SCIENCE OF HOPS

Habitat:
Hops are indigenous to much of the Northern Hemisphere, being traditionally found in Northern Europe, North America and West Central Asia. The first documented instance of hop cultivation was in the year 736 in central Europe and in the following few centuries hops became widely cultivated in Bavaria, Bohemia and Slovenia, later spreading to Britain. In 1629 hops cultivation began in North America and in the 1860s it began in China, Korea and Japan. Hops production today is widespread, but almost 75% of world production comes from 3 countries: Germany, USA and China.

Characteristics and properties:
The most well known use of hops is as a flavoring in beer and it's for this reason that hops are one of the world's most commercially important crops. Although in terms of weight, hops are a relatively minor ingredient in beer, however it's a very important ingredient because it gives beer it's distinctive bitterness, a characteristic of hops which no other plant is able to provide. Hops first became widely used as an ingredient in beer because in addition to adding flavor, it is also a natural preservative and was found to be very effective at preventing beer from souring and so greatly extended its keeping power. This enabled beer to be transported significant distances, rather than needing to be consumed close to where it was brewed and brewers could therefore operate on a much larger scale.

Medicinal purposes:
The first known use of hops for therapeutic purposes was in the ancient world, in Egypt and Babylonia, where it was believed to help protect against leprosy and the plague. In Europe the therapeutic use of hops dates back to at least the ninth century, when it was used as a remedy for "melancholy" and became known as a vermifuge, a substance which is known to expel parasitic worms. By the twelth century, hops were also regarded as an aperitive, a depurative and a laxative and was highly regarded for its sedative and relaxing properties. Later it was used to treat liver disease and general digestive complaints. In North America hops were used in native medicines, particularly by the Cherokee who used it as a anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, sedative, gynecological aid for breast and womb problems and kidney and urinary aid for "gravel" and inflamed kidneys. In traditional Chinese medicine, hops are used to treat insomnia, restlessness, dyspepsia, intestinal cramps and lack of appetite. Clinical studies in China have reported good outcomes from the use of hops in the treatment of tuberculosis, leprosy, acute bacillary dysentery, silicosis and asbestosis. In India, the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia recommends hops for restlessness associated with nervous tension, headache and indigestion and reports its main actions as a sedative, hypnotic and anti-bacterial.

Today, hops are most commonly used for their calming effect on the nervous system and for its excellent and potent sedative effects which are used to induce better sleeping patterns. Hops have also become notable, particularly in Europe, for having beneficial effects on the female endocrine system. This is due to it having a high content of flavonoids, a form of phtytoestrogens and has led to it becoming a common ingredient in effective natural breast enhancement supplements. It has even been scientifically proven that taking hops alone will encourage breast development. Some Doctors even claim drinking lots of beer, which are high in hops will help to make breasts grow. Other modern uses of hops are for irritable bowel syndrome and premature ejaculation and as it has diuretic properties, it is taken for various problems with water retention and excess uric acid. Hops tea is said to be excellent for cases of delirium tremens and hops with honey is said to be highly soothing in cases of bronchitis.

Hops also have external uses and has long been applied as a poultice to alleviate the pain and inflammation of abscesses, boils, swellings, neuralgic and rheumatic complaints, as well as to allay skin infections, eczema, herpes and ulcers. Dried hops is traditionally sewn into pillows to help with cases of restlessness and insomnia and as a nightmare preventative. Shampoo's for greasy hair and dandruff make use of hops for its antiseptic and seborrhoeic properties and in recent times, hops have come to be regarded useful for hair growth as well as hair conditioning due to its beneficial action on the scalp and as a result is now included in many hair growth products. In fact hops has a good effect on the skin generally, being a stimulant of the cutaneous metabolism and is therefore often used in skin products and bath gels.