If used to make beer, hops would also have interesting medicinal properties to fight once morest this disease.
Recent studies on Alzheimer’s disease provide a better understanding of this pathology. Although it remains impossible to cure to this day, researchers have brought to light certain causes of the disease. They also discovered factors that can slow its development. Thus, it is for example recommended to eat strawberries.
Nevertheless, living with the disease remains complicated, especially home care. However, scientists around the world are trying to develop treatments to slow or stop the disease. And a recent study reveals that hops might be an interesting avenue for drug development.
Protective virtues discovered in hop flowers
The study published in ACS Chemical Neuroscience focused on the action of certain molecules naturally present in hop flowers.
For this they have studied 4 different varieties of plants. Then they injected some of these active molecules into a modified worm. The animal had a disease very similar to Alzheimer’s disease and the researchers wanted to test the effect of hop molecules.
They then discovered that the molecules of the plant acted as a protective barrier. Indeed, when Alzheimer’s disease spreads, accumulations of beta-amyloid protein form in the brain. It is these proteins that gradually paralyze all areas of the brain, resulting in memory loss.
However, when the worm was exposed to hop molecules, it was protected from a form of paralysis generated by beta-amyloid proteins. This is very promising for researchers who already see the potential of the plant in preventive treatments.
Differentiate between the action of the molecules concerned and the fact of consuming beer
While this progress is promising, it needs to be qualified, particularly in patients. Since hops are present in quantity in beer, it is easy to to think that drinking beer would protect our brain from disease. However, this is not necessarily the case.
The study did not address the issue. It is therefore currently impossible to know whether the drink has a protective effect on the brain or whether only the molecules of the plant should be used. Nevertheless, this represents a great step forward and many avenues for reflection that will certainly lead to new studies on the subject.
