As If You Needed Another Reason...

Fantastic news from the world of science today: beer is good for you. As in, good for your health. The key is drinking beer with lots of hops (as any good, honest brew should have), as this is where the chemical responsible for fighting disease is found:

...xanthohumol has several unique effects. Along with inhibiting tumor growth and other enzymes that activate cancer cells, it also helps the body make unhealthy compounds more water-soluble, so they can be excreted.

The researcher went on to say that xanthohumol "clearly has some interesting chemo-preventive properties, and the only way people are getting any of it right now is through beer consumption." The amount required to be effective is unknown, but with things like this it's best to err on the side of caution. So raise a glass, it's for your health.

HT: Jeff Taylor at Reason