Early evidence for beer drinking in a 9000-year-old platform mound in southern China

Wang, Jiajing; Jiang, Leping; Sun, Hanlong

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0255833

Cited by 30 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 51 publications

(55 reference statements)

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“…However, recent research claimed that higher rates of rice domestication usually occurred at those sites close to the mainstream river ( Huan et al, 2021 ), implying that the local environment could serve as a critical factor in the process of rice domestication. In addition, starch remains from the Qiaotou site showed that ancient people might have used rice for beer-brewing for a ritual purpose ( Wang et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes of Neolithic subsistence in south Hangzhou Bay coast, eastern China: An adaptive strategy to landscape processes

et al. 2022

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The transition from hunting and gathering to agricultural subsistence is a striking feature of the Neolithic revolution worldwide. Known as the cradle of a series of representative Neolithic cultures, south Hangzhou Bay (SHB) witnessed substantial changes in both landscape and human subsistence during the Holocene, yet the relationship between them was not well established. Here, we combined archaeobotanical results from sediment cores with archaeological findings to illustrate the subsistence changes during the Neolithic regime in the context of the landscape process in SHB. Our result showed that SHB was inundated by marine transgression 8,200 years ago without significant human imprints. At 8,200–7,600 cal yr. BP, the initial coastal wetland formation at locations with the semi-enclosed landscape would have facilitated the activities of hunting-gathering, incipient rice cultivation, and collecting seafood if accessible. Pollen and phytoliths evidence from multiple sediment cores in the Yaojiang Valley (YJV) suggested a desalinization process of wetland in the following hundreds of years. This amelioration of the environment had favored the intermittent rice cultivation at various locations in the YJV, where archaeological evidence was absent. Since 7,000–6,600 cal yr. BP, as freshwater wetland expanded with coastal progradation, a wide variety of food resources became available. Meanwhile, rice domestication began to serve as a crucial food supplement as evidenced by both microfossil results and archaeological findings. With the expansion of the coastal plain after 5,500 cal yr. BP, rice farming became widespread and rice consumption was increasingly important in the diet, as supported by discoveries of upgraded farming tools, abundant rice remains, and ancient rice paddies. Above all, the change of subsistence from hunting-gathering to rice farming exhibited an adaptive strategy in response to landscape evolution from an initial marine-influenced setting to a later coastal plain.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes of Neolithic subsistence in south Hangzhou Bay coast, eastern China: An adaptive strategy to landscape processes

et al. 2022

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“…Beer was already widely consumed in ancient Egypt [ 2 ]. If until recently the history of beer went all the way to Babylonia, around 6000 BC, today there is evidence that a product similar to beer was consumed in China 9000 years ago, in a ritualic context [ 3 ]. Like other alcoholic beverages, beer is viewed with caution in the medical world.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beer and Microbiota: Pathways for a Positive and Healthy Interaction

et al. 2023

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Beer is one of the most consumed drinks worldwide. It contains numerous categories of antioxidants, phenolic products, traces of group B vitamins, minerals (selenium, silicon, potassium), soluble fibers and microorganisms. Low or moderate beer consumption, with or without alcohol, showed positive effects on health by stimulating the development of a healthy microbiota. In the present review we focused on four components responsible with interaction with gut microbiota: microorganisms, polyphenols, fiber and melanoidins, their presence in usual beers and on perspectives of development of fortified beers with enhanced effects on gut microbiota. Though microorganisms rarely escape pasteurization of beer, there are new unpasteurized types that might bring strains with probiotic effects. The polyphenols from beer are active on the gut microbiota stimulating its development, with consequent local anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Their degradation products have prebiotic action and may combat intestinal dysbiosis. Beer contains dietary fiber such as non-starchy, non-digestible carbohydrates (β-glucans, arabinoxylans, mannose, fructose polymers, etc.) that relate with gut microbiota through fermentation, serving as a nutrient substrate. Another type of substances that are often considered close to fiber because they have an extremely low digestibility, melanoidins (melanosaccharides), give beer antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Though there are not many research studies in this area, the conclusion of this review is that beer seems a good candidate for a future functional food and that there are many pathways by which its ingredients can influence in a positive manner the human gut microbiota. Of course, there are many technological hinderances to overcome. However, designing functional beers fortified with fiber, antioxidants and probiotics, with a very low or no alcoholic content, will counteract the negative perception of beer consumption, will nullify the negative effects of alcohol, while simultaneously exerting a positive action on the gut microbiota.

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“…In China, for 9000 years, humans have empirically exploited the fermentation process for numerous applications [9]. Studied since the nineteenth century, lactic acid fermentation has been an essential process for food processing and preservation for many millennia [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lactobacillus Use for Plant Fermentation: New Ways for Plant-Based Product Valorization

Rouzic¹,

Bruniaux²,

Raveschot³

et al. 2023

Lactobacillus - A Multifunctional Genus

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Today, plant production is increasing, but most industrial processes generate a lot of waste and by-products for which, in the current context, it is a priority to recycle or valorize them. One of the cheapest valorization routes is fermentation, in particular lactic fermentation by Lactobacillus species, which produces lactic acid and other molecules of industrial interest such as bioactive compounds such as anthocyanin, organic acid, peptides, or phenol, which are widely found in the plant matrix, mainly in cereals, grass, fruits, and vegetables. Bioactive compounds may exert beneficial health effects, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, or prebiotic activities. In addition, lactic acid fermentation can improve existing products and lead to new applications in food, livestock feeding and biotechnology, such as the production of lactic acid, protein, or silage. This chapter reviews the use of Lactobacillus strains in the fermentation process of many plant bioresources or by-products through their different bioactivities, active molecules, and applications.

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Early evidence for beer drinking in a 9000-year-old platform mound in southern China

Cited by 30 publications

References 51 publications

Changes of Neolithic subsistence in south Hangzhou Bay coast, eastern China: An adaptive strategy to landscape processes

Changes of Neolithic subsistence in south Hangzhou Bay coast, eastern China: An adaptive strategy to landscape processes

Beer and Microbiota: Pathways for a Positive and Healthy Interaction

Lactobacillus Use for Plant Fermentation: New Ways for Plant-Based Product Valorization

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