Based on some new animal experiments, researchers have determined that certain ingredients in beer may help to prevent prostate cancer. This material is known as xanthohumol, and found in the hop. This is a bitter flavor agent and is responsible for blocking testosterone, which plays a major role in the development of prostate cancer.
This research was conducted by researchers at the German Cancer Research Center, based in Heidelberg.
Researcher stimulate prostate cancer cells with testosterone and this causes the production of prostate specific antigen, PSA, which is secreted in large amounts by cells. When the cells were treated with xanthohumol, prostate specific antigen secretion is suppressed. However, the researchers found that the suppression depends on the amount of xanthohumol used.
Animal tests, as xanthohumol and the testosterone was injected into mice that were castrated, beer ingredients completely blocked the effects of testosterone on the prostate. This means that xanthohumol can work towards preventing prostate cancer.
Xanthohumol is the flavonoids and are found in fruits, plants, vegetables and spices. Some studies also show that xanthohumol has the ability to block estrogen-like binding with estrogen receptors. These findings mean that xanthohumol can also be used to prevent breast cancer.
This research is still in its early stages. Therefore, not for sure that xanthohumol can actually be used to prevent prostate cancer. But if you can, it will be a blessing. Prostate cancer attacks one out of six people in the U.S., and in 2009 there were 27 000 prostate cancer-related death.
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