Humulus Lupulus:Hops Applications more than Herb Beers.

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Name Identification and Archeology of Hops.

Hops Extract INCI Name Humulus Lupulus Extract CAS 8060-28-4 EINECS ELINCS No 232-504-3 photo picture image Humulus: Latin name of uncertain origin, may have descended from Low German word humela, hop; which is the common name of this genus placed by Munz in the Moraceae or mulberry family, but moved by Jepson along with Cannabis into the new family Cannabaceae.

 lupulus: literally a "small wolf," alluding to the plant's habit of climbing over and smothering trees on which it grows. H. lupulus is the European hop and was once called "willow-wolf" because of its propensity for climbing on willows

 The origin of the name of the Hop genus, Humulus, is considered doubtful, though it has been assumed by some writers that it is derived from humus, the rich moist ground in which the plant grows. The specific name Lupulus, is derived from the Latin, lupus (a wolf), because, as Pliny explains, when produced among osiers, it strangles them by its light, climbing embraces, as the wolf does a sheep. The English name Hop comes from the Anglo-Saxon hoppan (to climb).

 Ancient Hebrews used Hops to deter the spread of the Bubonic Plague. Hops gained acceptance in England as an ingredient in beer and as a medicinal herb in 17th century. ops appear to have been used in the breweries of the Netherlands in the beginning of the fourteenth century. In England they were not used in the composition of beer till nearly two centuries afterwards. The liquor prepared from fermented malt formed the favourite drink of our Saxon and Danish forefathers. The beverage went by the name of Ale (the word derived from the Scandinavian l - the Viking's drink) and was brewed either from malt alone, or from a mixture of the latter with Honey and flavoured with Heath tops, Ground Ivy, and various other bitter and aromatic herbs, such as Marjoram, Buckbean, Wormwood, Yarrow, Woodsage or Germander and Broom. They knew not, however, the ale to which Hops give both flavour and preservation. For long after the introduction of Hops, the liquor flavoured in the old manner retained the name of Ale, while the word of German and Dutch origin, Bier or Beer, was given only to that made with the newly-introduced bitter catkins.

 It has been stated that the planting of Hops in this country was forbidden in the reign of Henry VI, but half a century later the cultivation was introduced from Flanders, though only to a limited extent, and it did not become sufficient for the needs of the kingdom till the end of the seventeenth century. The prejudice against the use of Hops was at first great. Henry VIII forbade brewers to put hops and sulphur into ale, Parliament having been petitioned against the Hop as 'a wicked weed that would spoil the taste of the drink and endanger the people.' In the fifth year of Edward VI, however, privileges were granted to Hop growers, though in the reign of James I the plant was still not sufficiently cultivated to supply the consumption, as we find a statute of 1608 against the importation of spoiled Hops.

 Hops were at first thought to engender melancholy.

 'Hops,' says John Evelyn, in his Pomona (1670), 'transmuted our wholesome ale into beer, which doubtless much alters its constitution. This one ingredient, by some suspected not unworthily, preserves the drink indeed, but repays the pleasure in tormenting diseases and a shorter life.'

 Hops gives beer its distinctive taste and prevents bacterial growth. For centuries, it has also been considered valuable as a food, whereby the young shoots have been eaten like asparagus in many countries. American Indians made a sedative from the blossoms, and they also applied heated, dried flowers to relieve toothaches.
 Hops Extract INCI Name Humulus Lupulus Extract CAS 8060-28-4 EINECS ELINCS No 232-504-3 photo picture image

 German beermakers have been using wild hop (Humulus lupulus L.) to flavor their brew for hundreds of years. Hop was introduced to the United States from England in 1629. The first commercial hop yard in the United States was established in New York in 1808. Cultivation of the crop rapidly spread south and west. Wisconsin became a major producer of hop for a brief period late in the nineteenth century, but New York remained the leader until the crop was virtually wiped out in both states by downy mildew in the 1920s.

 Traditional Use and Current Status:

 Hops and Its Traditional Use:

 Traditionally, hops were considered soothing to the stomach, an appetite stimulant (due to the bitter taste), slightly sedative, a sleep aid, and diuretic. A popular way of using hops as a sleep aid was to stuff a pillow with the fruiting bodies, moistening them slightly before bed to prevent them from rustling and keeping an insomniac awake! A poultice of hops was used to relieve pain of rheumatic Joints and a tea was taken to relieve muscle spasms and soothe the nerves.

 Hawthorn is notably absent from medical works and herbals of early-nineteenth-century America and Europe. It came to the attention of the medical profession in the 1890s by means of a single reference in a medical journal. By the early twentieth century, it was a mainstay of heart disease treatment. Still widely used in Europe and Asia, it is less frequently recommended in America.

 The manufacture of beer utilizes 98% of the world's production of hop. Before the days of pasteurization, brewers used hop for its antibiotic properties as well as its flavor. In some countries the young shoots are eaten as a boiled vegetable.

 The female "cone," which contains the small flowers and later the fruits, has resin glands which produce lupulin. Lupulin contains the essential oils and resins that give the hop its aroma and beer its bitter flavor. The alpha acids in the resin contribute to the bitter components and constitute 4.5 to 7% of the weight of the dried hop in most domestic varieties and 8 to 12% in some English varieties. Eight to 13 oz of hop are used for each barrel of beer.

 Current Status:phytomedicine and sleeping aid

 In European phytomedicine, hops preparations are used to relieve mood disturbances, such as unrest and anxiety, and for sleep disturbances. Hops are also prescribed for nervous tension, excitability, restlessness and lack of sleep, and to stimulate appetite. Laboratory studies show that hops have a wide range of biological activity. rhe bitter acids in the fruits are antibacterial. Extracts of the fruits strongly reduce smooth-muscle spasms. Studies have both confirmed and disputed hops' sedative and estrogenic activities.

 The hormonal effects of Hops were noticed when female gatherers of the plants got their menstrual cycles early. Primary chemical constituents of this herb include humulone, lupulinic acid, bitter principle (lupulin), essential oil, valerianic acid, flavonoids (quercetin, rutin), choline, phytoestrogens, and tannin. Hops is rich in vitamin C and B-complex, and also contains various minerals. Many herbal preparations for insomnia combine Hops with more potent sedative herbs, such as valerian. Hops tea is recommended for conditions of nervous diarrhea, insomnia, and restlessness. It can also help to stimulate appetite, dispel flatulence, and relieve intestinal cramps. This herb can be usefully combined with valerian for coughs and nervous spasmodic conditions. The cold tea of Hops, taken an hour before meals, is particularly good for digestion. Hops also has diuretic properties and can be taken for various problems with water retention and excess uric acid. Hops can be made into a sachet and placed in ones pillowcase as a sleeping aid and nightmare preventive

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last edit date:26th,May.2009.