About ten years ago, Oregon State University researchers took an interest in hops. In particular, the flavonoid compound xanthohumol found in hops. Although xanthohumol was first discovered almost 100 years ago, no one was aware of the possible health benefits of the compound. In the last ten years, Fred Stevens, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry in OSU's College of Pharmacy, as well as a Linus Pauling Institute researcher -- with a team of researchers -- have been able to determine that hops might be effective in the prevention of cancer. In the latest published research paper, the researchers are stating that beer looks promising in prostate cancer prevention and prevention of prostate enlargement. Before you get excited at the prospect that drinking beer is cancer prevention, according to the research, you would need to drink more than 17 beers to consume the same amount used in the study. Or you could travel to Germany.

There is a microbrewed beer manufactured and distributed in Germany that is xanthohumol-enhanced, and contains ten times the normal amount of the compound found in regular beer. The beer is not available outside of Germany. Researchers think that a drug containing a highly concentrated amount of xanthohumol might be an effective treatment for cancers in the future.