Botanical Name: Humulus lupulus
Plant Family: Cannabinaceae, Urticaceae
Common Names: Beer Hops, Hopfen, Hoppen, Wild Hops
Origin: Hops is a perennial climbing vine native to England and growing wild in many parts of the world
History: The botanical name Humulus is thought to have come from humus, 'moist earth' and lupulus, 'a wolf', while the word Hops comes from the Anglo-Saxon hoppan, 'to climb' and has been used since the 8th century
Henry VIII barred the use of Hops in brewing stating that Hops was: 'a wicked weed that would spoil the taste of the drink and endanger the people'
Tradition: Hops was used:
- in healing incenses
- in sleep pillows to induce sleep and pleasant dreams
Plant Constituents
Contains:
- bitters
- cholene
- Humulene, a sesquiterpene
- Lupamaric Acid (Humulone), bitter principle
- Lupamaric Acid (Lupulinic Acid), bitter principle
- Lupulin (an aromatic bitter)
- resins, soft and hard
- tannic acid
- vegetable mucilage
- volatile oil
Usage
Medicinal Parts Used: Strobiles (the fruiting body which appears after flowering)
Hops is used for:
Blood Conditions
Brain and Nervous System Conditions
- calming effect on the nervous system
- delrium tremens (in alcoholics or drug withdrawals)
- fits
- hysteria
- induces sleep without causing headache
- insomnia
- nervous diarrhea
- nervous spasmodic conditions
- nervous tension
- neuralgia
- reduces a person's sensitivity to pain
- relaxes the muscular activity of the nervous system
- restlessness
Cardiovascular Conditions
- angina pectoris especially combined with Yarrow, Valerian and Lemon Balm
- heart disease
Gastrointestinal Conditions
- digestion (cold tea taken before meals)
- improving the appetite
- indigestion
- intestinal cramps
- irritable bowel syndrome
- lack of appetite
- mucous colitis
- relaxes the muscular activity of the digestive system
Genitourinary Conditions
- bladder ailments
- calculus problems
- excess uric acid production
- water retention
Liver Conditions
- jaundice
- liver ailments
- sluggish liver
Male Conditions
- curbs excessive sexual desire for males
- spermatorrhea (excessive manufacture of sperm)
Respiratory Tract Conditions
Other
- reduces a person's susceptibility to fevers
- reduces fevers and pain
- removes poisons from the body
- soothes inflammation
Externally Hops is used to treat:
- bruises, with Boneset
- hives
- itching skin rashes
- ulcers
and
and as a poultice or fomentation for:
- boils
- bruises
- inflammation
- neuralgic pains
- painful swelling
- rheumatic pains
Other Uses:
- used in brewing beer and ales
Action:
- anodyne [an agent that soothes or relieves pain)
- antiseptic [an agent for inhibiting the growth of microorganism on living tissue or destroying pathogenic or putrefactive bacteria]
- aromatic [a substance having an agreeable odor and stimulating qualities] bitter [applied to bitter tasting drugs which act on the mucous membranes of the mouth and stomach to increase appetite and promote digestion]
- astringent [a binding agent that contracts organic tissue, reducing secretions or discharges of mucous and fluid from the body]
- diuretic [an agent that increases the volume and flow of urine which cleanses the urinary system]
- febrifuge [an agent that reduces or eliminates fevers]
- hallucinatory (mild) [an agent that induces hallucinations]
- hypnotic [an agent that promotes or produces sleep without disturbing alertness and receptiveness to others]nervine [an agent that has a calming or soothing effect on the nerves, any agent that acts on the nervous
- system to restore the nerves to their natural state]
- sedative [a soothing agent that reduces nervousness, distress or irritation
- soporific [an agent to induce sleep]
- stomachic [an agent that strengthens, stimulates or tones the stomach]
- tonic [an agent that tones, strengthens and invigorates organs or the entire organism giving a feeling of well-being]
Precautions
Caution:
- Excess doses or prolonged use is not recommended
- It should not be used for severe depression due to its relaxing and sedative properties
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