- Dietary beer reduced calcium oxalate stone formation in glyoxylic acid mice, lowering urinary oxalate and calcium and reducing renal injury and collagen deposition.
- Beer decreased expression of adhesion and injury markers, downregulating CD44 and OPN proteins and CD44, Kim-1, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta mRNAs; preserved catalase and SOD.
- Benefits were not due to ethanol diuresis given minimal gavage volume and low ethanol; findings support testing purine-free, non-alcoholic hops-derived polyphenol preparations.
Front Nutr. 2026 Oct 19;13:1963460. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1963460. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Calcium oxalate (CaOx) nephrolithiasis is a major global health burden with limited non-pharmacological preventive options. Although moderate beer consumption has been linked to a lower risk of stone formation, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the anti-lithogenic effects of dietary beer and the molecular pathways involved.
METHODS: We combined a retrospective clinical analysis of 415 urolithiasis patients with a glyoxylic acid-induced mouse model. Male C57BL/6J mice received low-/high-dose beer (3/6 mL/kg) by gavage. We assessed renal histology, urinary biochemistry, oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and the expression of crystal-adhesion molecules (CD44, OPN, Kim-1).
RESULTS: In the clinical cohort, calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) stones predominated (79.0%), with a male predominance (2.1:1). In mice, beer intervention lowered urinary oxalate and calcium concentrations, reduced histopathological injury and collagen deposition, downregulated CD44/OPN protein, decreased CD44/Kim-1/TNF-α/IL-1β mRNA expression, and partially preserved catalase and superoxide dismutase activities. The benefits were unlikely attributable to ethanol-induced diuresis, given the minimal gavage volume (~1.2-4% of fluid intake) and low ethanol delivery (~1.4-2.8 mg), which was further supported by unchanged daily water consumption.
DISCUSSION: These findings demonstrate that dietary beer attenuates CaOx stone formation and modulates urinary, inflammatory, oxidative, and adhesion markers. The anti-lithogenic potential of beer constituents supports the development of purine-free, non-alcoholic, hops-derived polyphenol preparations as a testable hypothesis. However, the absence of appropriate controls precludes attributing the effects to any single component, and these results should not be interpreted as a clinical recommendation to consume beer.
PMID:42973793 | PMC:PMC13724572 | DOI:10.3389/fnut.2026.1963460
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