The research, which will be published in the journal, Cancer Letters, shows that the brew contains high levels of a potent antioxidant called xanthohumol, which is found in hops and has been shown in previous laboratory studies to stem the growth of tumour cells.

According to Emily Ho, assistant professor of nutrition and exercise sciences in OSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences and a researcher with OSU’s Linus Pauling Institute, the compound inhibits NF-kappaB protein in cells along the surface of the prostate gland.

This protein acts as a signal switch to turn on a variety of malignancies, including prostate cancer. Xanthohumol blocks the signal and slows down the growth of benign hyperplasia and malignant cancer cells. However, this work has only been carried out in cultured cells with purified compounds.

The newly-developed beer contains ten times the amount of xanthohumol as traditional brews. The drink, micro-brewed and only available in Germany, is being marketed as a healthy beer. However, Ho cautions that, while the research is promising, further study is necessary to determine if the liquid has any impact against cancer.