Tuesday
Aug252009
Tue, August 25, 2009 | Lisa Barger Does Beer Help Menopause?
“Did you read the article at [a popular content mill] which says beer can help with menopause? It says beer works because it acts like estrogen. I was wondering if you thought this would work.”
Yes, I read that article and, no, I don’t believe it. While it’s true that hops are a rich source of one type of phytoestrogen, a lot of beers don’t retain enough phytoestrogens to even use in scientific tests; I see no reason to believe that its phytoestrogen content would have any significant effect on the human body.
The story in question is just one of several making the rounds lately at the various content mills of the internet. (Content mills are those giant sites that carry no real news but allow anyone to publish any content they choose—usually for a tiny share of the advertising revenue the site makes.)
The problem with the idea of using beer to “treat” menopause is that it depends very much on how the beer is made and some beer doesn’t really contain many phytoestrogens at all. In fact, a 2008 study tried to analyze the phytoestrogen content in several foods and beverages and ended up declaring the level in pale ales “below the limit of quantification”.
And if you need more proof ask yourself this one question: Beer has been consumed for centuries and is the 3rd most-consumed beverage in the world right now so why are people just now discovering this magical new use for beer? Wouldn’t women have figured this out a long time ago?
The potential might be there for some beers but when it comes to actually using the phytoestrogens in beer to “treat” menopause… well, the science just hasn’t caught up yet.
Sources:
Kuhnle, G., et al. (2008). Phytoestrogen content of beverages, nuts, seeds, and oils. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Rimoldi, G., et al. (2006). Morphologic changes induced by oral long-term treatment with 8-prenylnaringenin in the uterus, vagina, and mammary gland of castrated rats. Menopause.
Yes, I read that article and, no, I don’t believe it. While it’s true that hops are a rich source of one type of phytoestrogen, a lot of beers don’t retain enough phytoestrogens to even use in scientific tests; I see no reason to believe that its phytoestrogen content would have any significant effect on the human body.
The story in question is just one of several making the rounds lately at the various content mills of the internet. (Content mills are those giant sites that carry no real news but allow anyone to publish any content they choose—usually for a tiny share of the advertising revenue the site makes.)
The problem with the idea of using beer to “treat” menopause is that it depends very much on how the beer is made and some beer doesn’t really contain many phytoestrogens at all. In fact, a 2008 study tried to analyze the phytoestrogen content in several foods and beverages and ended up declaring the level in pale ales “below the limit of quantification”.
And if you need more proof ask yourself this one question: Beer has been consumed for centuries and is the 3rd most-consumed beverage in the world right now so why are people just now discovering this magical new use for beer? Wouldn’t women have figured this out a long time ago?
The potential might be there for some beers but when it comes to actually using the phytoestrogens in beer to “treat” menopause… well, the science just hasn’t caught up yet.
Sources:
Kuhnle, G., et al. (2008). Phytoestrogen content of beverages, nuts, seeds, and oils. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Rimoldi, G., et al. (2006). Morphologic changes induced by oral long-term treatment with 8-prenylnaringenin in the uterus, vagina, and mammary gland of castrated rats. Menopause.
This is a "retired" article; it may not reflect current scientific thinking or current research. No new comments are being accepted at this time.
Reader Comments (1)
Hi! Thanks for sharing such a nice information. That's indeed nice to know that beer helps during menopause. I am going to try it and will let you know.