Moderate Consumption of Beer and Its Effects on Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health: An Updated Review of Recent Scientific Evidence

Cold extraction process for producing a low-alcohol beer, International Pale Lager style: Evaluation and description of flavors using electronic tongue

Grains germinate, dry, and then undergo crushing before being combined with hot water to yield a sweet and viscous liquid known as wort. To enhance flavor and aroma compounds while maintaining a lower alcohol content, cold water is utilized during wort production without increasing its density. Recent years have witnessed a surge in demand for beverages with reduced alcohol content, reflecting shifting consumer preferences towards healthier lifestyles. Notably, consumers of low-alcohol beers seek products that closely mimic traditional beers. In response, batches of low-alcohol beer were meticulously crafted using a cold extraction method with room temperature water, resulting in a beer with 1.11% alcohol by volume (ABV). Sensory evaluations yielded a favorable score of 27 out of 50, indicating adherence to style standards and absence of major technical flaws. Furthermore, electronic taste profiling revealed a striking similarity between the low-alcohol beer and the benchmark International Pale Lager style, exemplified by commercial beers (5 and 0.03% ABV). Notably, the reduced-alcohol variant boasted lower caloric content compared to both standard and non-alcoholic counterparts. Consequently, the cold extraction approach emerges as a promising technique for producing low-alcohol beers within the International Pale Lager style, catering to evolving consumer preferences and health-conscious trends.

The prevalence and concentration of aflatoxins in beers: a global systematic review and meta-analysis and probabilistic health risk assessment

Mycotoxins have been identified as considerable contaminants in beer. The current investigation's concentration and prevalence of aflatoxins (AFs) in beer were meta-analyzed. The health risk of consumers was estimated through MOEs in the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) model. The rank order of AFs in beer based on pooled prevalence was AFB1 (26.00%) > AFG1 (14.93%) > AFB2 (7.69%) > AFG2 (7.52%), In addition, the rank order of AFs in beer based on their pooled concentration was AFG1 (0.505 µg/l) > AFB1 (0.469 µg/l) > AFB2 (0.134 µg/l) > AFG2 (0.071 µg/l). The prevalence and concentration of AFs in beer in Malawi were higher than in other countries. The health risk assessment shows consumers in all countries, especially Malawi, Brazil, and Cameroon, are exposed to unacceptably health risks (MOEs <10,000). It is recommended to monitor levels of AFs in beer efficiently and implement control plans in order to decrease health risk of exposed population.

Effect of moderate beer consumption (with and without ethanol) on cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women

BACKGROUND

The main aim of this 2-year non-randomized parallel controlled clinical pilot trial was to evaluate the long-term effect of a moderate daily intake of beer (with and without alcohol) on cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women. A total of 34 participants were grouped into three study arms: 16 were administered alcoholic beer, 6 consumed non-alcoholic beer, and 12 were in the control group. Changes in glucose metabolism, lipid profile, liver enzymes, anthropometric measurements, body composition, and blood pressure variables were monitored. Data on medical history, diet, and exercise were collected, and gustatory capacities were determined.

RESULTS

Moderate consumption of beer, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, seemed to have positive effects on biochemical indicators of cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women, with 660 mL day-1 of non-alcoholic beer reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol blood levels, and 330 mL day-1 of alcoholic beer increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The evolution of changes in android and gynoid fat percentage and their ratio differed significantly between study groups, which was attributable to either the interventions or the disparity between groups regarding the time elapsed since menopause onset. Iso-α-acids recognition threshold could be involved in intervention group election, whereas the sensory phenotypes studied were not associated with alcohol drinking frequency.

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate beer consumption was found to improve the lipid profile of postmenopausal women, although their effects in preventing cardiometabolic alterations deserve further research (trial registration number: ISRCTN13825020; https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN13825020). © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluation of Dietary and Alcohol Drinking Patterns in Patients with Excess Body Weight in a Spanish Cohort: Impact on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

Unhealthy dietary habits and sedentarism coexist with a rising incidence of excess weight and associated comorbidities. We aimed to analyze the dietary and drinking patterns of patients with excess weight, their main characteristics, plausible gender differences and impact on cardiometabolic risk factors, with a particular focus on the potential contribution of beer consumption. Data from 200 consecutive volunteers (38 ± 12 years; 72% females) living with overweight or class I obesity attending the obesity unit to lose weight were studied. Food frequency questionnaires and 24 h recalls were used. Reduced-rank regression (RRR) analysis was applied to identify dietary patterns (DPs). Anthropometry, total and visceral fat, indirect calorimetry, physical activity level, comorbidities and circulating cardiometabolic risk factors were assessed. Study participants showed high waist circumference, adiposity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, pro-inflammatory adipokines and low anti-inflammatory factors like adiponectin and interleukin-4. A low-fiber, high-fat, energy-dense DP was observed. BMI showed a statistically significant (p < 0.05) correlation with energy density (r = 0.80) as well as percentage of energy derived from fat (r = 0.61). Excess weight was associated with a DP low in vegetables, legumes and whole grains at the same time as being high in sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, fat spreads, and processed meats. RRR analysis identified a DP characterized by high energy density and saturated fat exhibiting negative loadings (>-0.30) for green leafy vegetables, legumes, and fruits at the same time as showing positive factor loadings (>0.30) for processed foods, fat spreads, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sweets. Interestingly, for both women and men, wine represented globally the main source of total alcohol intake (p < 0.05) as compared to beer and distillates. Beer consumption cannot be blamed as the main culprit of excess weight. Capturing the DP provides more clinically relevant and useful information. The focus on consumption of single nutrients does not resemble real-world intake behaviors.

Simulated gastrointestinal digestion of beer using the simgi® model. Investigation of colonic phenolic metabolism and impact on human gut microbiota

Beer is a source of bioactive compounds, mainly polyphenols, which can reach the large intestine and interact with colonic microbiota. However, the effects of beer consumption in the gastrointestinal function have scarcely been studied. This paper reports, for the first time, the in vitro digestion of beer and its impact on intestinal microbiota metabolism. Three commercial beers of different styles were subjected to gastrointestinal digestion using the simgi® model, and the digested fluids were further fermented in triplicate with faecal microbiota from a healthy volunteer. The effect of digested beer on human gut microbiota was evaluated in terms of microbial metabolism (short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and ammonium ion), microbial diversity and bacterial populations (plate counting and 16S rRNA gene sequencing). Monitoring beer polyphenols through the different digestion phases showed their extensive metabolism, mainly at the colonic stage. In addition, a higher abundance of taxa related to gut health, especially Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Mitsuokella and Succinilasticum at the genus level, and the Ruminococcaceae and Prevotellaceae families were found in the presence of beers. Regarding microbial metabolism, beer feeding significantly increased microbial SCFA production (mainly butyric acid) and decreased ammonium content. Overall, these results evidence the positive actions of moderate beer consumption on the metabolic activity of colonic microbiota, suggesting that the raw materials and brewing methods used may affect the beer gut effects.

Characteristics of Oat and Buckwheat Malt Grains for Use in the Production of Fermented Foods

Malted gluten-free cereal grains and pseudo-cereals are interesting raw materials for producing fermented foods. The aim of the work was to assess selected technological quality characteristics and antioxidant properties of special malts in terms of use in the production of fermented foods. The research material consisted of malts made from oat, buckwheat, and brewing barley. Malting was performed on a microtechnical scale according to the standard scheme for brewing barley grain. The basic quality parameters of cereal grains obtained malts, and laboratory wort were assessed according to methods applicable in brewing. Atypical brewing malts were characterized by parameters such as malt extractability, protein solubilization, diastatic force, mash filtration time, and wort viscosity. The best results, comparable to barley malt, were obtained for naked oat malt. Malted buckwheat grains turned out to be the least biochemically modified, although their use in the production of beer and/or other fermented beverages is supported by the high content of bioactive substances and antioxidant potential. As the malting process of cereal plants improves their antioxidant properties and increases their nutritional value, oat and buckwheat malts can be successfully used to produce gluten-free fermented beverages or as an addition to fermented products, e.g., in baking and confectionery.

Dietary Recommendations for Ethiopians on the Basis of Priority Diet-Related Diseases and Causes of Death in Ethiopia: An Umbrella Review

Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) need to be evidence-based. As part of the development of Ethiopian FBDG, we conducted an umbrella review to develop dietary recommendations. Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), deficiencies of vitamin A, zinc, calcium, or folate, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were selected as a priority. Systematic reviews were eligible if they investigated the impact of foods, food groups, diet, or dietary patterns on priority diseases. After a search, 1513 articles were identified in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar published from January 2014 to December 2021. The results showed that 19 out of 164 systematic reviews reported the impact of diet on PEM or micronutrient deficiencies. Daily 30-90 g whole-grain consumption reduces risk of CVD and T2DM. Pulses improve protein status, and consuming 50-150 g/d is associated with a reduced incidence of CVD and T2DM. Nuts are a good source of minerals, and consuming 15-35 g/d improves antioxidant status and is inversely associated with CVD risk. A daily intake of 200-300 mL of milk and dairy foods is a good source of calcium and contributes to bone mineral density. Limiting processed meat intake to <50 g/d reduces CVD risk. Fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamins A and C. CVD and T2DM risks are reduced by consuming 200-300 g of vegetables plus fruits daily. Daily sugar consumption should be below 10% of total energy to lower risk of obesity, CVD, and T2DM. Plant-based fat has favorable nutrient profiles and modest saturated fat content. The association of saturated fatty acids with CVD and T2DM is inconclusive, but intake should be limited because of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol-raising effect. Plant-based diets lower risk of CVD and T2DM but reduce micronutrient bioavailability. The review concludes with 9 key dietary recommendations proposed to be implemented in the Ethiopian FBDG. This review was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42019125490).

Association between Wine Consumption with Cardiovascular Disease and Cardiovascular Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was: (i) to examine the association between wine consumption and cardiovascular mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and coronary heart disease (CHD) and (ii) to analyse whether this association could be influenced by personal and study factors, including the participants' mean age, the percentage of female subjects, follow-up time and percentage of current smokers. Methods: In order to conduct this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched several databases for longitudinal studies from their inception to March 2023. This study was previously registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021293568). Results: This systematic review included 25 studies, of which the meta-analysis included 22 studies. The pooled RR for the association of wine consumption and the risk of CHD using the DerSimonian and Laird approach was 0.76 (95% CIs: 0.69, 0.84), for the risk of CVD was 0.83 (95% CIs: 0.70, 0.98), and for the risk of cardiovascular mortality was 0.73 (95% CIs: 0.59, 0.90). Conclusions: This research revealed that wine consumption has an inverse relationship to cardiovascular mortality, CVD, and CHD. Age, the proportion of women in the samples, and follow-up time did not influence this association. Interpreting these findings with prudence was necessary because increasing wine intake might be harmful to individuals who are vulnerable to alcohol because of age, medication, or their pathologies.

Serum keratin 18-M65 levels detect progressive forms of alcohol-associated liver disease in early noncirrhotic stages

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The progression of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) in its early precirrhotic stages can be a silent process. Serum keratin 18 levels (K18-M65) predict severe events and mortality in advanced stages of ALD, but data on this biomarker in early stages are scarce. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of K18-M65 levels in identifying early forms of ALD.

METHODS

We prospectively evaluated two cohorts of actively drinking patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) following a rehabilitation program (training (n = 162) and validation (n = 78)) and matched healthy controls (n = 21). Clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were used to distinguish AUD patients with simple steatosis (minimal ALD) and steatohepatitis/fibrosis (early ALD). We measured serum K18-M65 levels and assessed their ability to predict early ALD.

RESULTS

High levels of K18-M65 characterized AUD patients with early ALD, while levels in the minimal ALD group were similar to those in healthy controls. K18-M65 levels distinguished minimal liver disease from early ALD (AUROC = 0.8704; p < 0.0001) with an optimal cutoff at 265.9 U/L. K18-M65 levels strongly correlated with transaminases and predicted early ALD (OR 25.81; 95% CI 3.166-336.1; p < 0.0001), controlled attenuation parameter, and liver stiffness independently from transaminases and other potential confounders. K18-M65 levels did not discriminate between fibrosis and steatohepatitis but correlated with histological signs of hepatocellular injury and inflammation (all p < 0.05). The K18-M65 cutoff detected early ALD in the validation cohort with high accuracy (sensitivity 86.67%, specificity 96.67%) and a very high positive likelihood ratio (28.6; 95% CI 4.14-197.73).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum K18-M65 levels can be used as a biomarker to detect early ALD stages with excellent predictive value.

Biomarkers of moderate alcohol intake and alcoholic beverages: a systematic literature review

The predominant source of alcohol in the diet is alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine, spirits and liquors, sweet wine, and ciders. Self-reported alcohol intakes are likely to be influenced by measurement error, thus affecting the accuracy and precision of currently established epidemiological associations between alcohol itself, alcoholic beverage consumption, and health or disease. Therefore, a more objective assessment of alcohol intake would be very valuable, which may be established through biomarkers of food intake (BFIs). Several direct and indirect alcohol intake biomarkers have been proposed in forensic and clinical contexts to assess recent or longer-term intakes. Protocols for performing systematic reviews in this field, as well as for assessing the validity of candidate BFIs, have been developed within the Food Biomarker Alliance (FoodBAll) project. The aim of this systematic review is to list and validate biomarkers of ethanol intake per se excluding markers of abuse, but including biomarkers related to common categories of alcoholic beverages. Validation of the proposed candidate biomarker(s) for alcohol itself and for each alcoholic beverage was done according to the published guideline for biomarker reviews. In conclusion, common biomarkers of alcohol intake, e.g., as ethyl glucuronide, ethyl sulfate, fatty acid ethyl esters, and phosphatidyl ethanol, show considerable inter-individual response, especially at low to moderate intakes, and need further development and improved validation, while BFIs for beer and wine are highly promising and may help in more accurate intake assessments for these specific beverages.

Moderate Beer Consumption Is Associated with Good Physical and Mental Health Status and Increased Social Support

There is little large-scale evidence on the effect of alcoholic beer consumption on physical, mental and, above all, socio-emotional health. Here, we conducted a secondary data analysis of the 2012 and 2017 National Health Surveys with 33,185 individuals aged 18 years and older to assess beer consumption in relation to self-perceived health, functional limitations, mental health, and social support. Logistic regression models assessed the association of alcohol consumption (abstainers, ex-drinkers, occasional drinkers, moderate beer drinkers, and heavy beer drinkers) with self-perceived health (poor or good), limitations of type (none, physical, mental, or both) and intensity (none, mild, or severe), mental health (poor, average, or good) and social support (poor, average, or good). Analyses were adjusted for sex, age, occupational social class, educational level, place of residence, survey, part-time physical activity, dietary information, smoking, and body mass index. Compared to abstainers, occasional and moderate beer drinkers were associated with better mental and self-perceived health and social support, and were less likely to report mild or severe physical limitations. In contrast, former drinkers were associated with worse indicators of self-perceived health, physical health, mental health, and social support than abstainers. Alcoholic beer consumption showed a J-shaped relationship with self-perceived, physical, mental, and social-emotional health, with better values at moderate levels.

Preparation, Characterization, and Performance of Natural Zeolites as Alternative Materials for Beer Filtration

The clarity of the beer is essential to its marketability and good consumer approval. Moreover, the beer filtration aims to remove the unwanted constituents that cause beer haze formation. Natural zeolite, an inexpensive and widespread material, was tested as a substitute filter media for diatomaceous earth in removing the haze constituents in beer. The zeolitic tuff samples were collected from two quarries in Northern Romania: Chilioara, in which the zeolitic tuff has a clinoptilolite content of about 65%, and the Valea Pomilor quarry, containing zeolitic tuff with a clinoptilolite content of about 40%. Two-grain sizes, <40 and <100 µm, from each quarry were prepared and thermally treated at 450 °C in order to improve their adsorption properties and remove organic compounds and for physico-chemical characterization. The prepared zeolites were used for beer filtration in different mixtures with commercial filter aids (DIF BO and CBL3) in laboratory-scale experiments, and the filtered beer was characterized in terms of pH, turbidity, color, taste, flavor, and concentrations of the major and trace elements. The results showed that the taste, flavor, and pH of the filtered beer were generally not affected by filtration, while turbidity and color decreased with an increase in the zeolite content used in the filtration. The concentrations of Na and Mg in the beer were not significantly altered by filtration; Ca and K slowly increased, while Cd and Co were below the limits of quantification. Our results show that natural zeolites are promising aids for beer filtration and can be readily substituted for diatomaceous earth without significant changes in brewery industry process equipment and protocols for preparation.

Beer and Microbiota: Pathways for a Positive and Healthy Interaction

Beer is one of the most consumed drinks worldwide. It contains numerous categories of antioxidants, phenolic products, traces of group B vitamins, minerals (selenium, silicon, potassium), soluble fibers and microorganisms. Low or moderate beer consumption, with or without alcohol, showed positive effects on health by stimulating the development of a healthy microbiota. In the present review we focused on four components responsible with interaction with gut microbiota: microorganisms, polyphenols, fiber and melanoidins, their presence in usual beers and on perspectives of development of fortified beers with enhanced effects on gut microbiota. Though microorganisms rarely escape pasteurization of beer, there are new unpasteurized types that might bring strains with probiotic effects. The polyphenols from beer are active on the gut microbiota stimulating its development, with consequent local anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Their degradation products have prebiotic action and may combat intestinal dysbiosis. Beer contains dietary fiber such as non-starchy, non-digestible carbohydrates (β-glucans, arabinoxylans, mannose, fructose polymers, etc.) that relate with gut microbiota through fermentation, serving as a nutrient substrate. Another type of substances that are often considered close to fiber because they have an extremely low digestibility, melanoidins (melanosaccharides), give beer antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Though there are not many research studies in this area, the conclusion of this review is that beer seems a good candidate for a future functional food and that there are many pathways by which its ingredients can influence in a positive manner the human gut microbiota. Of course, there are many technological hinderances to overcome. However, designing functional beers fortified with fiber, antioxidants and probiotics, with a very low or no alcoholic content, will counteract the negative perception of beer consumption, will nullify the negative effects of alcohol, while simultaneously exerting a positive action on the gut microbiota.

Association between Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Subjective Quality of Life in Spanish Young Adults

BACKGROUND

For the last 25 years, the debate on the benefit-risk balance of moderate alcohol consumption has been ongoing. This study explored the relationships between the pattern of alcohol consumption and subjective quality of life in healthy adults.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Participants were 247 healthy adults aged 25-45 years, with a moderate alcohol consumption, classified in three groups of alcohol intake: None (N = 37; <0.7 g/day), Low (N = 87; 0.7-<5 g/day) and Medium (N = 123; 5-16 g/day in women and 5-28 g/day in men). Information was collected with questionnaires including: alcoholic beverage frequency and pattern, quality of life (SF-36v2), anxiety, depression, health condition, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, physical activity and sleep time.

RESULTS

Mean (SD) age of participants was 35.9 (6.3). In the Medium group, the mean alcohol intake was 10.98 ± 4.84 g/day on weekly bases and 24.7 ± 15.2 g/day on weekend days. Beer was the main contributor to total daily alcohol consumption. The percentage of subjects in the Medium group that showed a weekend average intake higher than moderate was 58.5% in exclusively weekend consumers and 48.2% in those who are not exclusive-weekend consumers (p = 0.278). Regarding markers of quality of life and mental health, the results did not show any significant association with alcohol consumption. In conclusion, in subjects that show weekly bases moderate intake of alcohol, weekend-day consumption levels can be high; however, no association of an overall moderate alcohol consumption pattern with quality of life was found.

Alcohol consumption and epigenetic age acceleration in young adults

Alcohol is a widely consumed substance in the United States, however its effect on aging remains understudied. In this study of young adults, we examined whether cumulative alcohol consumption, i.e., alcohol years of beer, liquor, wine, and total alcohol, and recent binge drinking, were associated with four measures of age-related epigenetic changes via blood DNA methylation. A random subset of study participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study underwent DNA methylation profiling using the Illumina MethylationEPIC Beadchip. Participants with alcohol consumption and methylation data at examination years 15 (n = 1,030) and 20 (n = 945) were included. Liquor and total alcohol consumption were associated with a 0.31-year (P = 0.002) and a 0.12-year (P = 0.013) greater GrimAge acceleration (GAA) per additional five alcohol years, while beer and wine consumption observed marginal (P = 0.075) and no associations (P = 0.359) with GAA, respectively. Any recent binge drinking and the number of days of binge drinking were associated with a 1.38-year (P < 0.001) and a 0.15-year (P < 0.001) higher GAA, respectively. We observed statistical interactions between cumulative beer (P < 0.001) and total alcohol (P = 0.004) consumption with chronological age, with younger participants exhibiting a higher average in GAA compared to older participants. No associations were observed with the other measures of epigenetic aging. These results suggest cumulative liquor and total alcohol consumption and recent binge drinking may alter age-related epigenetic changes as captured by GAA. With the increasing aging population and widespread consumption of alcohol, these findings may have potential implications for lifestyle modification to promote healthy aging.

Features of Non-Alcoholic Beer on Cardiovascular Biomarkers. Can It Be a Substitute for Conventional Beer?

Numerous studies have revealed the beneficial effects of moderate beer consumption on cardiovascular diseases. However, the presence of alcohol in beer can represent a matter of concern, since alcohol intake poses a risk to some individuals. Additionally, adults who are life-long abstainers should not be encouraged to consume alcohol for health purposes. Consequently, the benefits of beer consumption remain a controversial issue. In this scenario, the present review gathers the reported information concerning the cardiovascular effects of non-alcoholic beer, and makes a comparison between these effects and those of conventional beer. Despite the scarcity of published results to date describing the effects of non-alcoholic beer consumption, the available literature indicates that it is more effective than conventional beer in preventing oxidative stress (lower lipid and protein oxidation), preserving the endothelial function (lower endothelial dysfunction) and inhibiting thrombogenic activity (lowered oxidized LDL). By contrast, conventional beer has shown to induce greater increases in HDL-cholesterol levels (known as a cardiovascular protective factor) compared to non-alcoholic beer. This effect cannot be solely attributed to alcohol content, since the polyphenol content in conventional beer tends to be higher than that found in non-alcoholic beer.

Associations between Drinking Behaviors and Meaning in Life: Evidence from Primary Care Professionals in China

(1) Background: Although the associations between drinking behaviors and emotional problems have been supported in several previous studies, the associations between drinking behaviors and meaning in life have not been explored until now. We aimed to test the associations between drinking behaviors and meaning in life among primary care professionals, after controlling for depression. (2) Methods: In the current study, we collected 1453 valid questionnaires based on a cross-sectional design. Meaning in life, drinking behaviors, physical diseases, depression, work-related variables, and some other social-demographic variables were evaluated. (3) Results: The results support that after controlling for depression, regular milk drinking (β = 1.387, p = 0.026), and regular juice drinking (β = 2.316, p = 0.030) were associated with higher meaning in life, while regular water drinking (β = −1.448, p = 0.019) was negatively associated with meaning in life. In addition to this, the results showed that the older age (β = 0.098, p = 0.001), preventive medicine majors (β = 4.281, p = 0.013), working fewer days per week (β = −0.942, p = 0.004), licensed (assistant) technician qualification (β = 2.921, p = 0.036), and no depression (β = −0.203, p < 0.001) were positively associated with meaning in life. (4) Conclusion: This study supported the association between drinking behaviors and meaning in life, even after controlling depression. These findings imply that we can further explore this association and its mechanisms in future studies.

Alcohol Consumption and Cardiovascular Health

BACKGROUND

Studies evaluating alcohol consumption and cardiovascular diseases have shown inconsistent results.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications from an extensive query of Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Scopus, and Web of Science from database inception to March 2022 for all studies that reported the association between alcohol consumption in terms of quantity (daily or weekly amounts) and type of beverage (wine, beer or spirit) and cardiovascular disease events.

RESULTS

The study population included a total of 1,579,435 individuals based on 56 cohorts from several countries. We found that moderate wine consumption defined as 1-4 drinks per week was associated with a reduction in risk for cardiovascular mortality when compared with beer or spirits. However, higher risk for cardiovascular disease mortality was typically seen with heavier daily or weekly alcohol consumption across all types of beverages.

CONCLUSIONS

It is possible that the observational studies may overestimate the benefits of alcohol for cardiovascular disease outcomes. Although moderate wine consumption is probably associated with low cardiovascular disease events, there are many confounding factors, in particular, lifestyle, genetic, and socioeconomic associations with wine drinking, which likely explain much of the association with wine and reduced cardiovascular disease events. Further prospective study of alcohol and all-cause mortality, including cancer, is needed.

Fermented foods and cardiometabolic health: Definitions, current evidence, and future perspectives

Unhealthy diets contribute to the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases. Annually, over 11 million deaths worldwide are attributed to dietary risk factors, with the vast majority of deaths resulting from cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) including cardiovascular disease (∼10 million) and type II diabetes (∼339,000). As such, defining diets and dietary patterns that mitigate CMD risk is of great public health importance. Recently, the consumption of fermented foods has emerged as an important dietary strategy for improving cardiometabolic health. Fermented foods have been present in the human diet for over 10,000 years, but knowledge on whether their consumption benefits human health, and the molecular and microbiological mechanisms underpinning their purported health benefits, is relatively nascent. This review provides an overview of the definitions of fermented foods, types and qualities of fermented foods consumed in Europe and globally, possible mechanisms between the consumption of fermented foods and cardiometabolic health, as well as the current state of the epidemiological evidence on fermented food intake and cardiometabolic health. Finally, we outline future perspectives and opportunities for improving the role of fermented foods in human diets.

An automatic on-line sol-gel pyridylethylthiopropyl functionalized silica-based sorbent extraction system coupled to flame atomic absorption spectrometry for lead and copper determination in beer samples

A novel sol-gel pyridylethylthiopropyl functionalized silica-based sorbent was synthesized and utilized in an on-line column preconcentration system coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry for metal determination. The developed platform was used for the determination of Pb(II) and Cu(II) in beer samples, since there are limited automatic methods for routine analysis of alcoholic beverage. For a preconcentration time of 60 s, the calculated enhancement factors were 96 for Cu(II) and 130 for Pb(II). The limits of detection were 0.33 μg L^-1 and 1.98 μg L^-1 for Cu(II) and Pb(II), respectively. Moreover, the RSDs were less than 2.9% indicating good method precision. The method was successfully employed for the analysis of commercially available beers. The Cu(II) content of the samples was 1.6-21.8 μg L^-1 and the Pb(II) content was 7.3-17.6 μg L^-1. The developed manifold exhibited operational simplicity and good performance characteristics, indicating its potential utilization for routine analysis in beer industry.

Effect of Moderate Consumption of Different Phenolic-Content Beers on the Human Gut Microbiota Composition: A Randomized Crossover Trial

The moderate consumption of beer has been associated with positive effects on health, and these benefits are driven, in part, by the antioxidant properties of phenolic compounds found in this beverage. However, the potential impact of beer polyphenols on the human gut microbiome and their consequences are yet to be elucidated. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the effect of three different phenolic-content beers on the gut microbiome and the potential role of the induced shifts in the antioxidant capacity of beer polyphenols. In total, 20 subjects (10 healthy volunteers and 10 individuals with metabolic syndrome) were randomly assigned in a crossover design to consume each of the different beers (alcohol-free, lager or dark beer) during a 2-week intervention. Significant changes in the relative abundance of Streptococcaceae and Streptococcus were found after beer consumption. An increased abundance of Streptococcaceae and Streptococcus was observed after the consumption of dark beer, with no detected differences between baseline and alcohol-free/lager beer intervention. Moreover, some of the detected differences appeared to be related to the metabolic status. Finally, a decrease in porphyrin metabolism and heme biosynthesis was found after the intervention, especially after the consumption of dark beer. These results show that the antioxidant capacity of beer polyphenols may induce positive shifts in gut microbiota composition, and some of the observed changes may also boost the antioxidant capacity of these compounds.

Alcohol Consumption, Bone Mineral Density, and Risk of Osteoporotic Fractures: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis

Excess alcohol consumption is known to be detrimental to human health. However, the role of light-to-moderate alcohol intake is under investigation for potential certain health benefits-mostly related to the cardiovascular system. Nevertheless, there is no univocal agreement on this matter, and research is still ongoing to clarify whether there might be other potential outcomes affected by alcohol intake. In this regard, there is evidence that excess alcohol intake may negatively influence the risk of osteoporotic fractures. However, there is no comprehensive evidence of literature assessing the role of alcohol consumption in bone mineral density (BMD) and the risk of osteoporotic fractures. Thus, the aim of this study was to quantitatively assess the dose-response relationship between alcohol intake and BMD and risk of osteoporotic fractures. The Embase and MEDLINE electronic databases were searched from their inception to December 2021 for articles providing a quantifiable measurement of alcohol consumption for at least three categories and (1) a measurement of BMD (and dispersion as continuous variables) in some area of the body or (2) risk of osteoporotic fracture provided as relative risk (RR) or hazard ratio (HR), with a 95% confidence interval (CI) as the measure of the association of each category with alcohol intake. A total of 11 studies including 46,916 individuals with BMD assessment and 8 studies including 240,871 individuals with risk of fracture analysis were included. Compared to non-drinkers, consumption of up to two standard drinks of alcohol per day was correlated with higher lumbar and femur neck BMD values, while up to one standard drink of alcohol was correlated with higher hip BMD compared to no alcohol consumption. Higher risk of hip fractures was found starting from three standard drinks of alcohol per day (RR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.04; 1.69 for three alcoholic drinks/d, and RR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.23; 2.05 for four alcoholic drinks/d) compared to no alcohol consumption, with no evidence of heterogeneity. Concerning the risk of any osteoporotic fractures, the risk steadily increased with higher intake of alcohol, although never reaching statistical significance. In conclusion, there is consistent evidence that increased alcohol consumption is associated with higher risk of osteoporotic hip fracture; however, the role of alcohol at lower doses is uncertain, as BMD was even higher in light drinkers compared to abstainers.

Annual reports on hypertension research 2020

In 2020, 199 papers were published in Hypertension Research. Many excellent papers have contributed to progress in research on hypertension. Here, our editorial members have summarized eleven topics from published work and discussed current topics in depth. We hope you enjoy our special feature, Annual Reports on Hypertension Research.

Urinary Tartaric Acid, a Biomarker of Wine Intake, Correlates with Lower Total and LDL Cholesterol

Postmenopausal women are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases due to changes in lipid profile and body fat, among others. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of urinary tartaric acid, a biomarker of wine consumption, with anthropometric (weight, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-height ratio), blood pressure, and biochemical variables (blood glucose and lipid profile) that may be affected during the menopausal transition. This sub-study of the PREDIMED (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea) trial included a sample of 230 women aged 60-80 years with high cardiovascular risk at baseline. Urine samples were diluted and filtered, and tartaric acid was analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Correlations between tartaric acid and the study variables were adjusted for age, education level, smoking status, physical activity, BMI, cholesterol-lowering, antihypertensive, and insulin treatment, total energy intake, and consumption of fruits, vegetables, and raisins. A strong association was observed between wine consumption and urinary tartaric acid (0.01 μg/mg (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.01, 0.01), p-value < 0.001). Total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were inversely correlated with urinary tartaric acid (-3.13 μg/mg (-5.54, -0.71), p-value = 0.016 and -3.03 μg/mg (-5.62, -0.42), p-value = 0.027, respectively), whereas other biochemical and anthropometric variables were unrelated. The results suggest that wine consumption may have a positive effect on cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women, underpinning its nutraceutical properties.

Therapeutic potential of targeting intestinal bitter taste receptors in diabetes associated with dyslipidemia

Intestinal release of incretin hormones after food intake promotes glucose-dependent insulin secretion and regulates glucose homeostasis. The impaired incretin effects observed in the pathophysiologic abnormality of type 2 diabetes have triggered the pharmacological development of incretin-based therapy through the activation of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor, including GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors. In the light of the mechanisms involved in the stimulation of GLP-1 secretion, it is a fundamental question to explore whether glucose and lipid homeostasis can be manipulated by the digestive system in response to nutrient ingestion and taste perception along the gastrointestinal tract. While glucose is a potent stimulant of GLP-1 secretion, emerging evidence highlights the importance of bitter tastants in the enteroendocrine secretion of gut hormones through activation of bitter taste receptors. This review summarizes bitter chemosensation in the intestines for GLP-1 secretion and metabolic regulation based on recent advances in biological research of bitter taste receptors and preclinical and clinical investigation of bitter medicinal plants, including bitter melon, hops strobile, and berberine-containing herbs (e.g. coptis rhizome and barberry root). Multiple mechanisms of action of relevant bitter phytochemicals are discussed with the consideration of pharmacokinetic studies. Current evidence suggests that specific agonists targeting bitter taste receptors, such as human TAS2R1 and TAS2R38, may provide both metabolic benefits and anti-inflammatory effects with the modulation of the enteroendocrine hormone secretion and bile acid turnover in metabolic syndrome individuals or diabetic patients with dyslipidemia-related comorbidities.