Xanthohumol, a compound found in the hops used to flavor beer, might help prevent prostate cancer, according to new animal experiments. USA Today quotes Clarissa Gerhauser, group leader of cancer chemoprevention at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, who said, "Xanthohumol is a natural product, which blocks the effects of male hormone testosterone, and should therefore be investigated for prostate cancer prevention."
"It should be investigated regardless of whether or not it's 'natural,'" says Stier.
Some are skeptical about the results so far, however: "Dr. Durado Brooks, director of prostate and colorectal cancer at the American Cancer Society, said that if beer could prevent prostate cancer, we would already see lower rates of it."
"Why would we see lower rates?" asks ACSH's Jeff Stier. "Men have been drinking beer since before we even knew cancer existed."
To his credit, Dr. Brooks pointed out, "Like a lot of findings, it's way too early. Showing that something works in a test tube and that you can impact rat prostates is a long way from demonstrating any sort of viability in humans."
"It's true that this is a highly preliminary study," says ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross. "We've been saying that tests on rats are inconclusive from the beginning. Maybe we should ask Dr. Brooks to point that out to all the anti-BPA activists who base every one of their arguments on rat studies."