Hops plant
product for sleep, relaxation, sedation, benefits and side effects
October 12 2016 by
Ray Sahelian, M.D.
Hops plant
(Humulus lupulus) is a native British plant with a stout root,
heart-shaped leaves and cone-like flowers. Romans ate the young hops plant shoots in the
spring in the same way we do asparagus. The plant was first used by breweries in the
Netherlands in the early fourteenth century to make beer. Hops has been used traditionally
for nervous disorders and to help
anxiety or
sleep. Good Night Rx is an
all natural
alternative medicine
and effective herbal product for sleep.
Nature's Way Hops Flowers, 310 mg
Supplement Facts:
Hops (flower) 310 mg each pill
Dosage: one or two capsules
Recommendations for hops supplement: Take 1 or 2 hops capsules in the evening. The hops capsules may be opened
and placed in a cup with hot water for tea, and lightly sweetened with stevia.
I have read that hops extract, 8-np
relieves menopause symptoms. Does this product contain 8-np? If so, then how
much is in it?
Nature's Way company has not tested this substance in this product,
so we don't know.
Hops plant benefits
Hops is useful as a sleep inducer, has antioxidant activity,
anti-inflammatory, estrogen-like
properties, and potential anti-tumor activity. Furthermore, compounds in hops
may reduce insulin resistance. Additional nutrients helpful for sleep include
melatonin and
tryptophan amino acid.
5HTP is a nutrient that helps
with relaxation.
Passion Flower and
kava root extract are
herbs that help
to calm nerves.
J Sci Food Agric. 2013. In vitro and in vivo antioxidant and antimutagenic activities of polyphenols extracted from hops (Humulus lupulus).
Anxiety
treatment, sedative
I am looking for documentation on hops helping with reduction of anxiety.
I have not seen studies using hops alone as a treatment for
anxiety. This herb is used mostly for sedation as opposed to anxiety treatment.
Anti-inflammatory
An interesting study listed below discusses the ability of compounds in
hops plant to act as COX-2 inhibitors just like some of the new
arthritis drugs Vioxx
and Celebrex which may make hops plant a potential therapy in cases of arthritis.
In vitro and ex vivo cyclooxygenase inhibition by a
hops extract.
Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2004.
While there has been much research on botanical
materials as potential pain-relieving Cox inhibitors, it has not yet been
demonstrated that oral consumption of botanical agents can inhibit
Cox-2
activity in humans. In particular it would be of interest to determine whether
any botanical anti-inflammatory has Cox-1-sparing activity, in order to reduce
the risk of gastrointestinal side effects. Seventeen botanical
agents, putative anti-inflammatories or pain-relievers all, were evaluated in
vitro for Cox-1 and -2 inhibitory potency and selectivity using a caco-2 cell
line with ibuprofen as an active control. A promising compound, a hops extract
high in alpha acids, showed a Cox-2/Cox-1 IC50 selectivity ratio of 0.06,
compared to 4.2 for ibuprofen. Two different formulations of a standardized hops
extract (resin and powder) were compared with ibuprofen in a double-blind,
randomized, ex vivo study. Subjects consumed hops powder extract, hops resin
extract, or ibuprofen, and provided blood samples before and at intervals for 9
h following the first dose. Plasma was extracted and analyzed in a validated
Cox-1 and -2 inhibition assay. Results: There were no differences between active
treatments or ibuprofen control in Cox-2 inhibitory action, as indicated by
9-hour Cox-2 Area over the Inhibition Curve (AOC); however, hops powder or hops
resin extract produced a 9-hour Cox-1 / Cox-2 AOC ratio of about 0.4 (i.e., some
degree of Cox-1 sparing), compared to 1.5 for ibuprofen (i.e. no Cox-1 sparing).
Hops exhibited Cox-2 inhibition over 9 hours equivalent to ibuprofen
400 mg but had significant Cox-1 sparing activity relative to ibuprofen. Hops
extracts may represent a safe alternative to ibuprofen for non-prescription
anti-inflammation.
Cancer
Extracts of several estrogenic herbs, including hops, black cohosh and vitex,
inhibit growth of breast cancer cells. These in vitro results suggest that certain herbs
and phytoestrogens may have potential in the prevention of breast cancer.
Six flavonoids from hops were tested for their antiproliferative
activity in human breast cancer (MCF-7),
colon cancer (HT-29) and ovarian cancer. All the
hop flavonoids were cytotoxic (cell killing) in the three cell lines. As antiproliferative agents,
chalcone and its (flavanone isomer may have potential chemopreventive activity against
breast and ovarian cancer in humans.
A potent phytoestrogen in hops, 8-prenylnaringenin, has an activity greater than other
established plant estrogens. The estrogenic activity of this compound was reflected in its
relative binding affinity to estrogen receptors from rat uteri. The presence of
8-prenylnaringenin in hops may provide an explanation for the accounts of menstrual
disturbances in female hop workers. This phytoestrogen can also be detected in beer, but
the levels are low and should not pose any cause for concern.
Planta Med. 2013. Hop extracts and hop substances in treatment of menopausal complaints. Hop extract is a long used medicinal product and, regarding hormonal activities, in 1999 a number of prenylflavanones have been identified as its major constituents with 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN) being the main active estrogenic compound. There have been several in vivo studies performed that demonstrate the potential of hop extract and the single compound 8-PN to alleviate climacteric symptoms like osteoporosis, vasomotoric complaints, and sexual motivation. On the other hand, only a few clinical studies have been performed so far, and these mainly focused on menopausal discomforts, especially hot flushes, yielding rather inconclusive results. Despite preferentially activating estrogen receptor α, 8-PN is only slightly uterotrophic, but it also elucidates estrogenic effects on the mammary gland. In conclusion, although hop extract and especially 8-PN are promising candidates as a relief for climacteric symptoms, data on the safety and efficacy is still scarce.
Menopause
Comparison of the in vitro estrogenic activities of
compounds from hops plant (Humulus lupulus) and red clover (Trifolium pratense).
J Agric Food Chem. 2005
Because the prevailing form of hormone replacement therapy is associated with
the development of cancer in breast and endometrial tissues, alternatives are
needed for the management of menopausal symptoms. Formulations of Trifolium
pratense (red clover) are being used to alleviate menopause-associated hot
flashes but have shown mixed results in clinical trials. The strobiles of
Humulus lupulus have been reported to contain the prenylflavanone,
8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN), as the most estrogenic constituent. Extracts of hops
and red clover and their individual constituents including 8-PN,
6-prenylnaringenin (6-PN), isoxanthohumol, and xanthohumol from hops
and daidzein, formononetin, biochanin A, and genistein from red clover were
compared using a variety of in vitro estrogenic assays. On the basis of these
data, hops and red clover could be attractive for the development as herbal
dietary supplements to alleviate menopause-associated symptoms.
Sedation and
sleep
Acta Physiol Hung. 2012 Jun. The sedative effects of hops (Humulus lupulus), a
component of beer, on the activity/rest rhythm. The concentration of 2 mg of hop
extract effectively decreased nocturnal activity in the circadian activity
rhythm.
Sedating effects of Humulus lupulus extracts.
Phytomedicine. 2006.
It was the aim of the study to check ethanolic and CO2 extracts from Humulus
lupulus for sedating activity. Both preparations reduced the spontaneous
locomotor activity, increased the ketamine-induced sleeping time and reduced
body temperature, confirming a central sedating effect. No indications of
anxiolytic activity were found in the elevated plus maze test for any of the
test preparations. This sedating activity could be attributed to three
categories of constituents of lipophilic hops extracts. Though the alpha-bitter
acids proved to the be most active constituents, the beta-bitter acids and the
hop oil clearly contributed to the sedating activity of lipophilic Humulus
extracts.
The Fixed Combination of Valerian and Hops (Ze91019) acts via a
Central Adenosine Mechanism.
Planta Med. 2004.
The aim of the study was to demonstrate competition between caffeine and a
fixed valerian/ hops extract combination (Ze91019) by the central adenosine
mechanism. EEG was used to describe the action of caffeine on the central
nervous system after oral administration (200 mg) in healthy volunteers. In
addition to caffeine, the volunteers (16 in each group) received either placebo
or verum (2 and 6 tablets containing the valerian/ hops extract). The EEG
responses were recorded every 30 min thereafter. The valerian/ hops medication was
capable of reducing (2 tablets) or inhibiting (6 tablets) the arousal induced by
caffeine. This pharmacodynamic action was observed 60 minutes after oral
administration, indicating not only competition between the antagonist caffeine
and the partial agonist, i. e., the valerian / hops extract but also
bio-availability of the compound(s) responsible for the agonistic action. In
conclusion, the valerian / hops extract acts via a central adenosine mechanism
which is possibly the reason for its sleep-inducing and -maintaining activity.
Comparative study for assessing quality of life of patients with exogenous sleep disorders (temporary sleep onset and sleep interruption disorders) treated with a hops-valarian preparation and a benzodiazepine drug
Is it okay for a man to use hops to help with sleep, seeing that hops
apparently has oestrogen-like properties? I take
Sam-e for depression and it
causes me to have trouble getting a good rest at night.
We don't see any problems using hops by men, after
all men drink beer made from hops. Besides, many plants have compounds that have
estrogenic properties. SAM-e does cause sleep disturbances, so can
ginseng
herb and
horny goat weed
herbal extracts.
Does
theanine help with
anxiety? Can it be taken with hops herb?
L Theanine may be a mild anti-anxiety agent, but we need more
human studies to determine if this is true. I don't see any reason why it can't
be taken with hops herb.
herb hops and stress hops for anxiety.
When to take hops plant supplement
Due to its sedative effects, hops is best reserved for evening or nighttime.
Hops and beer
Side effects, safety
No major side effects have been reported in medical studies regarding its use as
a supplement or in tea.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2014. Respiratory disease associated with occupational inhalation to hop (Humulus lupulus) during harvest and processing. Occupational exposure to hop dust is associated with respiratory disease. Respiratory disease rates were higher in hop workers than in a comparison group of agricultural workers.
Hops Research
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