Beer beverages are one of the oldest beverages, probably as old as agriculture, with the first written history of beer-like beverages being recorded in ancient Egypt. Most likely, these beer-like beverages that contained carbohydrates and underwent fermentation were independently invented among various cultures.
In the middle ages, beer beverages were consumed by all social classes since the purity of water could not be guaranteed. Beer was particularly popular in the northern regions of Europe because it was easier to grow oats, barley and wheat as compared to fruits, such as grapes, used to make wine. A Carolingian Abbot introduced hops to beer beverages in 822. Along with flavoring the beers hops improved it’s conserving properties and beer would not spoil as easily. Hopped beer was perfected in the towns in Germany by the 13th century.
Nowadays beer beverages are promoted as the ultimate man’s drink, probably because the carbonated bitter brew appeals to men’s taste buds more so than to women. There are no shortages of commercials depicting “A clear hot day with virile sexy hunks choosing this foam headed brew to quench their thirst. No female in her right mind can ever resist such a testosterone oozing male, particularly after having a brew.” So, is the myth true? After having one or more of this thirst quenching brew, will the human male turn into an irresistible stud muffin?
Let’s take a closer look at the composition of beer.
Beer is obtained by the alcoholic fermentation of a malted cereal, usually barley malt with or without other sugars, and to which hops have been added. A typical beer will contain water, carbohydrates in the form of maltose and dextrin, hops, yeast, and alcohol. More than 90% of beer is water and breweries generally get their water from a well or spring, or they use tap water. There are many salts and minerals in the water, which affect the ultimate flavor and head formation of the beer.
Malt is the sugar that comes from the grain and that is fermented into an alcohol. Barley is generally used, but at times wheat and occasionally oats or spelt are used. Sugar is often added to help the fermentation. Yeast is a single cell micro-organism needed in the brewing process for converting fermentable sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Hops, whose scientific name is Humulus lupulus, give beer its bitter flavor and are also a natural preservative. Only the flowers from the female hops are used for beer, and these flowers contain lupulin, a resinous substance that gives the typical bitter flavor. Besides being used for its bitter taste and natural preservative properties hops have many other useful medicinal properties. The strong bitter flavor makes them a great candidate to strengthen and stimulate the digestion, increasing gastric and other secretions. Hops are potent diuretics; this is why after drinking beer you are constantly running to the bathroom to empty your bladder. Also hops have calming and sedative properties. Often you feel like having a nap after drinking a beer.
The female flower of hops contains phyto-estrogens with powerful estrogenic activity. Therefore, hops are often recommended in herbal remedies for females with menstrual problems and menopause symptoms. These phyto-estrogens are detected in beer beverages and with each bottle of beer a man drinks he is consuming some estrogen with that beer. Heavy beer drinkers consume a significant amount of estrogen. Males naturally have small amounts of estrogen in their body due to the testosterone conversion process. But an excess of estrogen will shut down the production of testosterone from the testes, which results in the following:
Fatigue;
Loss of muscle tone;
Increased body fat;
Enlarged prostate;
Last, but not least, is the loss of libido and sexual function. So, sorry guys, but beer will not turn you into an irresistible stud muffin, it will more likely turn you into a doughboy!!!!
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