Beer and beer compounds: physiological effects on skin health

Abstract

Beer is one of the earliest human inventions and globally the most consumed alcoholic beverage in terms of volume. In addition to water, the 'German Beer Purity Law', based on the Bavarian Beer Purity Law from 1516, allows only barley, hops, yeasts and water for beer brewing. The extracts of these ingredients, especially the hops, contain an abundance of polyphenols such as kaempferol, quercetin, tyrosol, ferulic acid, xanthohumol/isoxanthohumol/8-prenylnaringenin, α-bitter acids like humulone and β-bitter acids like lupulone. 8-prenylnaringenin is the most potent phytoestrogen known to date. These compounds have been shown to possess various anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-angiogenic, anti-melanogenic, anti-osteoporotic and anti-carcinogenic effects. Epidemiological studies on the association between beer drinking and skin disease are limited while direct evidence of beer compounds in clinical application is lacking. Potential uses of these substances in dermatology may include treatment of atopic eczema, contact dermatitis, pigmentary disorders, skin infections, skin ageing, skin cancers and photoprotections, which require an optimization of the biostability and topical delivery of these compounds. Further studies are needed to determine the bioavailability of these compounds and their possible beneficial health effects when taken by moderate beer consumption.

Isoxanthohumol — Biologically active hop flavonoid

“…prenylnaringenin modify the comprehensive development-281 depending effects during steroidogenesis and inhibit hCG-282 induced androgen production in the Leydig cells[62].283Although 8-prenylnaringenin is one of the most potent 284 dietary phytoestrogens[16,65,66], isoxanthohumol and 285 xanthohumol showed only a weak estrogenic activity.…”

Chiral separation of isoxanthohumol and 8‐prenylnaringenin in beer, hop pellets and hops by HPLC with chiral columns

“…XN and prenylflavanones have received much attention in recent years as cancer chemopreventive and/or estrogenic agents, as reviewed previously (Venturelli et al, ; Stevens & Page, ; Chen et al, ; Gerhauser, ; Zanola & Zavatti, ; Possemiers & Verstraete, ). So far, XN has been identified as a strong cancer chemopreventive agent (Gerhauser et al, ).…”

“…On the other hand, IX was found to be weakly estrogenic (Guo et al, ), while 8‐PN has been identified as the most potent phytoestrogen currently known (Milligan et al, ; Coldham et al, ; Schaefer et al, ; Bovee et al, ). 8‐PN was also reported to possess antioxidant, antiinflammatory, anticarcinogenic and antiangiogenic properties (Chen et al, ).…”

Effect of a botanical cleansing lotion on skin sebum and erythema of the face: A randomized controlled blinded half‐side comparison

“…extract displays antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti‐inflammatory properties and therefore is suitable for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases and acne. Several studies showed anti‐biofilm and antibiotic properties of xanthohumol and bitter acids of hops extract against Staphylococcus aureus , Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Propionibacterium acnes . These bacteria are increased in acne lesions.…”