Scientist Q&A: What you need to know about the new hoppy beer study There's been a breakthrough in the science of beer. With growing evidence that molecules in hoppy beers can reduce weight and insulin resistance, a new Scripps Research study in Molecular Metabolism offers an explanation why.
We sat down with study leader Enrique Saez, PhD, associate professor, and Bernard Kok, PhD, research associate, to learn more.
September 25, 2018
What makes hoppy beers special?
Saez: Hoppy beers, like IPAs, contain compounds called isohumulones. These compounds seem to have health effects, so we decided to study how they interact with bitter taste receptors in the gut.
Wait taste receptors in the gut?
Saez: Yes! So, a lot of us were under the impression that taste receptors were only present in the mouth, but recent research shows that many other tissues express taste receptors, bitter taste receptors in particular.
These receptors are thought to perform different functions in different tissues. For example, bitter taste receptors in the mouth are there to tell us that a compound may be poisonous and we should avoid it. Not everything that's bitter is a poison, obviously, but that's what we think. It might be a defense mechanism that evolved to protect children from eating toxic plants until adults teach them which foods are safe.
In the gut, there is literature suggesting that bitter taste receptors control secretion of hormones that regulate your appetite and how quickly food moves down the intestinal tract. This could have developed as a mechanism to reduce the absorption of poisons.
And now we're wondering if this response might be manipulated pharmacologically. We show in this study that manipulating these receptors could have benefits for metabolic disease.
How did the new study work?
Saez: We worked with a molecule synthesized by a company called KinDex Pharmaceuticals. This was a synthetic version of isohumulone molecules found in hops that give beer its bitter flavor.
Studies in mice and people have shown that mixtures containing different isohumulones can have benefits for treating type 2 diabetes. But because we never had the isolated molecules, it was very difficult to figure out which isohumulones were working and how they worked.
The benefit of this synthetic isohumulone compound is that it's pure. It's a great tool for discovering new biology.
What happened when you gave this compound to the mice in your study?
Saez: The compound appeared to accelerate their metabolism, so they lost weight without eating less. Independent from the weight loss, the mice showed increased insulin sensitivity within four days. This happened because the compound activated a bitter taste receptor in the gut, which stimulated the secretion of hormones that talk to the brain and the pancreas.
Kok: Our paper shows that targeting bitter taste receptors in the intestine is probably a viable way to try to find new drugs to treat metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes.
Should people be drinking more hoppy beers for the health benefits?
Kok: Well, the one limitation of this study was that we couldn't study human intestines to see if they have the same bitter taste receptor that this pure compound activates in mice. Studies with isohumulone mixtures suggest that the receptor is there, but we can't yet be sure if our pure compound works the same way in humans. It's something that we are very interested in exploring.
It seems weird that there's still so much we don't know about the gut. What else would you want to study?
Saez: For this study, we focused on the secretion of a hormone called GLP1, which has benefits for glucose levels. But there's a lot more that we want to know. Activation of this receptor influences the release of several other hormones that are less studied. We'd like to know the roles of those hormones in remodeling metabolism.
Are you two IPA drinkers?
Saez: I am!
Kok: I'll drink them. The interesting thing about IPAs is that it's hard to overdrink. You tend to stop.
Saez: You feel full, and the hops are part of the reason. You get more of these isohumulone compounds, which we think make you feel full. That doesn't happen with lighter beers.
So your gut is telling your brain to stop?
Saez: Exactly. Your gut is talking to your brain!
Read more: The San Diego Union-Tribune -- Beers bitter delight is tasted in the gut
Molecular and Cellular Biology Saez, Enrique
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
14/11/2026
Marcelo Dai's Live Session Captured with URSA Cine Immersive
Brie Clayton November 14, 2026
0 Comments
Artist takes viewers on an immersive journe...
14/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
14/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
14/11/2026
Newest Lenses, Horizon Anamorphic Seminar & Guided Lens Character Experience Highlight Creative Possibilities
At the 2026 Toru CAMERIMAGE Film Festival, ZEISS...
14/11/2026
Sonnet Announces Black Friday Sale on Select Products
Brie Clayton November 14, 2026
0 Comments
WHAT: Sonnet Technologies is having a sale on a select...
14/11/2026
Berklee Alumni Shine at the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards This year's winners included songwriters, engineers, and performers who contributed to acclaimed reco...
13/11/2026
The UIM E1 Series wraps its third season this week with the Bombay Sapphire E1 Miami GP, Nov. 11-14, on Biscayne Bay at the Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island...
13/11/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
13/11/2026
Singer-songwriter Benson Boone will headline entertainment for the Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles St...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone, a 7th order ambisonic microphone array that captures spatial audio for immersive video prod...
13/11/2026
SMPTE has announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infrastructure and communications technology for the Solutions Hub at t...
13/11/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the theme and program focus for the 2027 HPA Tech Retreat, which takes place Feb. 14-18, 2027, in La ...
13/11/2026
Football Manager 27 Touch is available on Apple Arcade starting today. The game ...
13/11/2026
MotoGP has announced a two-year media rights agreement with ESPN covering the Un...
13/11/2026
Apple Sports, the free iPhone app, has added the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to its lineup of supported sports, in time for Saturday's UFC 334. The...
13/11/2026
The NBA and Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics and entertainme...
13/11/2026
ESPN held its annual EDGE Innovation Conference last night and offered up an ove...
13/11/2026
Regional sports network gives Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland students a platform to thrive
One of the biggest games in Division III college football will be pla...
13/11/2026
Studer-inspired 500-series PWM compressor unveiled
The HLabs range already includes a couple of Studer-inspired offerings in the form of the PRE169 and EQ16...
13/11/2026
Download Now!
To view the white paper, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* First Name
Company*
Country* Please select your countryA...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Blue Lucy, the workflow orchestration and integration platform for broadcasters, rights owners and localisation companies, today announced an integration with c...
13/11/2026
Krotos announces Black Friday offers on Studio Pro and Studio Max
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
First-year annual plans start at US$195.99...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
New 7th order ambisonic microphone with 108 MEMS...
13/11/2026
Meet the Berklee Student Setting Planetary Motion to Music With his compositional platform SoniKosmos, Javier Roqueni aims to make the universe the ultimate i...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Amagi, the media industry cloud company, today announced a partnership with Golden Times Media Technology (stock code 920021.BJ), a Beijing-based media and tech...
13/11/2026
CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, together with its Malaysian partner, Cedar ...
13/11/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infra...
13/11/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, will present its software-first approach to DRAM optimization at Android TV APAC Summit 2026 in Bang...
13/11/2026
Beginning today, November 13, Apple HomeView is available for purchase at Apple Store locations, on the Apple Store online, and in the Apple Store app in select...
13/11/2026
From pediatric research to smart hospitals, AI is helping care teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time with patients.
Health systems and startups...
12/11/2026
Industry leaders examine how Dynamic Media Facility, Media eXchange Layer, and c...
12/11/2026
The junior Tar Heel is embracing the technical and creative challenges of live production while emerging as a leader and mentor in the control room...
12/11/2026
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its fifth a...
12/11/2026
RTL Deutschland will bring the NHL to free-to-air TV in Germany starting Nov. 30...
12/11/2026
Clear-Com supported On Air 2026, a 24-hour student-led broadcast connecting 45 u...
Scientist Q&A: What you need to know about the new hoppy beer study There's been a breakthrough in the science of beer. With growing evidence that molecules in hoppy beers can reduce weight and insulin resistance, a new Scripps Research study in Molecular Metabolism offers an explanation why.
