffinity columns (ICs) and analysed by LC before conducting blind ELISA determinations on the extracts and beers directly. The known positive beers and extracts were used as blind duplicates. The second comparative experiment screened 46 beer samples by ELISA and then 22 positive and three of the negative samples were analysed by LC; the highest level found was 64.3 ng total fumonisins/ml measured by LC (24.7 ng/ml by ELISA). Regression analyses showed good correlation between ELISA and LC in the first experiment but low level interferences (equivalent to up to 5.35 ng fumonisin/ml) were observed by ELISA in the IC extracts. Five of nine beers negative by LC showed < 1 ng/ml ELISA responses on direct beer analysis. The second comparative experiment indicated underestimation by ELISA. However, there were two samples which tested positive by ELISA (0.2 ng/ml) but were found negative by LC (results close to the detection limits of both methods, which were 0.1 or 0.2 ng/ml by ELISA and 0.1-0.15 ng each fumonisin/ml by LC). There were no false negatives. It is concluded that ELISA has considerable value in rapid screening of beer directly for fumonisins.

Beer↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Detecting thiamine in beer.

AIMS: To ascertain whether thiamine HCl could be detected in beer using a double-blind triangular taste test. METHODS: Three 100 ml samples of beer to which 10 or 0 mg of thiamine were added were presented in counterbalanced order to 49 volunteers. Subjects consumed and rated each sample separately for taste and appearance and chose which beer was different. RESULTS: Thiamine-enriched beer could not be reliably distinguished from normal beer. However, a significant perceptual taste difference was found, with participants rating thiamine-fortified beer as more bitter than normal beer. CONCLUSIONS: Thiamine was found to alter the perception of bitterness of beer, but thiamine-fortified beer could not be reliably distinguished from normal beer.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Delta9-THC reinstates beer- and sucrose-seeking behaviour in abstinent rats: comparison with midazolam, food deprivation and predator odour.

AIMS: Recent studies suggest that cannabinoid receptor agonists may promote relapse to drug-seeking behaviour after a period of abstinence. In this study, the ability of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to reinstate previously reinforced responding for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages was assessed in rats using a novel lick-based paradigm. METHODS: Rats were initially given free access to beer (containing 4.5% ethanol v/v), near-beer (a beverage that looks and tastes like beer but contains <0.5% ethanol v/v) or isocaloric sucrose in their home cages for 3 weeks. They were then trained to lick at a tube to self-administer the pre-exposed beverage in operant chambers under a VR10 schedule in 30-min sessions daily. After approximately 3 weeks of such access, the rats underwent an extinction procedure, so that licking at the tube produced no reward. Once responding had ceased, the rats were subjected to various reinstatement tests. RESULTS: In Experiment 1, the cannabinoid receptor agonist Delta(9)-THC (1 mg/kg) significantly reinstated responding, previously reinforced with beer or near-beer. The effect was unlikely to be caused by increased appetite because 24 h food-deprivation had no such effect. Exposure to cat odour in the test chamber failed to reinstate responding for beer or near-beer and caused a complete inhibition of responding. In Experiment 2, Delta(9)-THC (0.3 and 1 but not 3 mg/kg) again reinstated beer-seeking behaviour while the 1 mg/kg dose also reinstated responding in sucrose trained animals. Midazolam (0.15 mg/kg but not 0.5 or 1.5 mg/kg) produced a modest reinstatement of beer-seeking but had no effect on sucrose-seeking behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: The finding that Delta(9)-THC can reinstate alcohol-seeking provides the impetus for further research into the involvement of the cannabinoid system in alcohol craving. However, the reinstatement of near-beer and sucrose-seeking behaviour caused by Delta(9)-THC suggests a relatively non-specific effect. This may perhaps be related to the stressor-like effects of cannabinoids, and their ability to activate key neural circuitry in the amygdala and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed2006

Inhibitory effects of beer on mutation in the Ames test and DNA adduct formation in mouse organs induced by 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP).

An evaluation of the antigenotoxic potential of beer components against carcinogens contained in the human diet, namely heterocyclic amines (HCAs) including 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), was determined. The protective mechanism involved was also investigated. Beer samples were found to inhibit the mutagenicity of HCAs in the Ames test. Beer solution, consisting of a freeze-dried and dissolved sample, given as drink-water significantly reduced the formation of PhIP-DNA adducts in mouse colon and lung compared to control mice fed with PhIP in the absence of beer solution. Furthermore, beer solution added in the diet as a food additive mimic significantly reduced the amount of DNA adducts present in the liver and lung of mice fed with PhIP. In an effort to investigate the mechanism responsible for the observed protective effect, the effect of beer solutions on HCA metabolizing enzymes was investigated. Beer solutions inhibited the activity of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2, as determined from deethylation and demethylation assays using 7-ethoxy- and 7-methoxyresolufin, respectively. Considering the overall suppression of PhIP genotoxicity by beer, this study confirmed that beer components can interfere with the enzyme activity involved in the metabolism of HCAs and subsequently suppress the observed genotoxicity. The results of this study showed that beer components act in a protective capacity against the genotoxic effects of heterocyclic amines in vivo.

Amines↗

PubMed2002

Drinking beer reduces radiation-induced chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes.

We here investigated and reported the effects of beer drinking on radiation-induced chromosome aberrations in blood lymphocytes. Human blood that was collected either before or after drinking a 700 ml beer was in vitro irradiated with 200 kVp X rays or 50 keV/microm carbon ions. The relation between the radiation dose and the aberration frequencies (fragments and dicentrics) was significantly (p < 0.05) lower for lymphocytes collected 3 h after beer drinking than those before drinking. Fitting the dose response to a linear quadratic model showed that the alpha term of carbon ions was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased by beer drinking. A decrease of dicentric formation was detected as early as 0.5 h after beer drinking, and lasted not shorter than 4.5 h. The mitotic index of lymphocytes was higher after beer drinking than before, indicating that a division delay would not be responsible for the low aberrations induced by beer drinking. An in vitro treatment of normal lymphocytes with 0.1 M ethanol, which corresponded to a concentration of 6-times higher than the maximum ethanol concentration in the blood after beer drinking, reduced the dicentric formation caused by X-ray irradiation, but not by carbonion irradiation. The beer-induced reduction of dicentric formation was not affected by serum. It is concluded that beer could contain non-ethanol elements that reduce the chromosome damage of lymphocytes induced by high-LET radiation.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A survey of ochratoxin A and aflatoxins in domestic and imported beers in Japan by immunoaffinity and liquid chromatography.

Analyses of ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxins (AFs) in 94 imported beer samples from 31 producing countries and in 22 Japanese beer samples were performed by immunoaffinity column and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) with fluorescence detection. Recoveries of OTA from beer samples spiked at 25 and 250 pg/mL were 86.1 and 88.2%, respectively. Recoveries of AFs were 98.4 and 98.9%, 95.4 and 95.5%, 101.2 and 97.8%, and 98.9 and 96.0%, respectively, from beer samples spiked at 4.1 and 41 pg AF B1, 4.45 and 44.5 pg AF B2, 4.7 and 47 pg AF G1, and 4.65 and 46.5 pg AF G2/mL. Detection limits were 1.0 pg/mL for OTA, 0.5 pg/mL for AFs B1 and B2, and 1.0 pg/mL for AFs G1 and G2. OTA was detected in 86 (91.5%) of 94 imported beer samples at a mean level of 10.1 pg/mL and in 21 (95.5%) of 22 Japanese beer samples at a mean level of 12.5 pg/mL. AF B1 was detected in 11 of 94 imported beer samples at a level of 0.5-83.1 pg/mL and in 2 of 22 Japanese beer samples at 0.5 and 0.8 pg/mL. Except for one beer sample from Peru, the samples contaminated with AFs were also contaminated with OTA. Although OTA was detected in most samples from various countries, AFs were detected in the beer samples from only a limited number of countries where AF contamination might be expected to occur because of their warm climate.

Aflatoxin B1↗

PubMed1989

Maternal beer drinking: offspring growth and brain myelination.

The type of alcoholic beverage consumed by pregnant drinkers appears to influence fetal outcome. Beer drinkers are at greater risk than consumers of other alcoholic beverages for having children with fetal alcohol effects (Sixth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health, 1987). The magnitude of the risk is increased, because beer is a very popular beverage in our society. Although animal models have been developed to mimic fetal alcohol effect in humans, it is possible that stressful procedures such as intubation, and the hunger of pair-fed animals matched to animals drinking ethanol in liquid diet have interfered with obtaining a pattern of alcohol intake which closely matches that of humans. A majority of the animal models used for alcohol studies have provided ethanol for intake, rather than alcoholic beverages such as beer, which is favored by humans. Thus, a new model for voluntary beer drinking by rats is presented here for use in the study of maternal beer drinking during gestation, and the subsequent developmental consequences in the offspring. Female Long Evans rats (N = 45) were tested by beer preference and assigned to beer drinking (BR) or control groups. All animals were given standard laboratory diet and water ad libitum. BR dams were provided ad libitum access to beer. A pair-fed group (PF) was given non-alcoholic beer with dextrin added to match the caloric intake of the BR animals. Control animals (CT) were given free access to food and water. Control groups included beer preferring animals as well as non-preferring animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed2004

Moderate beer consumption does not change early or mature atherosclerosis in mice.

BACKGROUND: Although the consumption of wine in particular has been associated with a lower risk of atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease, systematic reviews differ as to the relative protective effect of beer, wine and spirits. Two previous studies showed that red wine reduces fatty streak formation (early atherosclerosis) but not mature atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein (apo) E-deficient (apoE-/-) mice. AIM OF THE STUDY: To determine whether a moderate beer intake would affect early and mature atherosclerotic lesion formation using control C57BL/6 and apoE-/- mice, respectively, as models. METHODS: Control C57BL/6 and apoE-/- mice were randomized to receive either water, ethanol, mild beer, dark beer or ethanol-free beer. The level of beer was designed to approximate the alcohol intake currently believed to be beneficial in reducing human vascular risk. Control C57BL/6 mice were fed a Western diet for 24 weeks, and apoE-/- mice a chow diet for 12 weeks. At the end of the trial period, mice were euthanized and atherosclerotic lesions quantified. Plasma lipid concentrations were also measured. RESULTS: The amount of atherosclerosis and average number of lesions in the proximal aortic region did not differ among groups in control C57BL/6 mice (p = 0.32 and p = 0.29, respectively) and apoE-/- mice (p = 0.19 and p = 0.59, respectively). No consistent differences were observed in plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations among water, ethanol and beer groups. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate beer consumption does not change the development of early or mature atherosclerosis in mice. Our findings do not support the hypothesis of an anti-atherogenic effect of beer. Other potential protective actions of moderate beer consumption such as plaque stabilization, a reduction in plaque intrinsic thrombogenicity, or a reduction in the systemic propensity to thrombosis, remain to be studied.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1996

Effect of beer, yeast-fermented glucose, and ethanol on pancreatic enzyme secretion in healthy human subjects.

The effect of beer, ethanol (4% v/v), and corresponding volumetric (water), caloric (glucose 5.76% w/v), and osmotic (glucose 11.5% w/v) control solutions on pancreatic enzyme output and release of gastrin and cholecystokinin (CCK) were studied in six healthy human subjects. As a simpler model of beer, yeast-fermented glucose solution (11.5% w/v) was also studied and compared with unfermented glucose (11.5% w/v). Among the control solutions, the two glucose solutions, but not water, significantly (P < 0.05) increased the 150-min integrated trypsin and amylase output over basal levels. Beer and fermented glucose caused a significantly higher increase in trypsin and amylase output compared to water or glucose. Ethanol (4% v/v) failed to stimulate pancreatic enzyme output. Fermented glucose and beer, but not the control solutions, significantly increased plasma gastrin levels above basal values. Isotonic and hypertonic glucose, beer, and fermented glucose significantly increased plasma levels of cholecystokinin (CCK), but the effect was significantly higher after hypertonic glucose than after isotonic glucose, beer, or fermented glucose. Ethanol and water had no effect on plasma levels of gastrin and CCK. We conclude that: (1) in the doses studied intragastric beer and fermented glucose but not ethanol (4% v/v) stimulate pancreatic enzyme output and release of gastrin and CCK; (2) the lack of effect of ethanol indicates that nonalcoholic ingredients of beer and fermented glucose are responsible for this stimulatory effect; and (3) CCK could be one of the major mediators of the stimulation of pancreatic enzyme output after ingestion of beer and fermented glucose.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Action of beer and its ingredients on gastric acid secretion and release of gastrin in humans.

The intragastric action of beer and its known ingredients before and after fermentation on gastric acid secretion and release of gastrin was studied in healthy humans. None of 11 tested ingredients of fermented beer (2 x 500 mL, pH 5.5, given either alone or in combination) or hop extract had any significant effect. Finished beer (6 weeks old) and new beer were potent stimuli of acid output, causing 93% and 76% of the incremental maximal acid output in response to pentagastrin (6 micrograms/kg SC), respectively. Before the addition of yeast, preproducts of beer were considerably less potent. Thus, first and finished wort caused only a minor acid response which was 48% and 46% of maximal acid output. Foreign fermentation in first and finished wort is presumably the reason for the stimulatory action because glucose solutions in concentrations (11.5% wt/vol) seen in wort did not stimulate acid secretion. However, glucose solutions to which yeast was added, resulting in fermentation, were as potent stimuli of acid secretion as beer. Lyophilization of beer at pH 11.0 and dialysis (cutoff mol wt, 1000) removed the stimulatory substances. The plasma gastrin responses paralleled the gastric acid response to the different stimulants. It was concluded that (a) the addition of yeast to finished wort and the following alcoholic fermentation are the essential steps for the stimulatory action of beer on gastric acid secretion and release of gastrin; (b) carbohydrate metabolites with a molecular weight of less than 1000 are the acid-stimulatory agents in fermented beer; and (c) gastrin is the mediator of the stimulation of acid secretion because all substances that had a potent acid-stimulatory action also were potent stimuli of gastrin release.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Voluntary beer drinking by pregnant rats: offspring growth, development and behavior.

A new model for voluntary beer drinking during gestation is presented. Female Long-Evans rats voluntarily drank 56 ml beer per day (pregestation) and 66 ml beer per day (gestation), resulting in an ethanol intake of 9.5 g/kg/day (pregestation) and 9.0 g/kg/day (gestation). Peak blood alcohol levels of dams were 192.5 mg/dl (pregestation) and 157 mg/dl (gestation). Body weights of male and female offspring of beer drinkers were greater than controls. Urinary pH levels were abnormally low at birth, and thymus/body weight ratios were high at birth. Abnormal spleen/body ratio and heart/body ratios were observed in 15- and 29-day-old female offspring of beer drinkers. No hyperactivity or developmental delays were observed. Male offspring of dams in the beer group were hypoactive on a few days of testing. Male and female offspring of beer drinking dams performed better than controls on some tests. This method for voluntary beer drinking by pregnant rats may be useful for identifying the subtle consequences of maternal beer drinking.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed2004

Anaphylaxis to wheat beer.

BACKGROUND: Despite its worldwide and abundant consumption, beer has rarely been found to cause anaphylaxis. Barley malt contained in lager beers seems to be an important elicitor. OBJECTIVE: To report the unusual case of severe anaphylaxis following the ingestion of wheat beer. METHODS: A 59-year-old man experienced angioedema, generalized urticaria, and unconsciousness after ingestion of wheat beer. He tolerated lager beer well. For diagnostic evaluation, skin prick tests, oral challenge tests, and identification of specific IgE antibodies were performed. RESULTS: Skin prick test results with standard series of common aeroallergens and food allergens were negative with the exception of a 1 + reaction to wheat flour. The results of skin prick tests with native materials were positive for 2 brands of wheat beer and wheat malt shred but negative for baker's yeast, hops, and a brand of lager beer. Oral challenges with wheat beer or wheat flour elicited urticaria. By CAP-FEIA, specific IgE antibodies to wheat and barley flour but not to hops or baker's yeast were found in serum. Immunoblot analysis revealed that patient's IgE was bound to a protein of approximately 35 kDa in wheat extract. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report, to our knowledge, on anaphylaxis to beer attributable to wheat allergy.

Anaphylaxis↗

PubMed2003

Predictors of beer advertising awareness among eighth graders.

AIMS: To identify correlates of beer advertising awareness among adolescents at an age when most initiate use of alcohol. DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of an in-school survey about alcohol advertising. Structural equation modeling was used to test for independent predictors of a latent beer advertising awareness construct, separately among boys and girls. SETTING: Twenty middle schools in South Dakota, USA participated during their spring semester. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1530 eighth graders. MEASUREMENTS: A latent advertisement awareness variable was derived based on recognition of six masked beer advertisements, knowledge of beer brands and knowledge of beer slogans. Tested predictors included measures of exposure to alcohol advertising in various venues, social norms regarding drinking, drinking beliefs and behavior and gender. FINDINGS: Adolescents with greater exposure to advertisements in magazines, at sporting and music events and on television were more advertisement aware than those with less exposure, as were teens who watch more TV, pay attention to beer advertisements and know adults who drink. Beer advertisement awareness was dramatically higher among boys, and was associated with drinking only among boys. CONCLUSIONS: Each of a variety of advertising venues appears to influence independently the extent to which beer advertising is incorporated into an adolescent's cognitive world. Boys are more likely to be aware of and remember beer marketing, and may be more likely to drink as a result of this awareness than girls.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Immunochemical determination of gluten in malts and beers.

The gluten content in different varieties of barley and malts, and in different types of beers, was determined by a 'sandwich' enzyme immunoassay (RIDASCREEN Gliadin kit). The gluten levels in barley wheat, rye and spelt malts ranged 18.8-45.0, 44.0-68.0, 41.6 and 21.2 g kg-1, respectively. When various types of beer were compared, the gluten concentration increased as follows: alcohol-free beer (<3.0), lager beers (<3.0-8.7 mg l-1), stouts (9.0-15.2 mg l-1) and wheat beers (10.6-41.2 mg l-1). When 10 Czech lager beers were analysed, using both sandwich and competitive ELISA, the results showed that the latter method provided values several times higher than the former. Gluten balance was carried out during the brewing process, starting from the raw materials and terminating at the final beer. Gluten levels decreased due to precipitation during the mashing process, primary and secondary fermentation and, lastly, as a result of adsorption during beer stabilization. The gluten content in beer is, thus, approximately three orders of magnitude lower than in the raw malt.

Alcoholic Beverages↗

PubMed1986

Beer consumption and rectal cancer.

The association of beer drinking with cancer of the rectum was investigated in a case-control study of 130 male and 88 female rectal cancer cases and 336 male and 249 female controls. Information was obtained on consumption of beer, wine, and hard liquor throughout adulthood (quantity and duration), as well as on smoking and sociodemographic characteristics. Beer intake was not significantly associated with estimated risk of rectal cancer in females but was in males, with an increasing gradient in the odds ratio (OR) with increasing beer consumption. For drinkers of 32 or more ounces of beer per day, the OR was 3.5 (95% CI 1.8-7.0). No association was seen with duration of beer drinking. Wine and hard liquor consumption showed no association with the development of rectal cancer. In multiple logistic regression analyses, the relative risk for beer drinking was reduced slightly when potential confounding variables were included in the model (RR adjusted for religion and education: 2.7, 95% CI 1.3-5.7). The study results are discussed in the light of other epidemiological studies of rectal cancer and beer drinking. We conclude from the aggregate evidence that the association of beer drinking with rectal cancer is probably not causal and that the slightly elevated OR's observed for males in this study are most likely due to incomplete control for confounding variables.

Adult↗