Humulus lupulus
(Hops)
Therapeutic Actions:
- Relaxes smooth muscles, especially in the digestive tract
- Anaphrodisiac for men due to the estrogenic substances
- Diuretic due to asparagin
- Antibacterial due to humulone and lupulone
- Antispasmodic effect on uteri in animal studies
- Anti inflammatory, especially in the areas of the digestive tract
- Sedative, promotes sleep
- Astringent
Clinical Indications:
Contraindications:
- Marked depression due to the sedative effect
Drug/Nutrient Interaction:
- In animal studies, hops potentiates pentobarbital leading to increased sleep duration
Chemical Constituents:
- Flavonoids, mainly glycosides of kaemphferol, rutin, astragalin and quercitin
- Resin, composed of alpha-bitter acids including adhumulone, cohumulone, humulone and others and beta-bitter acids including lupulone, colupulone, adlupulone and others
- Volatile oil composed of humulene with B-caryophyllene, myrcene, farnesene, 2-methylbut-3-ene-2-ol, 3-methylbut-2-ene-1-al, 2,3,4-trithiahexane
- 2-methylpropanoic and 3-methylbutanoic acids which increase in concentration in stored extracts
- Humulone (lupamaric acid) and lupulinic acid convert to isovaleric acid on storage
- Bitter resins and oil are known collectively as lupulin
- Amino acids
- Estrogenic-like substances
- Geraniol
- Linalool
- Citral
- Serolidol
- Linionene
Toxicity:
- Contact with the pollen from the strobiles may cause dermatitis
Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).