Humulus Lupulus:Hops Applications more than Herb Beers.
Article Content:
- .Brief Description and Basic Data.
- .Botanical Description of Hops.
- .Name Identification and Archeology of Hops.
- .Medicinal Action and Uses of Hops.
- .Identification of a potent phytoestrogen in hops (Humulus lupulus L.) and beer.
- .Hops and Recipes for Herb Beers.
- .Actions,Indications,Pharmacology of Hops.
- .Combination,Caution,and Comments of Hops.
- .Phytochemical Constituents of Hops.
- .Hops and Its finding tips.
- .How Search engine think about Hops.
- .Research Update:Hops and its findings.
Combination,Caution,and Comments of Hops.
Combinations:Humulus combines well with Valeriana as an hypnotic and with Chamaemelum for nervous dyspepsia.
Preparation and Dosage: (thrice daily)
Regulatory Status: GSL Schedule 1
Dried strobile:0.5-1g or by infusion
Liquid Extract: 1:1 in 45% alcohol, 0.5-1ml
Tincture: 1:5 in 60% alcohol, 1-2ml
Fresh and dried hops have different properties and are used to treat different symptoms. Fresh or newly dried hops, usually dampened with glycerin to reduce the rustling noise, are used in sleep pillows to help ease a restless or anxious person into sleep. As the hops age, they change in chemical composition. For this reason, the hops in pillows should be changed every few months. Fresh hops can also be made into a tea that is taken to combat insomnia. The tea is made by steeping about two teaspoons of fresh hops in one cup (250 ml) of boiling water for five minutes.
Dried hops change in composition when exposed to light, heat, or moisture. They should be stored in a container that excludes moisture and light, and should be kept at room temperature. Dried hops are used to treat digestive and other complaints. They can be prepared in a myriad of different ways. As a tincture, about 1/2 tsp (2 ml) can be taken three times a day. Capsules are available commercially to take before meals to aid digestion. Dry extract or powder can be added to boiling water to make a tea. Compresses are made by soaking a pad in the infusion or diluted tincture. An essential oil is produced by steam distillation. Hops are also used in combination with other herbs in commercially available remedies.
Additional Comments: Pliny referred to hops as 'willow wolf', because of its tendency to twine around willows and other trees. Hops have been used in brewing since Roman times, although their introduction to brewing in England was not until the 17th century. Female hop-pickers first drew attention to the effect of the herb on the reproductive organs - they suffered disrupted or absent menstruation whilst working with the plants due to the absorption of the oil through their hands. Mrs Grieve recommends hop tea as a tonic for a sluggish liver.
Modern Applications:
A bitter aromatic tonic, with sedative and diuretic properties. The flowers contain a natural antibiotic. Hops will produce sleep when nothing else will. A pillow stuffed with Hops is the country remedy for inducing a good night's sleep. Poultices made from the flowers are used for boils and painful swellings. An infusion of i oz (28 g) of the flowers to i pt (568 ml) of water acts as a bitter tonic and will rectify indigestion and improve appetite. The herb stimulates oestrogen production and in men curbs excessive sexual desire and is a remedy for spermatorrhoea. A tincture is available from herbalists. The dose is 5-2o drops. The use of Hops is contraindicated in depression.
Application Dosages:Strobiles
Iinfusion:For insomnia, add 2 tsp fresh hops to a cup of boiling water, and infuse for five minutes. Freshly dried or freeze-dried hops can also be used.
Tincture:Take up to 2 ml, three times a day, as a sedative for nervous tension and anxiety. Combine with other digestive herbs, such as marshmallow, plantain, chamomile, and peppermint for irritable bowel syndrome. Take 1.5 ml on a sugar lump for nervous stomach. Prescribed for some sexual problems, including premature ejaculation.
Compress:Use a pad soaked in the infusion or diluted tincture on varicose ulcers.
Wash:Use an infusion of fresh or freshly dried hops for chronic ulcers, skin eruptions, and wounds.
Capsules:Available commercially; take two before meals as an appetite stimulant. Do not use for more than a few days in succession.
Caution:Humulus acts as a mild depressive on the higher nerve centres and is therefore contraindicated in depression. Its sedative effects may potentiate the effects of existing sedative therapy and alcohol. The pollen from the strobiles may cause contact dermatitis and the strobiles themselves rapidly lose their effectiveness with storage. Chronic exposure to hops by those who work with them has led to nausea, vomiting, abnormal sweating, somnolence, agitation, fever, bradycardia, mydriasis, and skin reactions such as erythema, conjunctivitis and pustular dermatitis. Paradoxically, many of these symptoms are the opposite of the therapeutic effects of this herb.
Precautions:Hops are not recommended for people suffering from depression. Their sedative action may accentuate depressive symptoms in these people. Some herbalists recommend that pregnant women and those with estrogen sensitive breast cancer avoid hops because of the possibility that they contain an estrogenic compound. Hops are included on the United States Food and Drug Administration's list of foods "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS).Patients who are allergic to hops should not use them. If you are taking sedative drugs, do not take hops except under a physician's supervision.
Very little information is available on how hops might affect a developing fetus, an infant, or a small child. Therefore, its supplemental use is not recommended during pregnancy, while breast-feeding, or during early childhood.
Individuals who have major depression are advised to avoid taking hops due to case reports of worsened depression symptoms in some individuals who took hops as a supplement.
Side effects:There are no known side effects if hops are used in the recommended dosages. Some people who pick fresh hops may develop a skin rash (contact dermatitis).
Because hops can cause drowsiness, individuals who need to drive or perform other tasks that require alertness should use it cautiously.Allergies to hops pollen or plants may occur among individuals,including brewers,who work with fresh or dried hops.
Interactions with Prescription Drugs:When hops is used with prescription drugs that promote sleepiness, the effects of the drug may be exaggerated, resulting in sedation or mental impairment. Prescription drugs that can cause sleepiness include:
Anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine, phenytoin and valproic acid;Barbiturates such as phenobarbital;Benzodiazepines such as alprazolam and diazepam;Drugs for insomnia such as Ambien and Sonata;Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, amoxapine, doxepin and nortriptyline
Because it may affect certain enzymes in the liver, hops may possibly interfere with the use of prescription drugs that are processed by the same enzymes. Some of these drugs include:
Allergy drugs like fexofenadine (Allegra) ;Antifungal drugs like itraconazole (Sporanox) and ketoconazole (Nizoral) ;Cancer drugs like etoposide, paclitaxel, vinblastine, or vincristine;Drugs for high cholesterol such as lovastatin;Oral contraceptives
Interactions with Non-prescription Drugs:The sleep-producing effects of over-the-counter products containing diphenhydramine may be enhanced by taking hops at the same time. Diphenhydramine is contained in many non-prescription sleeping pills as well as in some cough and cold products; therefore caution should be used when taking these medications with hops because excessive drowsiness may result.
Interactions with Herbal Products:Hops may cause excessive sedation if it is taken with other potentially sedating herbs such as: Catnip;Kava;St. John's Wort ;Valerian
Interactions with Foods and Drink:No interactions between hops and foods have been reported, but drinking alcohol at the same time as using hops by mouth may result in increased drowsiness.
Dosage:Hops is available as capsules, liquid extracts, tea leaves, and other dosage forms. Directions for use vary considerably. If you decide to take hops, follow the instructions on the manufacturer's label of the package that you purchase. The standard dosage of hops is 0.5 g (about 1 heaping teaspoonful) taken 1 to 3 times daily.
The dried fruits can be made into a tea by pouring 150 ml of boiling water over 1-2 teaspoons of the fruit. Steep for ten to fifteen minutes before drinking. Tinctures can be taken in amounts of 1-2 ml two or three times per day. Dried hops in tablet or capsule form can also be taken at a dose of 500-1,000 mg two or three times per day. As mentioned above, many herbal preparations use hops in combination with herbal sedatives, including valerian, passion flower, and skullcap.
Reference:
1.Humulus Lupulus:Hops Applications more than Herb Beers.
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