(FoxNews) - When it comes to health benefits and alcohol, antioxidant-rich red wine is usually the drink drawing all the praise. 

But beer — carbs and calories notwithstanding — also has its upsides, with studies showing the beverage can help prevent kidney stones, strengthen bones, and aid your digestive system.

Now, scientists have discovered another health advantage in your brew: A compound called xanthohumol, a flavonoid naturally found in hops, can be a boon for weight loss and may help scientists create a novel approach to addressing obesity.Tests have also shown xanthohumol can lower cholesterol and blood-sugar levels.

No, drinking beer won’t help you lose weight. A pint of IPA contains only 0.0757 mg of xanthohumol, says Cristobal Miranda, a research assistant professor with Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute and lead author of the study, published in a special issue of Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. 

To derive any benefits of xanthohumol from beer, you’d have to do the impossible and guzzle 3,500 pints per day.

But, researchers say, in the future, a concentrated amount of xanthohumol could be packed into a supplement and taken once a day. The supplement could be a low-cost and effective treatment for metabolic syndrome, the set of factors that increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other health problems. About one in three Americans have metabolic syndrome, estimates the American Heart Association, so this could be a welcome innovation.