Hops

Scientific Name(s): Humulus lupulus L.
Common Name(s): Hops

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Jan 3, 2022.

Clinical Overview

Use

Hops have been used for flavoring; hops and lupulin have been used as a digestive aid, for mild sedation, diuresis, and treating menstrual problems, but no clinical studies are available to confirm these uses.

Dosing

Hops has been used as a mild sedative or sleep aid, with the dried strobile given in doses of 1.5 to 2 g. An extract combination with valerian, Ze 91019 (ReDormin, Ivel) has been studied at a hops dose of 60 mg for insomnia.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not yet been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Avoid use. In vitro antispasmodic activity on the uterus has been documented.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

There are no reported side effects when used in moderation.

Toxicology

Malignant hyperthermic reactions have been observed in dogs that consumed boiled hops residues. A wide safety margin for humans has been extrapolated from animal experiments.

Scientific Family

• Cannabaceae (Hemp)

Botany

Hops is a perennial climbing vine extensively cultivated worldwide. Male and female flowers are located on separate plants; the cone-shaped fruits are known as strobiles, which are collected in the fall and carefully dried.1, 2

History

Hops have been used for centuries to flavor and preserve beer. The bitter, aromatic taste of beer is mostly due to the hops content. Hops extracts are also used for other flavoring purposes in the food industry. Medical uses of hops and lupulin include aiding digestion, mild sedation, diuresis, and treating menstrual problems. Hops pickers have reported sedation during harvest, and hops flowers have been added to pillows for relief of nervous conditions.2, 3 Use of hops for the treatment of mood disturbances, such as restlessness, anxiety, and sleep disturbances, is approved in the German Commission EMonographs.4

Chemistry

The most characteristic constituents of hops are the bitter principles, known as alpha- and beta-acids. In the plant the alpha-acids occur as humulone, cohumulone, and adhumulone.5, 6 During the brewing process, these compounds are isomerized to the iso-alpha-acid series of compounds, that possess the bitter taste.7 The beta-acid series of compounds include lupulone and congeners;5, 6 this series is destroyed during brewing. The relative proportions of the bitter acids affect the quality of the hops, and many methods have been developed for quantifying hop acids in different varieties, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)5, 8 and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC).9, 10 The complex profile of hop acids is dependent on genetics, cultivation, and storage conditions. Long-term storage of hops leads to major deterioration in quality.

The essential oils of hops are less characteristic but are still important to hop quality. Over 100 volatile compounds have been identified, with gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) being key techniques for analysis.11, 12 Caryophyllene, beta-myrcene, and humulene are the most abundan...