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Researchers Create New Probiotic Beer That Boosts Immunity (upi.com)

randomErr writes: A new patent has been filed for a innovative brewing technique that incorporates a live strain of good bacteria into the brewing process. Researchers at NUS (National University of Singapore) have created a probiotic sour beer that may boost immunity and improve gut health. The bacteria Lactobacillus paracasei L26 is capable of neutralizing toxins and viruses and regulating the immune system. Chan Mei Zhi Alcine, of the Food Science and Technology Program at NUS said, "While good bacteria are often present in food that have been fermented, there are currently no beers in the market that contain probiotics. Developing sufficient counts of live probiotics in beer is a challenging feat as beers contain hop acids that prevent the growth and survival of probiotics. As a believer of achieving a healthy diet through consuming probiotics, this is a natural choice for me when I picked a topic for my final-year project."

11 of 84 comments (clear)

  1. Look for the disclaimer by Chewbacon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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    Chewbacon
    The Bible is like Wikipedia: written by a bunch of people and verifiable by questionable sources.
  2. How much do you have to drink by ozduo · · Score: 4, Funny

    To get a healthy beer gut?

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    I got to the chocolate box before you, that's why the hard ones have teeth marks.
  3. More famous last words ... by sk999 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "No, No, these are the GOOD kind of bacteria."

  4. Boost immunity? by SuicidalLabRat · · Score: 2

    What the hell is that supposed to mean?

  5. Re:"As a believer"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    "Probiotics" have _Zero_ scientific validity. As in none at all and in many places, like the US and Europe, claiming that they have any validity is illegal:

    "Due to these ambiguities, the European Commission placed a ban on putting the word "probiotic" on the packaging of products because such labeling misleads consumers to believe a health benefit is provided by the product when no scientific proof exists to demonstrate that health effect.
    In the United States, the FDA and Federal Trade Commission have issued warning letters and imposed punishment on various manufacturers of probiotic products whose labels claim to treat a disease or condition."
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic

    BeauHD, you have some 'splaining to do, pushing Snakeoil on Slashdot.

  6. Probiotics is horseshit by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

    There is a lot more to maintaining healthy gut bacteria than just drinking them down. There have been precious few studies that show "probiotic" foods or drinks actually do anything, and almost none that show effects that are more than extremely temporary.

    If you want to have healthy gut bacteria, you've got to eat a variety of healthy food that have been minimally processed or not processed at all. And stay off the antibiotics. Fermented foods and foods that are advertised as having "live bacteria" just won't get the job done.

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  7. Re:Homer Simpson said it by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 2

    "Beer. The cause of - and solution to - all life's problems."

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  8. Re:"As a believer"? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 3, Interesting

    "Probiotics" have _Zero_ scientific validity.

    That is true. But they used to have scientific validity. There was solid evidence that the probiotic bacteria in yogurt resulted in extended lifetimes in the valleys of the Caucasus Mountains, where yogurt consumption was unusually high, and always prepared with live cultures.

    ... but then in comparing age listed on birth certificates and baptismal records, with age determined by physical examination, there were wide discrepancies. It turns out the real reason for high longevity was forged documents used to avoid conscription during the First World War. The yogurt eaters actually had expected longevity well within the normal range.

    Oh well, it was a good theory while it lasted.

  9. Re:"As a believer"? by by+(1706743) · · Score: 2

    You're not doing any favours for the notion of probiotics having more scientific credibility than Revlon's latest innovation.

    Linked in TFA, and then there's a trivial web search:

    Probiotics are safe and appear to exert some beneficial effects in GI-related illnesses. The use of probiotics in non-GI illnesses is not sufficiently supported by current data.

    Or a little more googling and you'll find plenty of peer-reviewed articles saying they have a small beneficial effect (*for certain diseases/ailments*), with some studies recommending caution for various groups.

    No, they don't appear to be as medically useful as their "anti" counterparts, and they don't appear to cure cancer (though they can be good -- and bad! -- for cancer patients), but they are hardly in the same category as a beauty product.

    And

    Call us when you have gone through peer review by scientists who weren't hoping for a positive result before they even started.

    Seriously? a) That's why we have a peer review process in the first place, and b) do you honestly think we don't care one way or the other which way a study turns out? Obviously, it's our job to report the facts, but do you really think a scientist starts an experiment without, at some level, hoping for a remarkable result? There's no problem with personal bias, so long as it's just that -- *personal*, not professional.

  10. Re:"As a believer"? by mnemotronic · · Score: 2

    Oh well, it was a good theory while it lasted.

    Or perhaps we have not reached the pinnacle of ultimate medical knowledge. As they say, practicing medicine. Today's gospel is tomorrow's heresy is next year's gospel. And don't confuse probiotics with homeopathics, aka placebos.

    The human GI tract is well studied and documented but watch out if you ever get an intestinal parasite or disorder.
    Earlier this year I was infected with Cryptosporidium. My doctor tried a couple different treatments that seemed to work then didn't. I was basically a research project for something that you would think is pretty well understood. Let me tell you; it sucked. After 6 weeks of puking and diarrhea, sometimes almost simultaneously, pictures on request, I had lost 25 lbs. The doctor prescribed Metronidazole. This became a case of the treatment almost being worse than the disease. It got rid of the crypto but drastically increased my reaction to niacin and had other nasty effects. My farts smell chemically toxic. Several months later, my resting heart rate is 10 beats higher than before the crypto and Metro. Nobody has an explanation for that. Probiotics fixed the fart problem. All my doc can say is that the gut is a mystery.

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  11. Defeats the purpose of beer by dargaud · · Score: 3, Interesting
    OK, I'll try to sum up what beer and yeast is. Yeast evolved over a long time by actually loosing the ability to turn alcohol into vinegar. Many microorganisms can digest sugars into alcohol and then vinegar in one fell swoop. When yeast lost that, it was actually an evolutionary advantage because alcohol is toxic, so by itself evolving to resist the toxicity of alcohol, it could kill of the competition (all the other microorganisms present in rotting fruits) and live happily. Men used that ability to make beer, wine, etc... Wild yeast dies off after something like 8% alcohol, but humans have been selecting it for 10ky so it resists 12% (and now up to 15% in some strong wines).

    So, my point is that making a beer with other stuff growing in it can mean only a few things: either you kill off the yeast after its work is done and replace it with probiotics, or you make a piss weak beer that won't kill off the probiotics, or it's bullshit and the probiotic's dead from the alcohol.

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