Beer is Good For Young Brains? Hops Tied to Increased Cognitive Function

Hops - a key ingredient in beer - has been found to contain a compound that aids cognitive function in young animals, but not in old. This raises questions not only about responsible drinking, but also about potential preventative treatments for cognitive decline.

A study recently published in the journal Behavioral Brain Research details how xanthohumol, a type of flavonoid found in hops and beer, helped the minds of young mice more flexibly adapt to changes in the environment. Strangely, the compound did not appear to aid older mice of the same model.

Flavonoids are compounds found in plants that often give them their color, and past studies have found that they boast a number of nutritional and memory benefits as well. Xanthohumol in particular appears to be associated with the ability to form and recall memories.

But don't go chugging beers just yet. The researchers are quick to point out that this effect was only seen in young mice who were exposed to extremely high concentrations of xanthohumol - higher than you could ever possibly get via diet alone. According to the researchers, a human would have to drink 2,000 liters of beer a day to reach the xanthohumol levels they used.

"Our goal was to determine whether xanthohumol could affect a process we call palmitoylation, which is a normal biological process but in older animals may become harmful," study author Daniel Zamzow explained in a recent release.

"Xanthohumol can speed the metabolism, reduce fatty acids in the liver and, at least with young mice, appeared to improve their cognitive flexibility, or higher level thinking," he added. (Scroll to read on...)

This was determined after mice of various ages were put through a maze specially designed to test their adaptive learning capabilities. Interestingly, only young mice seemed to benefit from the compound.

"This flavonoid and others may have a function in the optimal ability to form memories," said Kathy Magnusson, a principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute and corresponding author on the study. "Part of what this study seems to be suggesting is that it's important to begin early in life to gain the full benefits of healthy nutrition."

Which is not to say, "get your youngster drinking early." Still, it certainly is a strong argument for supplements. The authors add that more research on the subject will be needed before they can start making any recommendations about nutritional or memory health.