Beer drinkers have less beta amyloid proteins in their brain than people who do not drink beer, Finnish researchers found. Beta amyloids are an important factor in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
B vitamins
Only the beer drinkers in this study had a lower amount of beta amyloid in their brain. The effect was not found in people who exclusively drank spirits or wine. Beer contains B vitamins. These vitamins are able to reduce homocysteine blood levels, making it one of the possible explanations for the study results. Next to choice of beverage, the researchers found that a gene (named APOE) and aging were factors increasing the chance of production of beta amyloids in the brain.
The brain as source of information
The data came from 125 deceased men. Researchers examined tissue of the heart and brain to identify beta amyloids and the gen APOE. Family members gave insight in habitual alcohol consumption of the deceased men.
Only men
The researchers are still cautious in concluding beer prevents Alzheimer’s disease. The presence of beta amyloids increases the chance of Alzheimer’s disease, but not all people who have the protein get the disease. It also remains unknown whether the effects are the same in women, as the study only included men. More research is therefore needed.