Every fall, as Oktoberfest and other autumnal celebrations ramp up, beer enters the spotlight. In recent years, scientists have increasingly focused on the beverage too, because one of its main ingredients—hops—turns out to have a wide range of health-promoting properties.

When it comes to beer and health, “hops are the star of the show,” says Glen Fox, a professor of beer-brewing science at the University of California, Davis. Dozens of laboratory and animal studies and a few small ones in people make clear that hops compounds have an impressive array of antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and blood-sugar regulating properties, leading experts to explore the plant’s potential for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, and even cancer.

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Hops (Humulus lupulus, a member of the hemp family) derives most of its beneficial reputation from the thousands of healthful antioxidants naturally found in the cone of the female plant, the part used in beer. Antioxidants regulate inflammation and protect cells from damage and comprise some 14 percent of the plant. Two types of promising antioxidants in hops, bitter acids and polyphenols, also give beer its flavor and aroma. Researchers are especially interested in a polyphenol called xanthohumol (the first syllable is pronounced “zan,” with the accent on syllable three), a powerful antioxidant that’s found only in hops. 

“People who drink beer in moderation, can feel confident they’re doing their health a favor,” Fox says. “And I think non-alcoholic beer should be considered a health drink.”