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

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

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

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.

• Alzheimer’s Association

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:

• MAPS OF BREWERIES

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 Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, 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.)

Calming, Relaxing, ASMR Short Videos

Do you enjoy quick (10 seconds or less) videos of just pure, peaceful, calming, ASMR… that so happen to also involves hops?

Then we got the videos for you! Recently, on our Instagram and our YouTube channel, we uploaded four ASMR videos (one to Instagram, and three to YouTube).

We even put it in a handy playlist for you: Hop – Rainstorm – ASMR Playlist. That way you can just watch all three clips (total time is under thirty seconds), in one easy go.

We had two days of randomly hitting thunderstorms here at The Beer Thrillers HQ (in Central PA) and they would pop up, hit, and then vanish. The one at night (while Ben and Drew were streaming for Knights of Nostalgia) even involved some hail.

I (Ben) took some of these quick videos thinking they would make nice little peaceful, calming, ASMR shorts to upload on our Instagram and YouTube channels for people to enjoy while scrolling through their day. If nothing else, it at least breaks up the monotony of political, societal, and other horrible news related garbage that is probably flooding your feeds.

So take a deep sigh with us, and watch our videos.

Hops

In the video you can see one of my two hop arbors (more to come in the future). On the old hop arbor I have Cascade and Centennial and Chinook hops. On the new arbor is Nugget hops with one Saaz plant.

I can keep them mostly distinct despite how they grow, and know which is which for the most part. I don’t fully use these hops for more than private enjoyment, and occasionally home brewing, so if they mix up a little, its not an end of the world.

This is certainly not how real hop yards grow theirs. Next spring, I am going to have a more “typical” or “hop farm” style hop bed to go along with the arbors, where we will train up a few distinct new varieties.

I have unfortunately lost a few hop varieties that I picked up from a hop farm that went out of business. The re – transplanting, and then winter, wasn’t kind enough on them apparently, sadly, unfortunately.

ASMR

From Dictionary.com via Google Snippet:

Dictionary.com:

Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more

ASMR

noun

noun: ASMR

1. a feeling of well-being combined with a tingling sensation in the scalp and down the back of the neck, as experienced by some people in response to a specific gentle stimulus, often a particular sound.”ASMR is triggered by things like whispering voices, paper tearing, and scalp massage”

Google Snippet – Dictionary.com definition of ASMR

Here is also a quick link to Nebraska Medicine – What ASMR means: How it works and why it’s popular.

We Hope You Enjoy

We hope you enjoy. You can let us know here in the comments, or in the comments on our Instagram page, or on the videos at our YouTube Channel. We love to get feedback, constructive feedback, both positive and negative. It helps us build the blog and helps us write and create better content for you – our readers and fans.

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.

-B. Kline

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:

• MAPS OF BREWERIES

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 Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, 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.

This was meant to be enjoyed at one of the marquee Harrisburg Beer Week events – Tattered Flag’s collaboration event. This was meant to be drank on draft at Tattered Flag’s brewery, as well as the by-now opened Rubber Soul brewery in Hummelstown. Sadly, none of this happened, instead its May 1st, and Rubber Soul finally got the green-light to start back up on construction of their brewery as per Governor Wolfe’s newest rules / orders / laws / allowances / mandates / ordinances / whatever you wanna call it.

Coronavirus – the novel COVID-19 virus – has certainly thrown everything for a loop here in Central PA (as well as in the world). This was supposed to be the end of Harrisburg Beer Week, an annual event that celebrates all the great breweries and bars in the greater Harrisburg area (Harrisburg, Hummelstown, Hershey, Middletown, Elizabethtown, and surrounding areas). Every year there’s great events like Little Big Beer Fest, Little Little Beer Fest, Collaboration Week at Tattered Flag, Stouts Night, Stouts and Stilleto’s Lady Night, etc, etc, etc, (the list is extremely long lets just say), and a premier event for the Hummelstown area this year was going to be the opening of Rubber Soul’s new brewery in Hummelstown at the old borough building. (For more information on that, see my article: A Sneak Peak of Rubber Soul Brewery).

But at least one really good thing has come out of it all; and that’s this great beer. The first with the new Rubber Soul, and the first of the collaboration between Tattered Flag and Rubber Soul (I’m sure we’ll see plenty more down the road). Justin, the brewer lives in Hummelstown (and depending on the way he drives to get to Tattered Flag is going to have to drive right by the Rubber Soul Brewery), and the new head brewer for Rubber Soul comes directly from Levante Brewing – which has done a few collaborations with Justin at Tattered Flag. So I definitely don’t foresee this being the last time these two all-star breweries hook up.

Speaking of the coronavirus / COVID-19, you’ll notice a little nod to the troublesome meddler of 2020 on the can-art. (Which is beautiful can art by the way.) With the sneaker stepping down on the virus. Lovely can art that encapsulates both Tattered Flag and Rubber Soul.

Alright, enough yapping, lets get to discussing the beer!

Beer: Tattered Soul
Brewery: Tattered Flag
Collaboration: Rubber Soul Brewing Company
Style: IPA – Session / India Session Ale
ABV: 5%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: We teamed up with our buds from Rubber SOul brewing Co to bring you a full flavor, crushable Mid-west style IPA. Using a base of american 2-row, pilsner, and a bit of caramel pils we hopped this beer in the kettle with Cascade, citra, and amarillo in style with a traditional or west coast IPA, then hit it in the whirlpool with a matching hop addition much like a typical NEIPA hop schedule. Later, we dry hopped with a generous Citra dosing and followed up with a very cold amarillo and Cascade drop. We feel this is a fantastic representation of Rubber Souls roots with a Tattered Flag twist!

This was a wonderful beer to crush by the fireplace while social distancing. Only 5% so a four-pack was easily handled with just the slightest buzz. I’ll take that any night by the firepit!

It pours a beautiful golden yellow / orange. A sweet looking IPA coloring, it has a full body appearance, not super hazy or completely clear, but with a wonderful golden glow. Slight appearance of orange juice but still a complete IPA look. Somewhere in the middle of a West Coast IPA and a New England IPA look to it. You can tell its hoppy but no crazy amount of ‘floaters’ or ‘weird stuff’ floating about in this beautiful beer.

They called this a “Mid-West” IPA, because it takes characteristics of the typical West Coast style IPA and characteristics of the New England IPA. The aroma gets a big kick from the dry hopping. The citra and amarillo really pop and burst at you in this, as soon as you crack the can and the foam comes up over the lip you are hit hard by the citrusy nature of the citra hops, then mellows into a bit of piney, earthy, grassy, but still citrus, tropical notes of the cascade and amarillo. I’m really digging this combination of hops and I think it goes really well together, especially in this beer.

This is pretty much the definition of a session beer. Light, hop bursts with a citrusy taste and feel, slightly creamy so it goes down easily with no real discernible hop bite, only 5% so it won’t get you hammered, this is everything you are asking for in a crushable session IPA. Perfect for firepits, backyard BBQs and parties, and baseball games. Once (not *IF* – *WHEN*) baseball comes back, this would be the perfect stadium beer. (Hint, hint, for say… a Harrisburg Senators game…. hint…. hint). The pilsner malt and the caramel pils gives this a great body. The more golden hue is due to the combination of the two, and provide the backbone for this super tasty beer. The hops give it the burst and kick to provide the true entertainment to the beer. Citrus notes from the cascade and amarillo hops really provides a strong burst, you get orange peel, zest, hint of lime, and then you get some more mellow notes, slight pine, slight earthy grass, from the cascade. These three hops really work well in tandem here, playing off each other, and it tastes phenomenal (and smells amazing too) because of it. This was just a great, easy, sipping, tasty, beautiful brew.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 4 (right on the nose) (as of 5.1.20)

If this is what we have to look forward to from Rubber Soul Brewing, I cannot wait! And bonus points for only being a half mile walk from my house (and a mile back…. the difference is staggering) (….yes…. another dad joke….)

Thankfully as the restrictions begin lifting, Rubber Soul can get to finishing their brewery and soon be opened. I will keep you all updated on when that happens (hopefully soon, fingers crossed!)

To read more about Rubber Soul – check out my article on them here: A Sneak Peak at the New Rubber Soul Brewery in Hummelstown, PA.

Also, today is the grand opening of Hemauer Brewing in Mechanicsburg, check out my article on their grand opening here: Grand Opening of Hemauer Brewing.

Peace everyone, cheers everyone, stay safe, and take care of your loved ones everyone!

-B. Kline