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 ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
18/05/2026
Despite a bumpy start to the year, the provider of event-production support and ...
18/05/2026
Daktronics has partnered with the University of North Carolina to manufacture and install 11 LED displays totaling more than 10,000 square feet and more than 14...
18/05/2026
CBS LA has announced a multi-year partnership with the Los Angeles Rams, covering exclusive local broadcasts of Rams preseason games, weekly year-round programm...
18/05/2026
Skyline Communications has announced an integration between its DataMiner xOps p...
18/05/2026
eCLUTCH, the hybrid esports platform powered by iKOMG, has announced an expansion of its distribution across Europe, MENA, Africa, and Asia, along with new cont...
18/05/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/05/2026
With 22 games this season, the production team looks forward to tweaking and enhancing the coverage
After 8,660 days off the air, the WNBA returned to NBC yest...
18/05/2026
(L-R) Midori Francis and Natalie Erika James attend the Saccharine premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 22, 2026, in ...
18/05/2026
Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...
18/05/2026
ZEN-Core synth goes mobile
Roland's powerful ZEN-Core software synthesizer has just been introduced to the iPad, offering a convenient entry point into ...
18/05/2026
Versatile new limiter plug-in announced
Based in Sheffield, UK, fedDSP offer a range of plug-ins that span the music production, live sound and high-end med...
18/05/2026
A new use for convolution?
Viiri Audio's debut plug-in aims to do something a little different with convolution processing, allowing users to adjust all...
18/05/2026
Delta Goodrem shines for SBS as more than 3.27 million Australians tune in for E...
18/05/2026
The Australian Defence Force uses L3Harris T4 and T7 robots for explosive ordnan...
18/05/2026
Continued investment across Europe and Germany is expanding local teams and improving access to stock, regional expertise, and specialist broadcast support.
CV...
18/05/2026
18 May 2026
Dubai and New York, May 18, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a glob...
18/05/2026
Monday 18 May 2026
Sky News offers ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes for just...
18/05/2026
Comscore March 2026 Consumer AI Chatbot Usage Rankings Show Claude Gaining Share OpenAI's ChatGPT maintains lead while Anthropic's Claude continues to c...
17/05/2026
Delta Goodrem's Eurovision Eclipse marks end of a stellar run
17 May, 2026
Media releases
Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026
Relive every spellbinding mome...
17/05/2026
Back to All News
Oasis Premieres on Netflix June 19
Entertainment
17 May 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Summer, sunshine, the beach, parties. T...
16/05/2026
Helps to deliver a clean, balanced midrange
Developed alongside Newfangled Audio, the latest plug-in in Eventide's software collection has been designed...
16/05/2026
Brings onboard stem rendering to RANE System One
Engine DJ have just released Engine DJ 5.0, a free update for their Engine DJ OS embedded hardware and Engi...
16/05/2026
Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls
Jessie Electa Petrov May 16, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic de...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...
15/05/2026
Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...
15/05/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...
15/05/2026
Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...
15/05/2026
Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...
15/05/2026
Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...
15/05/2026
Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...
15/05/2026
Major League Soccer has announced four original content series timed to the 2026...
15/05/2026
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has announced it will exhibit and present at InfoComm 2026, taking place June 13-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Cente...
15/05/2026
InfoComm 2026 will take place June 13-19 (exhibits June 17-19) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show will include sessions and exhibits covering broadcas...
15/05/2026
Tracy McGrady's Ones Basketball League (OBL) and FuboTV Inc. have announced ...
15/05/2026
Disguise has partnered with Creative Technology (CT) to deliver visual playback ...
15/05/2026
Sony Electronics has announced two new products for professional imaging: the Alpha 7R VI full-frame mirrorless camera and the FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS super-te...
15/05/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
15/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
15/05/2026
For sports organizations, the most valuable assets are often the most sensitive:...
15/05/2026
The NFL's broadcast partners released their 2026 regular season schedules ye...
15/05/2026
Besides drawing on experience with boxing, the production integrates specialty c...
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.
