A new study shows that beer can help fight off the virus that causes pneumonia. The only bad part? The virus usually hits those who aren’t yet of legal drinking age in the US.
They would also have to go through five six-packs (30 beers) just to get the benefits, reports Newser. The study was done by Sapporo Medical University in Japan and announced by Sapporo breweries on Wednesday.
The study showed that consuming a chemical found in hops — key to beer production — can provide an effective guard against the respiratory syncytial (RS) virus. The Associated Free Press notes that Jun Fuchimoto, a researcher from the company, stated:
“The RS virus can cause serious pneumonia and breathing difficulties for infants and toddlers, but no vaccination is available at the moment to contain it.”
The virus usually spreads in winter and is known for causing cold-like symptoms in adults. Fuchimoto added that small quantities of the chemical, humulone, are present in beer, so it would require a high consumption in order to reap the benefits. Fuchimoto added of the beer chemical having anti-virus properties:
“We are now studying the feasibility of applying humulone to food or non-alcoholic products. The challenge really is that the bitter taste is going to be difficult for children.”
The Sapporo Brewery also stated that the university’s research found that humulone was able to reduce inflammation caused by infection from the RS virus. Hops are known for giving beer its bitter taste.
Are you surprised to hear that beer has anti-virus properties — though you would have to drink 30 cans to reap the benefits?
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