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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 12, 2003)
Study: Dark beer better for heart A Wisconsin scientist has found that dark beer may be better for the heart than its lighter counterpart By John Fauber Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (KRT) ORLANDO, Fla. — Like chocolate and wine, the darker the beer, the better it may be for your heart, ac cording to a new study. in a comparison of Guinness Stout, a dark beer, and Heineken, a light beer, the darker brew had sub stantially more anti-clotting activity, according to a University of Wiscon sin-Madison scientist who presented his findings Tuesday at the American Heart Association annual meeting. Guinness proved to be about twice as effective at preventing the blood platelets from clumping and forming the kind of clot that can cause a heart attack, according to the study's main author, John Folts, a professor of medicine and nutrition al director of the University of Wis consin Coronary Thrombosis Re search and Vascular Biology Laboratory. The beneficial effect comes from flavonoids in the beer. Flavonoids are anti-oxidant compounds that provide the dark color in many fruits and vegetables. There are hundreds of flavonoids in beer, Folts said. Flavonoids also work to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol, which plays a role in causing atherosclero sis — known as hardening of the ar teries. They also help arteries to di late, which improves blood flow and blood pressure, he said. Folts did his research in test tube studies and on eight dogs. He said a person would have to reach a blood alcohol level of 0.06 in order to get the optimal anti-clot ting effect. He said that for the typi cal person, that could be accom plished with two, 12-ounce bottles. However, doctors warned that even though dark beer may have heart-healthy properties, it also has a downside that could negate any benefit: extra calories. Dark chocolate and red wine have similar properties, but they also pro vide extra calories, and obesity is a risk factor for heart disease. "The bottom line is obesity is a major problem," said Alice Lichten stein, a professor of nutrition at Tufts University and vice chairman of the American Heart Association's nutrition committee. "People need to worry about energy' balance." She added that those foods may have a lot of potentially beneficial components, but it's not well known which ones are the most beneficial. Until the actual active compounds are identified, she said can't recommend one food or beverage over another. "There is such a range of dark beer and wines," she said. "There is such vari ation in the composition. It may be that it's not all dark beer (that's beneficial)." Variation in the beneficial compo nents could be due to diverse factors ranging from storage conditions to growing conditions, she said. However, Ronald Korthuis, a pro fessor of physiology at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, said Folts' research bolsters epidemiological studies suggesting that alcoholic beverages can reduce heart attacks. "What is impressive about Dr. Folts' observations is that the flavonoids in dark beer produce anti-platelet effects that rival those of aspirin," Korthuis said. By understanding how these bev erages work, it may be possible to develop therapies that mimic alco hol's beneficial properties, "but do not produce the unwanted negative social and pathophysiological ef fects," he said. Folts said his goal is to isolate those compounds and put them into a pill. In the meantime, he has at least one more study in mind. "We'd like to do a study and have people drink dark beer for two weeks and drink two weeks of light colored beer," he said. "We haven't found anybody interested in fund ing that." (c) 2003, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. *»»««* To f«$b*tt WMjmiwxIattons ■f *UK*a to HnOxHiHn: tJI Cmv«lii}fXi»nt 'T 0«k*, 344.4W * 8. 5, 2122 - 8 pm iHtAlnt 89.7im 8fer«e»86»R8fcttr*i»«8 ton* 01/365 Today's crossword solution )17615j Tuesday, November 11 - Thursday, November 13 10AM - 4PM • EMU All books Make some *VROOM" Lois of s{oracje under the tree love box The perfect campus companion! Vespa and Piaggio are U.S. and worldwide registered trademarks of the Piagglo group of companies. Obey local traffic safety laws and always wear a helmet, appropriate eyewear and proper apparel. * Central Oregon \ Workensport I -800-8 / 6-8002 Bend, Oregon Csj SKECHERS’ Shoes Right Here W. 6th AVE 343-SHOE (7463) (6th & MONROE) 0176981 SHOES RIGHT HERE DISCOUNT SHOE WAREHOUSE HAS OPENED ITS DOORS IN EUGENE!!!! To give you a chance to check out all the money you can save, we’re bringing the store to you. THURSDAY, NOV. 13TH—ONE DAY ONLY 9 AM - 5 PM at the E.M.U. in the FIR ROOM Come see what everyone is talking about—and SAVE lots of money!! BRAND NAMES-DISCOUNT PRICES what more do you need to know? SAVE 10% with coupon (can also be used at the store expires 12/01/03) hRFfiON nAHYFMFRiin your independent student newspaper
