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Could that beer you drank watching football actually ward off viruses? Japanese researchers seem to think so.
Beer has a ''key ingredient'' that may keep you healthier throughout the winter, according to a study funded by Japanese beer company Sapporo Breweries and conducted by researchers from Sapporo Medical University.
Researchers found that hops, an essential ingredient in beer making, contains a compound called humulone. This compound has been proven effective against respiratory syncytial virus and has anti-inflammatory properties, according to researchers.
Jun Fuchimoto, a researcher from Sapporo, said the virus in question ''can cause serious pneumonia and breathing difficulties for infants and toddlers, but no vaccination is avaliable at teh moment to contain it.''
However, before you rush to buy a six pack you should now that beer contains only small quantities of the humulone compound. Researchers warn you'd have to drink 30 12oz. cans of beer to benefit from the anti-virus effect.
So maybe you shouldn't skip the flu shot this season, after all.
Via Huffington Post
