Health Benefits
Hops is one of the most famous herbs that helps relaxation and sleep. You can put it in a pillowcase and make a herbal pillow that will help you gently float away in your dreams, or have a cup of evening tea or a few drops of tincture!
Better sleep and mood management
Respiratory Problems
Hot Flashes and menopause
Cardiovascular Disease
Anti-Cancer
Oral Health
Enhances Psychological Health
Hair and Scalp Health
Anti-age skin effects
Better sleep and mood management
It was observed by early physicians that hops pickers tired very easily during the harvest. It was assumed by early physicians that a sticky resin excreted by the cut plant caused this effect.
In recent years, scientists have confirmed that humulene and lupolene found in hops have mild sedative properties. Hops flower and leaves are commonly used orally for anxiety, sleep disorders such as the inability to sleep (insomnia) or disturbed sleep due to rotating or nighttime work hours (shift work disorder), restlessness, tension, excitability, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), nervousness, headaches and irritability.
Combined with valerian it improves sleep quality and reduces the time it takes to fall asleep.
Respiratory Problems
Health specialists state that irritation and inflammation are common respiratory disorders. Herbalists recommend hops to alleviate inflammation and soothe irritated respiratory tract. The properties found in the hop flowers and leaves can reduce congestion and constant coughs effectively.
Hot Flashes and menopause
The flavonoid 8-prenylnaringenin found in hops is classified as a phytoestrogen (a plant-based compound that mimics the activity of the female hormone estrogen). It can help increase estrogenic activity in the body, overcoming symptoms of hypoestrogenism (estrogen deficiency).
Since estrogen levels are known to drop during menopause, hops help alleviate the hot flashes and night sweats that typically accompany the condition.
Cardiovascular Disease
Atherosclerosis, often referred to the hardening of the arteries, is a condition in which the accumulation of plaque inside an artery can lead to a heart attack or stroke. The compound xanthohumol can help relax blood vessels and improve blood circulation.It also increases in ‘good’ (HDL) cholesterol, corresponding to a decreased risk of atherosclerosis and a protein central to the metabolism of fat and prevention of cardiovascular disease.
These same effects may benefit people with obesity by promoting weight loss, reducing abdominal fat, lowering blood pressure, and increasing insulin sensitivity.
Anti-Cancer
The compound xanthohumol that is found in hops flowers and leaves appears to exert anti-cancer effects.
It able to kill certain types of cancer in test tube studies, including breast cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, liver cancer, melanoma, leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer.
The flavonoid appears to do it in several ways. In some cases, xanthohumol was cytotoxic, meaning that it directly ‘poisons’ and kill cancer cells and in other cases, it triggers apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death. Apoptosis is one of the main features that separate normal cells from cancerous ones. From the moment of conception, all cells undergo apoptosis at a certain point in their lives so that they can be replaced by healthy, new cells. Cancer occurs when a cell mutates and no longer undergoes apoptosis, allowing them to multiply without end.
Oral Health
Hop flowers are enriched with anti-inflammatory properties that make them a safe source to sustain your overall oral health. The plant not just provides relief from a toothache and ulcers, but it wards off symptoms associated with other oral diseases as well. Therefore, incorporating it into your daily regimen is essential along with regular visits to a dentist to prevent the occurrence of silent oral problems.
Enhances Psychological Health
Hops are a powerhouse of a compound called xanthohumol. It functions to protect the cells of your brain from the oxidative damages and stress. Oxidative stress can damage your vital organs, affecting their functioning – which eventually leads to the onset of chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Hair and Scalp Health
Consuming food sources loaded with antioxidants are necessary as they treat numerous health problems including scalp infections. Hops is known to strengthen your hair follicles alleviating symptoms of hair fall. It is worth mentioning that hobs contain a few vitamins as well which are known to promote hair growth in a short time span.
That is why so many professional dermatologists and stylists recommend washing your hair with beer shampoo.
Anti-age skin effects
Keeping your skin youthful and lush with elasticity is no longer a dream now. Hops were widely used in various home remedies to improve the condition of the skin for. It possesses a significant amount of antioxidants which fight factors that damage your skin cells. Clear, shiny, and radiant skin can be achieved with drinking hops tea, tincture, or washing your face with it.