Drinking nonalcoholic beer may provide some of the same cardiovascular benefits seen with moderate alcohol consumption in previous studies, research from Germany suggests.

In a new study, nonalcoholic beer had a powerful short-term effect on two processes believed to be involved in heart disease.

"Because of the negative implications of alcohol use and abuse, drinking de-alcoholized beverages may offer an alternative to alcoholic beverage consumption without losing beneficial effects," Dr. Steffen Bassus of Deutsche Klinik fuer Diagnostik in Wiesbaden stated.

Many studies have shown that moderate drinking is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Some researchers have suggested that the beneficial effects of moderate drinking come not only from alcohol itself, but from other substances found in alcoholic beverages.

Red wine, for example, contains a compound called resveratrol, which is believed to be heart-healthy.

Since beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in Germany, Bassus and his team set out to see whether some of beer's beneficial effects stem from substances other than alcohol.

The researchers examined the effects of three beverages: normal beer, nonalcoholic beer and alcohol mixed with water.

The participants, 12 healthy men 19 to 36 years old, consumed 3 liters of one of the beverages over the course of 3 hours. Blood samples were taken before, during and after the drinking sessions.

Eventually, the men consumed all three types of beverages on separate days.

The nonalcoholic beer inhibited the formation of thrombin, a key factor in blood clotting. In contrast, beer and the alcohol/water mixture both seemed to promote clotting.

The findings appear in the May issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Although reduced thrombin production can sometimes be harmful because it makes it difficult to stop bleeding, it can also have the effect of reducing the risk of blood clots, Bassus said.

One limitation of the study is that it only examined the short-term effect of nonalcoholic beer, the investigators point out. More research is needed to see whether the long-term use of nonalcoholic beer is beneficial, according to the report.

The study was funded by a grant from Bitburger, a German beermaker.

SOURCE: Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, May 2004.

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