Female hormones in beer - fact or fiction? Useful properties, composition and rating of beer

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

There are many rumors about the foamy intoxicating drink that underestimate the rating of beer among other alcoholic beverages. Most of all, the strong half of society is frightened by female hormones in beer. But you need to distinguish the truth from the myths.

The main raw material in the production of beer is hops. It belongs to the genus of flowering plants and belongs to the Cannabis family.

Phytoestrogens in beer

The chemical composition of beer includes 8-prenylnaringenin. This substance is found in hop cones and belongs to the class of phytoestrogens. Estrogens belong to the female sex hormones, which is where all these horror stories came from.

In hops there is a fairly large percentage of phytoestrogens, and in beer their content reaches thirty-six milligrams per liter. Some experts believe that this is quite enough for changes in the hormonal background of the human body. Hops are believed to release hormones similar to progesterone, the female sex hormone.

Changes in mice

Experiments were even made on castrated mice and rats with a tendency to infantilism.

Thanks to these experiments, it was proved that70% hop extract (10-30 mg dose) can induce estrus. Simply put - in heat. Moreover, if you introduce hop extract for about 12 days, you can increase the mass of the uterine horn four times.

How does it affect men and women?

Naturally, this alcoholic drink affects men and women differently. It's all about the difference between hormones - testosterone and estrogen. It is these substances that have a direct impact on the formation of external genital organs and not only. In men, thanks to this hormone, greater muscle strength develops, an appropriate figure and a deep voice, facial hair grows.

A woman, on the contrary, has a softer voice, a more graceful figure, no facial hair, and her character is more docile. To maintain femininity, 0.3-0.7 mg of estradiol is enough, this is exactly how much the female body produces. But beer contains a large dose of an estrogen-active compound.

Does beer harm men?

There are undoubtedly female hormones in beer, and this cannot but affect the male body. The so-called symptoms of feminization become visible. These include an increase in the glands of the breast, an enlarged pelvis, weakening of the muscles (meaning the abdominal press, this gives rise to a beer belly). For many men, sexual desire disappears, potency decreases.

In addition, many experts believe that beer affects the level of testosterone in the blood. From a strong-willed, active, strong leader, a man with a low number oftestosterone turns into a weak-willed, apathetic representative of the stronger sex, who is only able to lie on his sides on the couch in front of the TV. Then irritability and moodiness often appear.

Does beer harm women?

Female hormones in beer and the weaker sex have a negative impact. The uterus may begin to grow, the epithelium of the uterus and vagina can grow. Problems with the menstrual cycle begin, and then the ability to give birth to a child is lost. Estrogen is already produced in the body of a woman in the right amount.

And the hormone that enters the body with beer is completely superfluous there. So nobody benefits from female hormones in beer. Whether this is fact or fiction is still unclear. Experts in this field are still debating about this.

A bit of history

Beer is a fairly popular drink in many countries around the world. The grain from which beer is brewed is much more unpretentious than the grapes from which noble wine is made. Foamy drink is loved by people who inhabit countries with a temperate climate. Although Germany and France produce both beer and wine.

The classic beer recipe appeared in Europe, somewhere in the Middle Ages. Although even before that there are references to a drink with that name. But they were completely different grain-based drinks. There is even a banana beer.

Important Ingredients

Somewhere in the 12th century, hops were added to the beer recipe. It contains many essential oils and resins. It is these substances that give the beer a brightdeep taste. Hops are also natural preservatives. Any organic molecules begin to break down when combined with oxygen, and hops significantly slow down this process.

There are also useful properties of beer. The second most important element that forms the basis of beer is m alt. It is a product of grain processing (barley is most often used for beer). It contains a lot of starch, and, as you know, it is one of the main sources of energy. During the germination process, starch breaks down into lighter sugars, in particular m altose.

First, the grains are soaked and create a greenhouse effect, after the grains have sprouted, they are dried, and only now the m alt is ready for use in brewing. This is the main ingredient in the must that will ferment.

Existing myth

Now you can often hear that beer producers add some kind of powder to the drink instead of natural raw materials. The fact is that many European brewers buy m alt ground into powder. Not all breweries install grinding equipment, it is much easier for them to buy ready-made raw materials.

Alcohol in beer

Degrees in a foamy drink appear due to the vital activity of yeast. These microscopic fungi are able to exist in both oxygen and anoxic environments. If the yeast does not have access to oxygen, then they produce ethanol, and if they receive oxygen, they actively multiply. How strong the drink will be depends on the density of the wort andyeast quality. A classic standard beer has an ABV of between four and five percent. No one adds alcohol to stronger beers. For the production of such a drink, special strains of yeast are used.

No female hormones in beer stop beer drinkers. It is still one of the most popular drinks in the world. It is produced in almost all countries of the world, and the beneficial properties of beer only increase its popularity.

Where to go for a delicious beer?

Fans of the drink believe that the Belgians produce the most delicious beer. All magazines publishing beer ratings recommend going to Belgium. There is a cult of beer in this country. More than six hundred brands of this alcoholic drink are produced here. Each region has its own exclusive variety.

Czech beer is also world famous. To go to the Czech Republic and not try a single variety is a natural blasphemy. For Czechs, beer is an integral part of life, and they take its production very seriously. So in this state there are no tasteless varieties. You can try everything.

England is also far from the last place in the ranking of beer producers. It was here that the world-famous porter and Indian pale ale began to be brewed. In any city of this state, you can easily find a cozy pub where you can enjoy a huge variety and high quality of foam. You should start with the famous Britishale, which is the pearl among the entire range of English beers.

These three countries are leaders in the production of beer, but this does not mean that in other states this drink is of the worst quality. The main thing during the tasting is not to overdo it and remember the dangers of alcoholic beverages.