Proponents of a sober lifestyle claim that because of the hormones in the composition, the frequent use of beer makes a woman out of a man and vice versa. All these people refer to only one study by a little-known Russian scientist, but they firmly believe in what he wrote. I propose to find out if there are hormones in beer, and if so, how harmful they are. For objectivity, let’s first consider the essence of this concept.
Hypothesis
In the cones of hops (a plant of the Cannabis family), phytoestrogen was found – a substance that is similar in chemical composition to the female sex hormone estrogen. The finished beer contains up to 36 mg / l of estrogen (the daily norm for men is 4-7 mg / l). Once in the stomach, it is activated and penetrates into the blood through the walls of the intestine. The concentration of female hormones in beer is sufficient to cause endocrine disruption of the body. As a result, the male sex hormone testosterone is no longer produced in the right quantities, as it is suppressed by estrogen.
For men, this is fraught with:
- gynecomastia (breast enlargement);
- accumulation of fat according to the female principle (in the waist and hips);
- weakening of the abdominal muscles (a beer belly appears);
- voice change (becomes thin);
- weakening of sexual function (desire and ability to procreate);
- changes in character (volitional qualities, activity, desire to lead and win disappear, irritability appears).
The female body itself produces a sufficient amount of estrogen. Together with beer, an excess amount of it enters the bloodstream, so the hormones in beer are harmful for women as well. They lead to obesity, facial hair growth, coarsening of the voice, gynecological problems, reducing the ability to bear and give birth to a healthy child.
I advise fans of horror stories to watch a video with a lecture by the author of this concept, I.P. Klimenko. Let’s move on to debunking the myth.
Hypothesis refutation
A few years ago, the theory that beer contains female hormones was supported by most of the ardent fighters against alcohol (including Zhdanov), but none of them is its author.
The first and only (!!!) scientist who dealt with this problem is Klimenko Ivan Petrovich, candidate of chemical sciences. Concurrently, he is also an active member of the Sobriety of John the Baptist Orthodox Brotherhood, who devoted his life to the fight against drunkenness.
Klimenko outlined his theory in the work “The Bitter Truth About Beer”. I do not consider it necessary to give a link to his pseudoscientific article (video is enough). If desired, this material is easy to find on the Internet. To give his work more solidity, respected Ivan Petrovich refers to 18 foreign publications, which, as it were, confirm his concept.
But after the translation, it becomes clear that the authors of the mentioned works are not even aware of the dangers of hormones in beer. For example, Klimenko is largely based on the material “Identification of a potent phytoestrogen in hops (Humulus lupulus L.) and beer”. But the authors of this paper came to the conclusion that the concentration of phytoestrogen in beer is negligible and is not a cause for concern. It turns out the opposite.
Biochemists blame Klimenko for not knowing the difference between steroid hormones (produced in the human body) and plant hormones (in beer). To obtain the same effect, 5000 times more phytohormones are required than steroid ones. For example, to reach the minimum daily male estrogen requirement (4 mg / l), you need to drink 555 liters of beer with the maximum concentration of this hormone (4 * 5000 / 36 = 555,56 liters).
Klimenko also forgets that phytoestrogen is found not only in beer. It contains such familiar foods as seeds, nuts, butter, yogurt, beans, green peas and other legumes. If you believe the hypothesis of Ivan Petrovich, then the “most dangerous” is soy. Products based on it should be banned in the first place and only then take on beer.
Klimenko’s theory turned out to be plausible only for one simple reason – many men who abuse beer do show signs of feminization (large breasts, stomach, and so on). But hormonal disorders occur in most alcoholics. It does not matter what they drink: beer, vodka, wine or other alcohol.
Female characteristics in men who abuse alcohol appear due to a decrease in natural testosterone production and impaired liver function, and not through a “shock” dose of phytoestrogen.
Conclusion
The conjectures of one Orthodox theoretical chemist, which are not confirmed by any specialized scientific research, have become a myth that has become widespread in the print press and on television. In fact, the hormones in beer are of plant origin and do not have a significant effect on the human body.
