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.
Hops and Its finding tips.
Hops for breast enlargement?
Recently, hops has been included with other herbals in products that are sold for breast enlargement. While hops does contain at least one strong phytoestrogen, the percentages are so small that enormous amounts of hops would have to be consumed on a regular basis to produce any effect. Phytoestrogens are chemicals that act like the female hormone, estrogen, in the body. Clinical and laboratory studies have failed to show that hops has significant estrogenic or breast-enhancing activity.
Hops bring marijuana's mind-altering effects?
Another false, but widespread belief is that smoking or snorting hops can create a feeling of euphoria. Although it belongs to the same family of plants that includes marijuana, hops does not contain any of the chemicals that produce marijuana's mind-altering effects.
Hops skin softening effects:
Due to skin softening effects, hops extract may be included in cosmetics and other topical preparations such as skin creams and lotions. Because it has some preservative properties, it may be used to prolong the time that beverages or foods remain fresh. At various times in history, the young leaves and shoots of hops plants have been eaten as a vegetable; cloth, paper, or twine has been made from its fibrous stems; a brown dye has been derived from its leaves; and the vines have been used to make baskets or furniture. Some preliminary results from recent environmental studies show that shredded hops stems and leaves may be effective in removing lead and other heavy metal contamination from waterways. Hops are most used, however, to flavor beer.
Hops Polyphenolic principles and bitter and bacteriostatic properties:
Chemically unstable polyphenolic principles, especially humulone and lupulone, are present in the resin of hops. They, or closely related conversion products, are responsible for the plant's bitter and bacteriostatic properties. Unfortunately, the content of these compounds varies appreciably in different varieties of hops, and in addition, these compounds are quite unstable in the presence of air and light. One study has shown that after nine months' storage, hops retained only about 15 percent of their original activity.
Alcoholic extracts of hops in various dosage forms have been used clinically in treating numerous forms of leprosy, pulmonary tuberculosis and acute bacterial dysentery with varying degrees of success by doctors throughout the People's Republic of China. This could be due to a couple of antibiotic bitter acids, lupulon and humulon, occurring in the herb. Both kill Gram-positive and acid-fast bacteria such as strains of staphylococcus, for instance. Staph infections are evident in suppurating wounds, runny sores, abscesses, boils and osteomyelitis (inflammation of bone marrow and adjacent bone and cartilage).
To make a strong extract, combine 1-1/4 cups of cut, fresh hop fruit with 2-1/2 cups of good-quality imported Russian vodka or an expensive brandy. Put into a bottle with a tight lid or cork. Shake daily, allowing the herbs to extract for about 2 weeks. Let the herbs settle and pour off the tincture, straining the liquid through a clean muslin cloth or fine filter paper. Two tablespoonfuls each day taken orally on an empty stomach will help fight infection internally. The same amount may also be applied directly with some cotton on bedsores caused by hospital-induced staph. And clean strips of gauze may also be saturated in this tincture and then used to dress wounds so they'll heal more rapidly.
Help control dandruff:After the hair is scrubbed with a strong detergent and thoroughly rinsed with plain water, some of the above tincture may be rubbed into the scalp to help control dandruff. A quicker and easier way, though, is to rinse your hair well with a can of beer each day. Any brand will do just fine. Hops has been shown clinically to exert a strong sedative action on nervous patients and to help insomniacs get a good night's sleep. Bring 2 pints of water to a boil. Add 1 heaping tbsp. each of hops and valerian root. Cover and reduce heat, simmering for 5 minutes. Remove and steep an additional 45 minutes. Sweeten with a little pure maple syrup and drink 1-1/2 cups at a time to help relax the body. Keep in mind that since hops lose their sedative properties quickly when stored, they should always be used either as fresh as possible or pretty soon after they've been dried and cut up.
Hops volatile alcohol and sedative principles:
Early studies on hops failed to identify specific sedative principles, and their value, particularly when used in the form of a pillow, was thought to be more magical than medicinal. More recently, a volatile alcohol, 2-methyl-3-butene-2-ol (dimethylvinyl carbinol), has been isolated from hops and is believed to account for at least part of the plant's sedative properties. Present in fresh hops in very small amounts, the concentration of the alcohol increases on drying to reach a maximum value of about 0.15 percent within a two-year period.
Mobility tests in rats verified the sedative-hypnotic activity of the alcohol, and pharmacologically active concentrations of it were detected in freshly prepared hop teas. Although studies thus far carried out do not provide an explanation for all of the salutary effects attributed to hops by folklore, they do supply, for the first time, a logical scientific basis for at least part of their tranquilizing action. Continuing investigations will probably eventually supply the rest of the story regarding their benefit to humankind. Based on a reasonable certainty of efficacy and safety, rather than current controlled clinical studies, in Germany, a dose of 0.5 g of dried hops or extract equivalents is allowed to be labeled "for discomfort due to restlessness or anxiety and sleep disturbances". Hops are closely related botanically to marijuana, and some writers advocate smoking the plant material to obtain a mild euphoria. This practice cannot be recommended since unpleasant side effects are common, and the safety of smoking hops remains in doubt.
Hops as good remedy material:
Hop pillows are well known for inducing sleep, indicating the sedative action of hops -useful for relieving tension and anxiety, soothing pain, restlessness and agitation. The antispasmodic action reduces tension in muscles throughout the body, relieving spasm and colic in the gut, and makes hops a good remedy for irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, nervous indigestion, peptic ulcers, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and stress-related digestive problems. The bitters in hops aid digestive function, enhancing the action of the liver and the secretion of bile and digestive juices. The tannins aid healing of irritated and inflammatory conditions and stem diarrhea, while the antiseptic action of hops relieves infections. The estrogenic action of hops make them an excellent remedy for any problem around menopause. Hops have also been used for suppressed and painful periods. The asparagin in hops is a soothing diuretic, reducing fluid retention and hastening elimination of toxins from the system. This combined with the action on the liver have given hops a reputation for clearing skin problems. Their relaxant and antihistamine action is also useful here. Hops have been used in creams to keep the skin soft and supple and delay wrinkling. Their antiseptic action is useful for cuts, wounds and ulcers.
Reference:
1.Humulus Lupulus:Hops Applications more than Herb Beers.




