Pacific Standard March-April 2013 Cover

Beer: The Best Medicine

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK)

The University of Washington has announced that "researchers employing a century-old observational technique have determined the precise configuration of humulones ... that give beer its distinctive flavor." Now, if this were us doing the research, and we were inspecting some humulones, that observational technique would likely involve a sixer of imperial IPA, Pure Prairie League's "Bustin' Out" on vinyl, and (for later in the night) a white plastic bucket to be ridden like a bronco. But the U-Dub research is considerably more sophisticated. And it has implications not just for ... Read More

Scientists Find Missing Drink, umm, Link

Yeast studies never grabbed the academic spotlight like more charismatic species, say, bacteria or green algae. But a new discovery is rocking this placid pantry of academe. Microbiologists have identified the wild roots of the yeast that allows humans to brew lagers. Lager isn't just another word for beer (although it is the most popular commercial brew); it refers to a specific type of beer brewed at lower temperatures than the ales popular from the time of Amenhotep to the age of Budweiser. Lagers require a particularly hardy strain of yeast, a hybrid of the ancient strain of brewer's ... Read More

Humankind’s Ascent Took Path of Yeast Resistance

Once upon a time there were no farms. People ate fruit off the vine and killed animals as they ran. They roasted things when it suited them but just as often ate them raw. The world was like this for thousands of years, a place of arrows and nuts where everything that was necessary could be found. One might imagine many reasons for giving up on those old, superficially idyllic, ways. Perhaps it was hunger, that ultimate mother of invention, or maybe it was just invention itself, unmotivated by need. But these are not the only options. Solomon H. Katz at the University of Pennsylvania thinks ... Read More

Researchers Say Guinness Beer More Enjoyable in Ireland

There’s a long-standing Irish tradition observed in bars and pubs far from the Emerald Isles: If offered a pint of Guinness beer outside their native land, Irish drinkers may mutter about unpleasant aftertastes and provide scathing commentary on the bartender’s tapping technique. Guinness, they say, doesn’t travel well. That oft-repeated assertion was tabled several years ago at a pub in Oxford, where members of the Brisbane Initiative, an international primary care research leadership program, had gathered. Liam Glynn, of the National University of Ireland in Galway, was reluctant ... Read More

Build Strong Bones With … Beer?

Hooray! Beer is good for you. According to scientists at the University of California, Davis, the sudsy stuff is full of dietary silicon, which helps increase the density of bone minerals. Their study appeared in the February issue of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, and here's guessing the graduate assistants were only too happy to help on this one. "The factors in brewing that influence silicon levels in beer have not been extensively studied," said lead author and just-the-man-for-the-job Charles Bamforth. "We have examined a wide range of beer styles for their silicon ... Read More

There’s No Brewsky in the Food Pyramid

Not-all-that-groundbreaking new research from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Department of Agriculture may have drinkers rethinking their diets. A study of more than 15,000 adults in the United States, published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, found that people who drink more also eat worse. More specifically, the more men and women drink, the less likely they are to eat fruit, and they consume more calories from alcohol and unhealthy foods. Among men, increased alcoholic beverage ... Read More

Hey, Ladies … It’s Not Beer, It’s Medicine

We at Miller-McCune carefully track countless lines of scientific research, but we keep a particularly close eye on the ongoing inquiry into whether drinking beer is good for you. Well, a newly published study suggests that if you’re an older woman concerned about bone fractures, you might want to pop into the pub for a pint. In February, a Tufts University research report revealed that, among older adults, regular, moderate alcohol intake is associated with greater bone mineral density. Now, a Spanish study in the journal Nutrition finds that the specific type of alcoholic beverage makes ... Read More

Name That Tune. On Second Thought, Don’t.

Got a song stuck in your head? Researchers at Kansas State University say that merely thinking about a certain tune — even if it's not actually playing — can summon vivid memories of a time, place or emotion. "That's why oldies stations are so popular," said Richard Harris, professor of psychology, in a press release announcing the study. "Not because the music is good but because it reminds us of specific times in our lives." (And here we thought oldies stations were popular because America still can't get enough of "I'm Henery the Eighth, I Am.") In the study, the researchers asked ... Read More