The aim of the graduation thesis was to present the nutritional properties of beer. Beer is an alcoholic beverage that contains important nutrients such as vitamins (above all B complex vitamins), minerals (magnesium, potassium in phosphorus), some soluble dietary fiber and antioxidant. The most important antioxidants in beer are the phenolic compounds, where 70 % comes from barley malt and 30 % from hops. The composition of antioxidants in different types of beer depends on composition of raw materials and technological process. Beer also contains important hops compounds: isohumolones, which should perform a positive role in
preventing cardiovascular disease, xanthohumol with anti-cancer activity, and 8-prenylnaringenin with the strongest estrogenic activity among phytoestrogens,
which is expected to reduce the intensity of menopausal symptoms. In the second part of the thesis we reviewed the literature related to different effects of alcohol on
human health. Some studies report that moderate alcohol consumption can have a beneficial effect on human health especially in regard with cardiovascular disease protection. Alcohol abuse can have a negative impact. The consequences of excessive alcohol consumption are increased risk of various cancers, cirrhosis, stroke and alcohol addiction
|
