Alzheimer's Awareness - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com Central PA beer enthusiasts and beer bloggers. Homebrewers, brewery workers, and all around beer lovers. Fri, 05 Jan 2024 14:48:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://i0.wp.com/thebeerthrillers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cropped-The-Beer-Thrillers-December-2022-Logo.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Alzheimer's Awareness - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com 32 32 187558884 Unlocking Potential: Hop Flower Extracts as Guardians Against Alzheimer’s https://thebeerthrillers.com/2023/11/10/unlocking-potential-hop-flower-extracts-as-guardians-against-alzheimers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=unlocking-potential-hop-flower-extracts-as-guardians-against-alzheimers Fri, 10 Nov 2023 21:59:04 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=13088 Introduction

We had just gotten home from our State College visit where Amy had her Walk to End ALZ event on Saturday, November 4th. While signing into my Mozilla Firefox browser for the day, on the ‘pocket’ articles that constitutes my opening homepage, there was an article about a link between beer and Alzheimer’s and how beer could help in preventing Alzheimer’s.

I wanted to pass this information along to everyone who reads our blog, especially with our strong ties to Alzheimer’s and Alzheimer’s Awareness. You can read the article here: Beer Could Be the Key to Preventing Alzheimer’s – Greek Reporter (Nov. 9, 2022).

In a groundbreaking exploration into Alzheimer’s prevention, researchers have uncovered a potential game-changer: hop flower extracts, a common ingredient in beer. This discovery sheds light on the multifaceted role of hops, long recognized for their stabilizing properties in all types of beers.

The Study: Investigating Hop Varieties

The University of Milano-Bicocca spearheaded a meticulous study, putting four widely-used hop varieties—Cascade, Saaz, Tettnang, and Summit—under scrutiny. The objective was to discern their impact on preventing the clumping of brain proteins linked to Alzheimer’s. The researchers subjected these hop varieties to amyloid proteins and human nerve cells, seeking a breakthrough in the fight against this debilitating form of dementia.

Remarkable Findings: A Shield Against Protein Clumping

The study yielded promising results. Hop extracts not only impeded the clumping of amyloid beta proteins around cells, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, but also showcased antioxidant properties. This dual action not only protects the body’s cells but also points towards a potential preventive measure against neurodegenerative diseases.

Beer Production Dynamics: Hops in the Spotlight

Hop shoots growing up out of the ground out of our home gardens.

While hop extracts are integral to all beer production, their concentration is notably higher in ales, such as the renowned Indian Pale Ales (IPA). Additionally, these extracts find their way into herbal teas and soft drinks, underscoring their versatility beyond the brewing process.

Autophagic Pathways: A Renewal Process Unleashed

An intriguing aspect of the study was the activation of autophagic pathways by hop extracts present in beer. This renewal process involves breaking down and repurposing old cell components, enhancing overall cellular efficiency. This additional layer of complexity highlights the potential holistic benefits of incorporating hops into dietary habits.

Tettnang Hops: A Standout Performer

Tettnang Hops hanging on the vine.

Delving deeper into the study, Tettnang hops, cultivated in the Bodensee district of southern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, emerged as standout performers. These hops demonstrated a unique ability to clear out malfunctioning proteins, attributed to their heightened levels of antioxidants. This specific finding elevates the potential of hops as a key component in foods designed to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.

Understanding Alzheimer’s: The Role of Amyloid Beta Proteins

While Alzheimer’s is a complex disease influenced by various factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and environment, the study pinpointed amyloid beta proteins as a significant contributor. These naturally occurring proteins tend to clump together, forming plaques that disrupt cell function, leading to the development of Alzheimer’s.

A Complex Landscape: Potential Remedies and Medications

Recognizing the complexity of Alzheimer’s, the study does not propose a singular solution. However, it aligns with recent strides in medication development. The FDA’s accelerated approval of Aducanumab, an immunotherapy targeting beta-amyloid proteins, stands out as a notable achievement. Ongoing research aims to determine its impact on cognitive decline over time, offering hope for the future.

A Holistic Approach: Beyond Hops

(Take note, we personally do not believe much in holistic approaches, and prefer the more scientific backings of the Alzheimer’s community and research, but to give all the information, we are presenting it here.)

While the findings emphasize the potential of hops, it is crucial to note that the study does not advocate increased beer consumption, as alcohol remains a recognized risk factor for Alzheimer’s. However, the research underscores the multifaceted approach to Alzheimer’s prevention, with hops serving as a foundational element in a broader strategy.

Exploring Alternatives: Olive Oil and Cognitive Health

Beyond hops, recent scientific publications, including the MICOIL study, highlight the potential benefits of extra virgin olive oil in delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s without adverse side effects. These diverse interventions showcase the evolving landscape of combating Alzheimer’s, combining innovative therapies with dietary strategies for a comprehensive approach.

In Summary

Nugget Hops Hanging on the Vine

A brief, recap and summary of the article and study as a whole:

In a groundbreaking study conducted by the University of Milano-Bicocca, researchers explored the potential of hop flower extracts, commonly found in beer, as a preventive measure against Alzheimer’s disease. The study focused on four prevalent hop varieties—Cascade, Saaz, Tettnang, and Summit—to investigate their impact on inhibiting the clumping of amyloid beta proteins, a key factor associated with Alzheimer’s. The findings revealed that hop extracts not only successfully hindered the clumping of these proteins around cells but also exhibited antioxidant properties, showcasing potential protective effects on the body’s cells. The study highlighted the versatility of hop extracts, commonly used in beer production, especially in ales like Indian Pale Ales (IPA), as well as in herbal teas and soft drinks.

Tettnang hops, cultivated in the Bodensee district of southern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, emerged as standout performers in the study. These hops demonstrated a unique ability to clear out malfunctioning proteins due to their elevated levels of antioxidants. The researchers suggest that this specific characteristic positions hops, especially Tettnang hops, as potential key components in foods designed to prevent neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the complexity of Alzheimer’s, the study adds a promising dimension to the ongoing exploration of preventive measures, showcasing the potential of incorporating hop extracts into dietary habits to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

While the study emphasized the positive aspects of hop extracts, it cautioned against increased beer consumption, given that alcohol remains a recognized risk factor for Alzheimer’s. However, the research underscores a multifaceted approach to Alzheimer’s prevention, aligning with recent advancements such as the FDA’s accelerated approval of Aducanumab, an immunotherapy targeting beta-amyloid proteins. The evolving landscape of combating Alzheimer’s encompasses not only innovative therapies but also dietary interventions, as evidenced by the potential benefits of extra virgin olive oil highlighted in recent scientific publications, providing hope for a comprehensive strategy in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases.

The Study and Article

For more information, you can read the original article here: Greek Report – Beer Could Be the Key to Preventing Alzheimer’s.

An article mentioned in the Greek Report article: Human Brain Cells Learn Faster Than AI Study Finds

The study: Medical News Today – Might beer hop compounds help treat Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s Association

Of course, the most reliable and accurate information, as well as help for loved ones, as well as caretakers can be found at the Alzheimer’s Association’s website. They are the leading fighter against Alzheimer’s and Dementia and their website has all the resources a person could need for their fight against Alzheimer’s. You can also go to their website to donate and to help fund research to fight Alzheimer’s.

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
13088
Walk to End ALZ at Lost in the Wilds Brewing – September 28th, 2023 https://thebeerthrillers.com/2023/09/28/walk-to-end-alz-at-lost-in-the-wilds-brewing-september-28th-2023/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=walk-to-end-alz-at-lost-in-the-wilds-brewing-september-28th-2023 Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:26:36 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=12543 Walk to End ALZ – Clarion

The Walk to End ALZ comes to Clarion on Thursday, September 28th, 2023 at Lost in the Wilds Brewing. Registration is at 5:00 PM and the Opening Ceremony and Walk is at 6:00 PM.

You can go to their direct page to donate and learn more here: Walk to End ALZ – Clarion Walk. As of writing, their goal was 27,000$ and they have reached their goal with 28,214$, showing an impressive 104% achievement. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see that number go even higher?!

Lost in the Wilds Brewing is located at: 21964 PA-66, Shippenville, PA 16254.

Amy (who writes for us) works for the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. She helped me reach out to Amy Ritzel – the Development Manager of the walk; as well as Mallory of Lost in the Wilds Brewing.

Mallory, from Lost in the Wilds Brewing

This is the information from Mallory:

We are very excited to host the Clarion Alzheimer’s Walk at Lost In The Wilds this year. 

Our brewery is located along the Rail 66 Country Trail, which is a four season paved hiking and biking trail. We hope that our beautiful outdoor venue and proximity to the trail will provide a perfect atmosphere for this years event. Lost In The Wilds Brewing is a microbrewery located in Shippenville, and is conveniently located at the gateway to the PA WILDS. 

We currently produce a wide variety of beers on site and provide a full taproom and sprawling outdoor venue for nature and beer lovers alike. We hope to make this years Alzheimer’s Walk a great success to raise awareness about this disease while giving attendees a spacious and comfortable area to enjoy. We will be offering some fun purple cocktails during the event.

Mallory & Jared Griebel – Lost in the Wilds Brewing

Lost in the Wilds Brewing

Lost in the Wilds Brewing – exterior sign

Lost in the Wilds Brewing is located in beautiful Clarion, along Route 66, and a great walking trail. Its so beautiful and wonderful to see a brewery located right alongside a great walking trail, combining two of my favorite activities in one.

Its also so great to see a brewery helping out such a tremendous cause and to have the event at their place and to support organizations fighting terrible diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Lost in the Wilds Brewery (photo courtesy of their official website)

For more information on Lost in the Wilds Brewing, the following comes from Untappd. Lost in the Wilds Brewing is a micro brewery from Shippenville, PA United States (Clarion, PA). They have 45 unique beers and over 4,200 ratings. As of 9.28.23 they have a global average rating of 3.79. Their Untappd description is currently blank.

You can follow them on these social media pages:

Walk to End ALZ

For more information on the Clarion Walk to End ALZ, you can visit their page here: 2023 Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Clarion, PA

Or the main home page here: Walk to End ALZ.

Alzheimer’s Disease

The following comes from the Wikipedia article on Alzheimer’s Disease.

A picture of an Alzheimer’s Brain compared to a normal brain (photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens,[2] and is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia.[2][10] The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events.[1] As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems with language, disorientation (including easily getting lost), mood swings, loss of motivation, self-neglect, and behavioral issues.[2] As a person’s condition declines, they often withdraw from family and society.[11] Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Although the speed of progression can vary, the typical life expectancy following diagnosis is three to nine years.[needs update][8][12]

The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is poorly understood.[11] There are many environmental and genetic risk factors associated with its development. The strongest genetic risk factor is from an allele of APOE.[13][14] Other risk factors include a history of head injury, clinical depression, and high blood pressure.[1] The disease process is largely associated with amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and loss of neuronal connections in the brain.[15] A probable diagnosis is based on the history of the illness and cognitive testing, with medical imaging and blood tests to rule out other possible causes.[5][16] Initial symptoms are often mistaken for normal brain aging.[11] Examination of brain tissue is needed for a definite diagnosis, but this can only take place after death.[17] Good nutrition, physical activity, and engaging socially are known to be of benefit generally in aging, and may help in reducing the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s.[15]

No treatments can stop or reverse its progression, though some may temporarily improve symptoms.[2] Affected people become increasingly reliant on others for assistance, often placing a burden on caregivers.[18] The pressures can include social, psychological, physical, and economic elements.[18] Exercise programs may be beneficial with respect to activities of daily living and can potentially improve outcomes.[19] Behavioral problems or psychosis due to dementia are often treated with antipsychotics, but this is not usually recommended, as there is little benefit and an increased risk of early death.[20][21]

As of 2020, there were approximately 50 million people worldwide with Alzheimer’s disease.[9] It most often begins in people over 65 years of age, although up to 10% of cases are early-onset impacting those in their 30s to mid-60s.[17][4] It affects about 6% of people 65 years and older,[11] and women more often than men.[22] The disease is named after German psychiatrist and pathologist Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906.[23] Alzheimer’s financial burden on society is large, with an estimated global annual cost of US$1 trillion.[9] It is ranked as the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.[15]

Alzheimer’s Disease

 

Amy’s Column Series

Since getting back to writing for the blog after a short hiatus, Amy has started up a weekly column style writing for the blog. You can find these articles here:

(And please take a moment to fill out Amy’s survey on her ‘Holiday Weekend and Bomber Bottles‘ column.)

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

If you would like to help keep the blog running soundly and smoothly, you may donate to us to help us keep the costs of the blog to a minimum. We greatly appreciate it. Thank you. (Clicking this link will take you to the page to make a donation. Thank you very much for helping us stay afloat!)

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

 

]]>
12543