Japanese researchers at Sapporo Medical University found that humulone（啤酒花抑菌素）, a chemical compound in hops², was effective against the respiratory syncytial (RS) virus and was found to have an anti-inflammatory effect.

 

"The RS virus can cause serious pneumonia³ and breathing difficulties for infants and toddlers, but no vaccination⁴ is available at the moment to contain it," Jun Fuchimoto, a researcher from Sapporo Breweries⁵ said.

 

Particularly common during cold winter months, the RS virus can also cause symptoms similar to that of the common cold in adults, international online news web media reported.

 

Sapporo Breweries now hopes to create humulone-containing food and (non-alcoholic) beverages⁶（饮料，酒水） that both adults and children can consume.

 

It's not the first time that the health benefits of beer have been touted⁷.

 

Previous research has suggested that drinking beer may help build better bones thanks to its high silicon⁸ content.

 

The mineral is important for the growth and development of bone and connective tissue and helping⁹ reduce the risk of the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, the report said.

 

While experts agree that beer may be beneficial for some people when consumed in moderation, guzzling¹⁰ too much beer-or alcohol - can result in weight gain, dehydration¹¹（脱水） and a plethora¹²（过多） of other physical and social hazards.

 

Since only small quantities of humulone can be found in beer, researchers say you would have to drink adequate amounts of it to benefit from the anti-virus effect.

 

Another leading beer expert, Professor Ramon Etruch of the University Hospital in Barcelona, had previously¹³ said that only a single unit's worth of beer is required to obtain some of the beneficial health effects.

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