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BEER AND MOOD STUDY

Naturally occurring compounds in hops used in brewing have been found to have beneficial effects on mood. Both animal and human trials have shown that hop phytochemicals have stress-relieving and antidepressant effects, due to their ability to positively interact with certain neurotransmitters and their receptors in the brain. The mechanisms underlying those effects are still unclear as, to date, most human trials have been focused on self-reported mood measures without investigating potential effects on biochemical markers of mood. As such, this study aims to address that knowledge gap by investigating the effects of beer on mood biomarkers in young adults.

We are looking for people who meet the following criteria:

  • Healthy males and females aged 18-26
  • Regularly experiencing 'low mood' or what commonly refers to as common mood disorders (that could be mild to moderate depression, episodic depression, anxiety, stress, moodiness, sadness etc)
  • Good English language skills, must be able to understand the study information sheet, follow instructions in English and give informed consent
  • Non-smokers
  • Able to consume the study beverages (beer) and not sensitive to yeast, grains or hops.

We are looking for people who are willing to attend the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition at the University of Reading on 5 different occasions, for approximately 2 hours per visit, in the morning after an overnight fast (not eating or drinking anything after dinner apart from water) within approximately 9 weeks. For the study visits, you would be asked to fill in mood related questionnaires and give blood samples.