Hops Flower – 50 g ($9.99), 25 g ($6.99)
Benefits:
Hops has been used to treat anxiety and insomnia for more than a thousand years. A pillow filled with hops has been used to encourage sleep. According to herbal folklore, elderly women who worked as hops pickers experienced a return of their menstrual cycles and other youthful attributes. This led to the use of hops as a hormonal balancer and general restorative during and after menopause. Folk medicine has used it for stimulating the appetite and increasing the secretion of stomach juices. It also has been used for nerve pain, tension headaches, and intestinal inflammation, and externally for ulcers and skin abrasions. Homeopathic remedies exist for treating nervousness and insomnia. The German Commission E has approved its use for mood disturbances such as restlessness and anxiety and sleep issues.
Benefits of hops for specific health conditions include the following:
Indigestion. Hops contain bitter substances that activate a reflex reaction in the central nervous system. This reflex stimulates the stomach to secrete digestive juices, relieving the feeling of fullness by helping the stomach digest food. The reaction also stimulates the flow of bile. This may help with nervous stomach, colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and also may be a preventative treatment for those prone to ulcers in the GI tract.
Insomnia. Hops, like the beers that are made from it, is a well-known sleep aid. Aging hops for up to two years allows two of the herb’s chemical compounds, humulone and lupulone, to create a substance that is chemically similar to chlordiazepoxide (Librium) and diazepam (Valium). In one study, combining hops with another herb, valerian, improved sleep and quality of life in individuals who had mild insomnia. In another study, when these herbs were combined with other herbs such as motherwort and balm leaf, sleep quality was improved in a group of alcohol-dependent patients. They also experienced reduced sleepiness the next day and fewer bad dreams, and sleep-walked less frequently.
Menopausal symptoms. Many studies have been conducted using hops for menopausal symptoms, but the results are conflicting. Much of the problem lies in the lack of standardization of the hops. One group of investigators standardized hops to 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN). Two doses were administered to two different groups of postmenopausal women—100 micrograms or 250 micrograms of 8-PN. The dose amount had no effect on the results; both groups had reduced menopausal-related discomforts and complaints, especially fewer hot flashes.
Recommendations for Use
Hops is available in capsules, powders, and tinctures, and also is taken as a tea. Many commercial formulas combine hops with valerian for their synergistic effect in inducing sleep. For most people 0.5 gram is considered the daily dose.
Hops contains the most potent of all the plant estrogens, prenylnaringenin. For this reason, children of either sex who have not reached puberty should not be given hops. Pregnant women, women with estrogen-sensitive disorders, especially estrogen-dependent breast cancer, and men who have gynecomastia (enlargement of the breasts) or erectile dysfunction (ED) also should avoid this herb. This phytoestrogen can be detected in beer, but the levels in beer are low and should not pose any cause for concern, although the phytoestrogens in hops can cause fat to be deposited into the classic “beer-belly” pattern. Dieters seeking to reduce the waistline should avoid both beer and medicinal application of hops.
The excessive use of hops may cause side effects such as dizziness, cognitive changes, and mild jaundice if used in conjunction with central nervous system depressants, antipsychotics, or alcohol. When used during menses, hops can produce nervousness, dermatitis, and respiratory allergies. Chronic consumption of hops may increase the potency of anesthetics used in surgery. It is wise to avoid using hops for at least two weeks before any type of surgery requiring general anesthesia, and to inform your doctor that you have been using hops before undergoing an operation. Hops should not be taken if you suffer from depression.
You should not take hops during the day if you will be driving or operating heavy machinery, or if you are depressed, as this herb may aggravate that condition. Do not take hops with medications for insomnia or anxiety except under a physician’s supervision.
Botanical Name: Humulus lupulus
English: Common Hops, Willow wolf
Unani: Hashish-ut-Dinaar
Also, known as: Houblon, Hopfen, Luppolo, Lupulo
Habitat: Asia, Europe and North America
Origin: Poland
Harvested: Cultivated
Parts Used: Flowers
General Information:
Humulus lupulus is a dioecious, perennial, herbaceous climbing plant that sends up new shoots in early spring and dies back to a cold-hardy rhizome in autumn. Flexible stems of this climber twist around anything nearby which allows the plant to grow anywhere from 15-30 feet. Heart-shaped dark green-colored leaves arranged oppositely, are covered in rough hairs. with 3-5 lobes. Flowers have female and male flowers grow on different plants. The Hop is one of the few crop plant species in which male and female flowers are borne on different plants. The fruit of the female plant is called strobiles and resembles small pine cones which are cone-shaped structures that hang from the plant, which can be harvested in late summer. The staminate flowers do not have petals, while the petals of the pistillate flower completely cover the fruit. The cones found on female plants are called strobila. Flowers emit a pine like fragrance and are attractive to butterflies.
In ancient Rome and Greece, the young shoots of the plant were eaten as a vegetable in salads. Hops are cultivated commercially for the harvest of female fruits which are used by breweries to preserve and flavor beer. Lupulus in Latin, meaning for small wolf and once called willow-wolf as it would be found climbing over willow trees.
How to use:
Hot Infusion:
The basic method for dried herbs and flower is, take 2-3 tablespoons of dried herb in a cup or teapot. Pour hot water over it and cover it with lid for 10-30 minutes. Hot water is needed to draw out the antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins, flavonoids, and volatile oils from the botanicals. Strain and squeeze out as much as liquid as possible and enjoy!
Tips:
You can sweeten your herbal tea with a bit of honey, natural fruit juice, stevia leaves powder and or licorice root powder. You can make ice cubes or pops by freezing tea in ice trays or pop molds.
Precautions:
You should consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using any herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
All information on this website is for educational purposes ONLY. This information has not been evaluated by Health Canada.
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