Image by: Cambridge Brewing Co.
By Kurt Garrity

Even though you are more of a single-malt scotch guy … a connoisseur of fine wines and spirits  … you will still find yourself enjoying a properly-poured Guinness Draft now and again, or sampling a hand-crafted micro brew.

Sometimes, it’s just what’s called for in certain social situations. And beer can certainly enhance particular meals, without a doubt.

But you aren’t a beer guy. Well, guess what? That occasional beer may be better for you than you previously thought. It might actually be medicine. Malty, hoppy, yeasty medicine. maybe you should reconsider your beer-guy status.

If current research by a major Japanese beer company is to be believed – and why would they steer us wrong? – ingredients in beer may have actual anti-virus properties, giving us yet another reason to occasionally drink to finest of the beer varieties.

The Doctor Said To Take Two Drafts And Call Him In The Morning

Sapporo Breweries released findings from the … wait for it … Sapporo Medical University stating that a key ingredient in beer – namely a chemical in hops called humulone – had noticeable anti-inflammatory properties and, get this, fought the RS virus (respiratory syncytial). The RS virus can cause breathing problems and even lead to pneumonia, bust most adults confront it as a winter cold.

And beer has the stuff in it to fight RS. Thing is, you would have to drink, like, 30 beers to get the desired medical effects say those Sapporo researchers, who are hard at work engineering humulone-boosted products to make some kind of mutant antiviral IPA.

But the science may be merely backing up what many have found to be true for their own home remedies: if consumed right at the first signs of head congestion, beer can reduce cold symptoms.

Now we find out that it could be part of the cure. Bottoms up.