{"id":4434,"date":"2017-11-14T15:41:26","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T15:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beer-syndicate.com\/blog\/?p=4434"},"modified":"2019-01-22T15:31:01","modified_gmt":"2019-01-22T15:31:01","slug":"warm-beer-science-behind-old-german-remedy-common-cold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/warm-beer-science-behind-old-german-remedy-common-cold\/","title":{"rendered":"Warmed Beer: The Science Behind an Old German Remedy for the Common Cold"},"content":{"rendered":"

At first glance, \u201cwarmed beer to fight a cold\u201d looks like something a brewery might have cooked up in order to turn a profit during cold & flu season.\u00a0 It certainly wouldn\u2019t be the first time a brewery has made a positive health claim about its beer to increase sales.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Take for example Guinness\u2019 advertising slogan from the 1920s \u201cGuinness is Good for You,\u201d which later had to be changed to comply with Irish advertising regulations that prevent adverts from suggesting that alcohol has therapeutic qualities.\u00a0 (Irish advertising authorities also thought it necessary to issue regulation preventing advertisers from suggesting that \u201cthe presence or consumption of alcohol can contribute towards sexual success or make the drinker more attractive.\u201d)<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

A similar legal reaction unfolded in the U.S. after Schlitz began fortifying its beer with vitamin D in 1936, touting that consumption of the beer would lead to \u201cyear round vigorous health.\u201d<\/span><\/a>\u00a0Schlitz was quickly imitated by Auto City Brewing Co. when it started adding vitamins B and G (riboflavin) to its Altweiser Beer in 1937 along with the advertisement that Altweiser \u201cis more refreshing because of the vitamins B and G which it contains\u2026 vitamins which are absolutely essential to proper digestion.\u201d\u00b9<\/span>\u00a0 In response, the Federal Alcohol Administration (FAA) ruled in 1940 that beer labeling could not make mention of vitamins.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And no, it wasn\u2019t just breweries that tried to add to their bottom lines by extolling the alleged healing powers of hooch.\u00a0 Indeed, doctors commonly used to write prescriptions for \u201cmedicinal alcohol\u201d<\/span><\/a> to treat a number of aliments during U.S. Prohibition.\u00a0 Perhaps the most famous instance of all involved Sir Winston Churchill who was given an unlimited prescription for booze<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in 1931 for \u201cpost accident convalescence\u201d after Churchill was struck by a car after exiting a cab in New York City.<\/span><\/p>\n

Financial motives aside, the question remains: is there any truth to the old German folk remedy<\/span><\/a> that claims a warmed beer can aid against the common cold?\u00a0 As it turns out, the answer appears to be yes, at least according to some modern-day science.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course beer is not going to cure<\/em> a cold (there is no current cure), but it appears beer may help with cold prevention and assist in recovery.<\/span><\/p>\n

The following are a few possible ways in which science has suggested that beer, warmed or otherwise, might aid against a cold:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Alcohol as a Pain Reliever, Pleasure Producer and Sleep Aid<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Proper beer contains alcohol, and alcohol has been scientifically shown to increase tolerance to pain,<\/span><\/a><\/span> release endorphins which promote feelings of well-being,<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and decrease the amount of time it takes to fall asleep,<\/span><\/a><\/span> although it can reduce the quality<\/em> of sleep.\u00a0 Nevertheless, sleep helps both to prevent a cold\u00a0and aid in recovery.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

So is this why NyQuil contains 10% alcohol-by-volume?<\/span><\/em><\/a> Maybe, but the official corporate line according to Procter & Gamble is that alcohol is used only as a solvent to keep the active ingredients in NyQuil in solution.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Hot Beverages Provide Relieve from Cold and Flu Symptoms<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

According to a 2008 study<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0done by the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University, scientists found that a \u201chot drink provided immediate and sustained relief from symptoms of runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat, chilliness and tiredness, whereas the same drink at room temperature only provided relief from symptoms of runny nose, cough and sneezing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While this study was conducted using a hot fruit<\/em> drink (not beer), it nevertheless lends strong support to the idea that a warm beverage, beer or otherwise, would confer the same kind of cold symptom relieving effects.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Hops as a Sleep Aid<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A Spanish study from 2012<\/span><\/a> confirmed the sedative properties of hops, while a subsequent study showed<\/span><\/a> that women who drank one bottle (330 ml\/11.16 oz) of non-alcoholic beer that contained hops per night had improved sleep quality and reduced levels of anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n

And according to a 2015 U.S. study,<\/span><\/a><\/span> sleep<\/em><\/span> turned out to be the single most important factor in preventing colds, more so than age, stress levels, race, education or income.\u00a0 People who sleep six hours a night or less are four times<\/span> more likely to catch a cold when exposed to the virus, compared to those who sleep more than seven hours a night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Short story shorter: hops improve sleep, and sleep helps prevent colds.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Beer Often Contains Helpful Vitamins<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, the chemical compound \u201chumulone\u201d found in hops has virus-fighting properties according to a 2012 Japanese study,<\/span><\/a> but you\u2019d need to down about 30 twelve-ounce beers to get the associated antivirus benefits. \u00a0Don\u2019t do that. \u00a0(Of course that\u2019s still better than the roughly 80 glasses of red wine needed to get the recommend daily 40 mg of resveratrol.)<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

That said, just one beer may provide up to 12.5% of the recommended daily dose of B6.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0 Vitamin B6 is a metabolism enhancer that helps to unlock and better utilize the energy and nutrients in food.\u00a0 That\u2019s an extra energy and nutrient boost that can be used in the battle of You-vs-Cold<\/em>.\u00a0 B6 in beer is derived from the yeast<\/span><\/a>\u00a0used to make the beer, which means unfiltered beers or bottle-conditioned beers will have the highest amount of vitamin B6, whereas filtered beers will have the lowest amount if any.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Beer and Alcohol as Immune System Boosters<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A German study<\/span><\/a> involving athletes showed that the risk of catching a cold was reduced by 33% after drinking alcohol-free wheat beer.\u00a0 Meanwhile, two other studies found that moderate alcohol consumption<\/span> boosts the immune system.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

As it turns out, science has shown that moderate consumption of alcohol is effective in preventing the common cold,<\/span><\/a> but in the interest of fair reporting, there are a couple potential draw-backs of alcohol to keep in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

A)<\/strong> If taking any medication that recommends against the use of alcohol, it\u2019s reasonable to follow that advice.
\n<\/span>B)<\/strong> Alcohol is a diuretic<\/span><\/a> which means it has a dehydrating effect by way of increasing the amount of urine produced in the body by about 160% in the case of beer. Translation: for every 12 ounces of beer you drink at 5% ABV, you expel about 19 ounces of water for a net loss of 7 ounces of water.<\/span><\/p>\n

Staying hydrated is important particularly when fighting a cold because water helps to transport cold-fighting nutrients<\/span><\/a> throughout the body, although watch how much water you consume as science\u00a0seems to suggest<\/span><\/a> that drinking excess<\/em> water won\u2019t help beat a cold.<\/span><\/p>\n

So why not just drink an additional 7 ounces of water per beer to make up for the loss?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Clever idea.\u00a0 There\u2019s just one catch: the body only hangs on to about 33-50%<\/span><\/a> of the extra water you drink.\u00a0 \u00a0If you\u2019re thinking just drink a little more water, we really<\/em> like the way you think, you problem-solver, you.\u00a0 Something like 14-21 ounces of water per beer sound about right?<\/span><\/p>\n

Will “Warmed Beer to Fight a Cold” Become a Thing Again?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Only time will tell.\u00a0 Meanwhile, it turns out there might have just been something to that old German home remedy of warmed beer to ward off a cold after all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Auf dein Wohl!<\/em> (To your well-being!)<\/span><\/p>\n

Related Article:<\/strong>\u00a0Warmed Beer for Health\u2014 Not Just a German Thing<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

[Disclaimer:<\/strong> Nothing contained in this article is to be considered medical advice. \u00a0In fact, we\u2019re a little weary of medical-related stuff in general, seeing as how medical errors are now the third leading cause of death<\/span> at least in the U.S.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span> In other words,<\/em> good luck!]<\/span><\/p>\n

[expand title=”References: (Click to Expand)<\/strong>“]<\/span><\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> Anderson, Will.\u00a0From beer to eternity: everything you always wanted to know about beer\u00a0<\/em>(pp. 93). S. Greene Press, 1987.
\n2.<\/strong>\u00a0The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland, 6th Edition, Chap. One, Article 7.4(c)<\/span>
\n 3.<\/strong>\u00a0Driscoll, David B. “Schlitz ‘Sunshine Vitamin D Beer Can’.”\u00a0Wisconsin Historical Society<\/em>. N.p., 19 Oct. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2017.<\/span>
\n 4.<\/strong> Gambino, Megan. \u201cDuring Prohibition, Your Doctor Could Write You a Prescription for Booze.\u201d Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 7 Oct. 2013<\/span>
\n 5.<\/strong> Churchill, Winston S. An archive of correspondence between Winston S. Churchill and Dr. Otto C. Pickhardt, the treating physician after Churchill’s New York City traffic accident, December 1931 – April 1963.<\/span>
\n 6.<\/strong> (www.dw.com), Deutsche Welle. \u201cHow Germans Fight Colds | All Media Content | DW | 02.01.2015.\u201d DW.COM, www.dw.com\/en\/how-germans-fight-colds\/g-18133946.<\/span>
\n 7.<\/strong> Woodrow, Kenneth M., and Lorne G. Eltherington. \u201cFeeling No Pain: Alcohol as an Analgesic.\u201d Pain, vol. 32, no. 2, 1988, pp. 159\u2013163., doi:10.1016\/0304-3959(88)90064-4.<\/span>
\n 8.<\/strong> Trevor Thompson, et al. \u201cSystematic Review: Alcohol Has Analgesic Effects.\u201d\u00a0Alcohol Other Drugs and Health Current Evidence Systematic Review Alcohol Has Analgesic Effects Comments<\/em>, May 2017, www.bu.edu\/aodhealth\/2017\/04\/27\/systematic-review-alcohol-has-analgesic-effects\/.<\/span>
\n 9.<\/strong> Raymond, Joan. \u201cStudy Explains the Science behind Your Beer Buzz.\u201d\u00a0NBCNews.com<\/em>, NBCUniversal News Group, 11 Jan. 2012, bodyodd.nbcnews.com\/_news\/2012\/01\/11\/10120223-study-explains-the-science-behind-your-beer-buzz?lite.<\/span>
\n 10.<\/strong> Ebrahim, Irshaad O., et al. \u201cAlcohol and Sleep I: Effects on Normal Sleep.\u201d\u00a0Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research<\/em>, 24 Jan. 2013, onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/acer.12006\/full.<\/span>
\n 11.<\/strong> Justo, Patrick Di. \u201cWhat’s Inside: NyQuil, Fortified With Powerful Narcotics!\u201d\u00a0Wired<\/em>, Conde Nast, 4 June 2017, www.wired.com\/2007\/10\/st-nyquil\/.<\/span>
\n 12.<\/strong> Sanu, A, and R Eccles. \u201cThe Effects of a Hot Drink on Nasal Airflow and Symptoms of Common Cold and Flu.\u201d\u00a0Rhinology.<\/em>, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec. 2008, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/19145994.<\/span>
\n 13.<\/strong> Franco, L, et al. \u201cThe Sedative Effects of Hops (Humulus Lupulus), a Component of Beer, on the Activity\/Rest Rhythm.\u201d\u00a0Acta Physiologica Hungarica.<\/em>, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/22849837.<\/span>
\n 14.<\/strong> Franco, Lourdes, et al. \u201cThe Sedative Effect of Non-Alcoholic Beer in Healthy Female Nurses.\u201d\u00a0PLoS ONE<\/em>, Public Library of Science, 18 July 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3399866\/.<\/span>
\n 15.<\/strong> Prather, A A, et al. \u201cBehaviorally Assessed Sleep and Susceptibility to the Common Cold.\u201d\u00a0Sleep.<\/em>, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Sept. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/26118561.<\/span>
\n 16.<\/strong> Mosbergen, Dominique. \u201cBeer May Have Anti-Virus Properties, According To Study Funded By Sapporo Breweries (VIDEO).\u201d\u00a0The Huffington Post<\/em>, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 7 Dec. 2012, www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/12\/07\/beer-has-anti-virus-properties-study-sapporo_n_2258735.html.
\n17.<\/strong> Pitot, Henry. \u201cResveratrol Recommended Dosage.\u201d\u00a0LIVESTRONG.COM<\/em>, Leaf Group, 3 Oct. 2017, www.livestrong.com\/article\/443759-resveratrol-recommended-dosage\/.<\/span>
\n 18.<\/strong> Scutti, Susan. \u201c4 Health Benefits Of Beer Drinking: Antioxidants, B-Vitamin, And Protein Are There… But Don’t Overdo It.\u201d\u00a0Medical Daily<\/em>, 1 Oct. 2013, www.medicaldaily.com\/4-health-benefits-beer-drinking-antioxidants-b-vitamin-and-protein-are-there-dont-overdo-it-258658.<\/span>
\n 19.<\/strong> \u201cCan You Live off of the Vitamins and Protein in Beer?\u201d\u00a0Healthy Eating | SF Gate<\/em>, healthyeating.sfgate.com\/can-live-off-vitamins-protein-beer-4960.html.<\/span>
\n 20.<\/strong> \u201cStudienergebnisse.\u201d\u00a0Home<\/em>, www.bemagic-studie.de\/studienergebnisse.<\/span>
\n 21.<\/strong> Ohsunews. \u201cStudy: Moderate Alcohol Consumption Boosts Body’s Immune System.\u201d\u00a0EurekAlert!<\/em>, 17 Dec. 2013, www.eurekalert.org\/pub_releases\/2013-12\/ohs-sma121713.php.<\/span>
\n 22.<\/strong> Cohen, S, et al. \u201cSmoking, Alcohol Consumption, and Susceptibility to the Common Cold.\u201d\u00a0American Journal of Public Health.<\/em>, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Sept. 1993, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/8363004.<\/span>
\n 23.<\/strong> Kruszelnicki, Karl S. \u201cWhy Does Drinking Alcohol Cause Dehydration?\u201d\u00a0ABC – Australian Broadcasting Corporation<\/em>, 28 Feb. 2012, www.abc.net.au\/science\/articles\/2012\/02\/28\/3441707.htm.<\/span>
\n 24.<\/strong> O’connor, Anahad. \u201cThe Claim: Drink Plenty of Fluids to Beat a Cold.\u201d\u00a0The New York Times<\/em>, The New York Times, 10 Jan. 2011, www.nytimes.com\/2011\/01\/11\/health\/11really.html.<\/strong><\/span>
\n[\/expand]<\/p>\n

\n

Hi, I\u2019m Dan<\/strong>: Beer Editor for\u00a0BeerSyndicate.com<\/span><\/a>, Beer and Drinking Writer, Award-Winning Brewer, BJCP Beer Judge, Beer Reviewer, American Homebrewers Association Member, Shameless Beer Promoter, and Beer Traveler.<\/p>\n\n

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At first glance, \u201cwarmed beer to fight a cold\u201d looks like something a brewery might have cooked up in order to turn a profit during cold & flu season.\u00a0 It certainly wouldn\u2019t be the first time a brewery has made a positive health claim about its beer to increase sales. 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