Brew menopause beer.

Czech scientists have created a non-alcoholic beer that contains 10 times the normal amount of phytoestrogen, which is intended to help women suffering from menopause.

The beer was developed by scientists at the Czech Republic's Research Institute for Brewing and Malting. It is intended to relieve menopausal symptoms and maintain bone density by tackling a lack of the estrogen hormone that exists in many Czech women and in women worldwide. The achievement represents a significant advance in functional beer, at a time when other functional products are gaining popularity.

Estrogens are a group of steroid compounds, named for their importance in the oestrus cycle, functioning as the primary female sex hormone. The amount of estrogen declines significantly in women as they begin menopause. It remains low from that point forward. Studies have linked a lack of the hormone to an increased risk of various health issues, including heart disease and osteoporosis. Researchers in the Czech Republic turned to beer because Czechs drink on average about 160 liters of beer each year. In the United States, people consume about 85 liters annually.

Scientists know that hops used to make beer naturally contain phytoestrogen, a form of the estrogen hormone found in plants. The researchers' work is based on brewing raw materials selection, especially Czech aroma hops, and brewing technology similar to classical Czech beer production. The technique also should make it possible to produce non-alcoholic beer with a good taste by maintaining the same levels of hops and malt as a normal alcoholic product. The scientists are looking for funding to optimize their research and create a commercially viable product.

There has also been scientific controversy over whether the benefits of hormone replacement therapy outweigh its risks. For many years, women were advised to take hormone therapy after menopause to reduce their risk of heart disease and various related illnesses of aging. However, a large, randomized, controlled trial--the Women's Health Initiative--found that women undergoing this therapy increased their risk of Alzheimer's disease, breast cancer, heart disease and stroke.

The scientists plan to continue their research. They will prove the results on a large scale. Further work will be focused on increasing the phytoestrogen content in beer and carrying out a prospective long-term clinical-laboratory study of phytoestrogen-rich beer intake on woman. Further information. Karel Kosar, Research Institute of Brewing and Malting Plc, Lipova 15, 120 44 Praha 2, Czech Republic; phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]; email: [e-mail]; URL: www.beerresearch.cz.