Hops, Staked
Latin Name: Humulus lupulus
Family: Urticaceae
Description
Hops were first mentioned by the Romans who ate the young shoots like asparagus. The leaves and flower heads can be used as a dye, producing a brown colour. Hops have long been used for brewing beer, and were once marked by Henry VIII as "a wicked weed that would spoil the taste of the drink and endanger the people".
Hops, Flowering
Ailments / Situations Where Used For hundreds of years, hops have been taken as a powerful sedative via an infusion or placed into a pillow. Studies suggest that when sleeping on the pillow, the volatile oils are released and affect the brain through the olfactory centre. The infusion calms the central nervous system and is used for insomnia, restlessness, tension, anxiety and headaches.
Hops helps relax the smooth muscles in the digestive tract and aids in the treatment of Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and a nervous stomach. The bitterness of the plant helps strengthen digestion and stimulate digestive juices to help in the assimilation and breakdown of foods.
Hops contain lupolone and humulone, which are antibacterial and anti-inflammatory and help treat infections of the upper digestive tract. It is especially effective against gastric and duodenal ulcers. The plant also contains mild diuretic properties and is effective in destroying intestinal worms.
Hops contain destrogenic properties which explains why female hop pickers sometimes experience disruption or delayed menstruation from the oil that is absorbed through the skin.
Hops are used externally on cuts and abrasions due to their antiseptic properties.
Source
Dried flowers and strobile (cone or cone-like structure).
Hops, Closeup
Preparations
Infusion: Add 1 teaspoon herb to 1 cup boiling water and infuse for 10 minutes. Take 3 times daily.
Tincture: Take twenty to forty drops 3 times daily.
Contraindications / Precautions / Warnings
Due to its sedative effects on the central nervous system, hops is not to be used if experiencing depression.
Ailment / Situation Listing
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