Researchers Developing Cancer-Fighting Beer 283
CWmike writes "Ever picked up a cold, frosty beer on a hot summer's day and thought that it simply couldn't get any better? Well, think again. A team of researchers at Rice University in Houston is working on helping Joe Six Pack fight aging and cancer with every swill of beer." Thank you science! Now we just need cigarettes that cure baldness.
I liked it, but... (Score:4, Insightful)
In general, the addition of the resveratrol shouldn't affect the taste of the beer, since the chemical is odorless and tasteless, he said.
So, why not adding it to... water? Because that way you wouldn't get in the newspaper, not even a /. mention?
Re:Guinness already does it... (Score:5, Insightful)
What is this thing with Guinness? The only difference between Guinness and yellow American beer is the color. If you want a good stout there are plenty to choose from. Instead people seem to treat Guinness as some kind of stand-out because it's the only dark-colored beer available in many places. That doesn't make it unique or even particularly good.
Drink to fight cancer! ? (Score:5, Insightful)
I do think reservatol has huge potential though, I'm sure Ray Kurzweil is already taking it along with his 250 pills a day. I also agree with finding feasible ways to improve the nutrition of existing food products rather than changing the habits of millions of consumers (which requires delivering boot to ass of corporates over their marketing amongst other things).
Yet, why not investigate economic ways to put it in milk or processed grains? Hell why not bundle it along with xylitol and omega 3 in things we eat commonly? We could all but wipe out everything from tooth decay to heart disease, to dementia in one go.
Re:Drink to fight cancer! ? (Score:5, Insightful)
"While I get this is a good way to sneak beneficial nutrients into the diets of people who may otherwise have no interest nor motivation in seeking them,"
Except a bunch of ignorant fear mongers will scream about it killing us, even though there is years of data spreading over millions of drinkers.
see Fluoridated water.
But resveratrol-producing yeast? (Score:3, Insightful)
The problem is, most guys who drink Guinness (Score:3, Insightful)
So true (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Wine (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Rice? (Score:5, Insightful)
Good news: Cancer deaths down. Other news: Liver disease is up, researchers are looking for cause & cure.
pish posh (Score:5, Insightful)
The "French paradox" isn't one. The French are healthier because 1) they exercise; and 2) they only eat their famous meals on occasion. Generally, they eat "peasant food"; potatoes, bread, stews, &c. But of course that would be too difficult; no, it must be the wine. Drink, drink, drink! It's good for you!
Here's a hint: the French drink wine because they enjoy it. When I drink beer, it's because I enjoy it. I probably won't enjoy this genetically-engineered "good for you" beer as much, so the whole idea is a non-starter. I could always just eat a pomegranate, and then drink a good beer. And for those who don't like pomegranates, we can just synthesize this "resveratol" and put it in multivitamins right?
The future (Score:4, Insightful)
I for one welcome this new synthesis between vice and medicine. What about strippers who can cure STDs and gambling to cure dyslexia?
Making love in a canoe (Score:5, Insightful)
.
.
They're both fucking close to water.
- the Bruces, Woolloomooloo university
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_WRFJwGsbY [youtube.com]
Re:Rice? (Score:1, Insightful)
No kidding. Call me when we're hearing something from Johns HOPkins.
Re:Bread? (Score:2, Insightful)
Why put it in bread when you can put it in beer?
Let's make a penny go to more research (Score:3, Insightful)
...from the sale of each beer. Doesn't necessarily have to go towards cancer research; it could defray the cost of printing the new labels. We'd still buy 'em, drink 'em...in the name of research, get it?
"Helping to find the cure, honey."
It's for the rest of us armchair jocks that can't run for a cause, unless it involved dashing to the fridge for the next one.
Slashdot Community Effort (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Baldness (Score:3, Insightful)
Guess what the #2 best-selling beer is in Ireland (Score:5, Insightful)
Resveratrol is not produced during fermentation (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Think about the consequences this election year (Score:3, Insightful)
You know, if you really think about it, maybe we don't want Joe Six Pack to be cured of cancer. Thinning out the herd can be good.
Is it ok if we start with the people you love?
Re:Drink to fight cancer! ? (Score:3, Insightful)
That's not likely.
Assume Joe "The Plumber" drinks 2 beers every night when he comes home. Assume this is not lo-alcohol beer but regular plain old lager. If Joe Plumber is an American, it's a weaker, more tasteless beer regardless. But let's put Joe Plumber in the UK, Ireland or call 'm "Jan Loodgieter" (NL), "Calle Rörmokaren" (SE/NO) or "Hans Installateur" (GER) or "Tomàs Zednik" (Czech R). Let's assume he drinks beers in the same way his dad and granddad before him. Good, strong beers, fine, tasty beers in pints, boots, strange Belgian glasses and whatnot. Let's assume all of these people drink these beers anyway, with or without the chemical in it.
Simply putting this chemical into the beer will not likely change the habits of all of these Joes. In France and the rest of the world, wine consumption didn't exactly triple when an article about the French paradox was published either. Partially because Joe might not read the newspaper because he's too busy in the pub. So having said that, how could this have an adverse affect?
Re:So true (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Guinness already does it... (Score:3, Insightful)
Seriously though, in the mentioned in the article that you need somewhere around half a bottle of wine to get the health effects of the resveratrol. If a bottle is about 6 * 4oz glasses of wine, that means 3 glasses per day, and other researchers have found that more than 2 drinks of alcohol per day can have adverse health effects. So, my guess is they are looking for a way to give you 2 * 12oz beers with all the benefits of 3 * 4oz wine.
BTW, I've noticed that Euro beers (don't ask me which; I wasn't paying close attention) tend to come in bottles that are 11 or 11.5 ounces now. WTF? Is this some evil side effect of going metric? Quit ripping us off, dammit!
Re:Making love in a canoe (Score:4, Insightful)
What about a martini?
Re:Guess what the #2 best-selling beer is in Irela (Score:3, Insightful)
What's enjoyable to you is not enjoyable to everyone. Some people actually don't like heavy beer.
If it has to be like syrup for you to consider it as having any taste, maybe the problem is your tastebuds.