(TheDrinksBusiness) - According to a study, funded by Japanese brewing company Sapporo, consuming large quantities of a key ingredient in beer may help protect against winter sniffles. SapporoResearchers at Sapporo Medical University found that humulone, a chemical compound found in hops, provides an effective guard against a virus that can cause severe forms of pneumonia and bronchitis in youngsters. The study found that humulone was particularly effective in curbing the respiratory syncytical (RS) virus. Jun Fuchimoto, a researcher from the Sapporo, told AFP: “The RS virus can cause serious pneumonia and breathing difficulties for infants and toddlers, but no vaccination is available at the moment to contain it.”