Hops

Also named : Humulus Lupus, Asperge Sauvage, Lupulin, Vigne du Nord

First mentioned by Pliny,  Hops is a climbing, perennial plant, distributed in temperate climates and extensively cultivated in Germany, US, Central Europe, UK, China, New Zealand and Australia. Hops female flowers, also known as cones or strobiles are commonly used as a flavoring agent in beer, due to its characteristic bitter taste and preservative qualities but have also medicinal properties.

In older times, people believed that Hops is guarded by fairies and elves, which hypnotizes and makes you fall asleep.  A natural sedative, Hops are used in traditional medicine in the treatment of insomnia and nervous tension and pillows filled with the plant were thought to induce sleep. Anxiety disorders, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), nervousness and restlessness can also benefit of Hops use. The cure with Hops powder, 1 teaspoon taken 3-4 times a day, usually lasted for 1 month, with a 10 day pause.

Active bitter principles contained in Hops help digestion, improve liver function, increasing at the same time bile and other digestive juice secretion in the body. Hops stimulates appetite and is a precious bitter-tonic treating anorexia, indigestion and intestinal disorders. Other chemicals from Hops have antiseptic and bacteriostatic effects on gram-positive germs, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Chinese research confirmed  good results also in leprosy and bacillary dysentery treatment.

The estrogenic action of Hops makes it an excellent remedy in female problems, treating menopause symptoms, breast and ovarian cancer, preventing osteoporosis and starting menstruation and breast milk flow. European folk medicine prescribed Hops and Valerian in male problems, such as sexual hyper-excitability and premature ejaculation. Other uses include priapism and prostate cancer.

Hops is also a powerful articular anti-inflammatory and reduces pain in rheumatic conditions, having similar effects to Ibuprofen. Applied on the skin, Hops has antibacterial effects and is sometimes used for leg ulcers.