Mystery compound in beer fights cancer

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http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6895

Some cancers are caused by heterocyclic amines, DNA-damaging

chemicals found in cooked meat and fish. When Sakae Arimoto-Kobayashi's

team at Okayama University in Japan fed these chemicals to mice, the DNA

damage to their liver, lungs and kidneys was reduced by up to 85% if the

mice drank non-alcoholic beer instead of water.

Arimoto-Kobayashi thinks as-yet unidentified compounds in lager and stout

prevent the amines binding to and damaging DNA. If these compounds can

be identified, brewers might be able to produce beers particularly rich

in them, or they could be added to foods.

Heavy alcohol consumption is blamed for around 6% of all cancers in

western countries (New Scientist print edition, 18 December 2004),

though moderate consumption reduces the risk of heart disease. Since the

mice drank non-alcoholic beer, the findings do not show whether moderate

consumption of normal beer has any anti-cancer benefits. " The total

benefits and risks of beer with alcohol are still under consideration, "

says Arimoto-Kobayashi.

Journal reference: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

(DOI: 10.1021/jf049208k)

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" I feel sorry for all those health food

people. Someday, they will be lying in a hospital bed,

dying of nothing. "

Redd Foxx

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... he will take... He will take... "

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