## 5 Conclusions  
This study aimed to investigate the effects of alcoholic (AB) and non-alcoholic beer (NAB) consumption on blood pressure regulation and the activity of key enzymes involved in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The RAS plays a crucial role in maintaining blood pressure homeostasis through mechanisms that involve both systemic and local tissue regulation. The modulation of this system by dietary components, such as beer, presents a potential avenue for exploring how moderate alcohol or alcohol-free beer consumption might affect cardiovascular health. The results demonstrated that beer consumption, regardless of its alcohol content, did not significantly affect systolic blood pressure or body weight in either rat strain. This finding is significant, as it suggests that moderate beer consumption, as tested in this study, does not contribute to the onset of hypertension in normotensive WKY rats, nor does it exacerbate the pre-existing hypertension characteristic of SHRs. These observations align with previous research indicating that moderate alcohol consumption does not necessarily lead to adverse cardiovascular outcomes. While the lack of impact on systolic blood pressure was consistent across all experimental groups, both AB and NAB consumption resulted in notable alterations in the serum electrolyte levels, particularly sodium, potassium, and chloride. These changes were observed in both the WKY and SHR strains. The modulation of the electrolyte balance by beer consumption highlights its potential influence on cardiovascular health, as electrolyte homeostasis is intimately linked to blood pressure regulation and fluid balance. The observed alterations in serum electrolytes suggest that even non-alcoholic beer can affect physiological systems related to cardiovascular function, emphasizing the importance of understanding the broader metabolic consequences of regular beer intake, independent of alcohol content. A key finding of this study was the significant modulation of RAS enzyme activity in various tissues, including the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, kidneys, and lungs. The changes in RAS enzymatic activity varied according to the rat strain, the type of beer consumed, and the specific tissue being analyzed. In particular, the HPA axis exhibited significant alterations in RAS enzyme activities, indicating that beer consumption may influence neuroendocrine regulation, which is critical for maintaining cardiovascular and fluid-electrolyte homeostasis. The kidney, a central organ in blood pressure regulation, due to its role in fluid and sodium balance, also showed significant changes in RAS enzyme activity, further supporting the hypothesis that beer consumption may impact the renal mechanisms involved in long-term blood pressure control. In the lungs, changes in angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity suggest that beer may influence the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, a key step in the RAS that contributes to blood pressure regulation through vasoconstriction. Additionally, the study highlighted strain-specific differences in the response to beer consumption. WKY and SHRs displayed distinct patterns of RAS modulation and physiological responses to AB and NAB, underscoring the importance of considering individual variability when assessing the effects of dietary factors on cardiovascular health. These findings suggest that genetic predisposition, such as the hypertensive phenotype in SHRs, plays a role in determining how beer consumption influences key regulatory systems like the RAS. Therefore, this study provides valuable insights into the complex interactions between beer consumption, RAS modulation, and cardiovascular health. While moderate beer consumption did not lead to significant changes in blood pressure in either WKY or SHRs, it did modulate RAS enzymatic activity in various tissues, suggesting potential implications for cardiovascular homeostasis.