Habitat:
Hops is native to a great part of the northern half of the world, customarily located in northern European, west central Asian, and North American regions. The earliest reported case of growing hops was in central Europe in 736, with the ensuing centuries seeing hops grown extensively in Bavarian, Bohemian and Slovenian regions, and later in England. Hops was first cultivated in North America in 1629; cultivation began in Japan, China and Korea in the 1860s. Hops is produced in many different regions these days, but roughly three quarters of all hops originates from Germany, North America, and China.
Traits and properties:
The most widely recognized use of hops is to flavor beer, leading to its significance globally as a commercial agriculture product. While hops is a comparatively minimal component of beer, quantity-wise, it is a significant one since it imparts the unique bitter taste of beer, a property possessed uniquely by hops. Initially, hops was utilized in making beer since it not only imparts taste, but acts to naturally preserve beer, keeping it from turning sour and increasing its shelf life dramatically. This permitted beer to be shipped a long way, instead of having to be used near the brewery, allowing brewers to greatly expand operations.
Medical uses:
The earliest reported use of hops for medicinal purposes was by ancient Egyptians and Babylonians who were convinced it safeguarded against leprosy and plague. European medicinal use of hops goes as far back as its ninth century use to treat 'melancholy', acquiring the name vermifuge and effective for eradicating parasites. When the twelth century rolled in hops were recognized as an aperitif, a depurative, and a laxative and was applauded for its properties of sedating and relaxing. Later this was used as a treatment for people with liver problems and any general digestive complaints. On the North American continent, hops was widely utilized in native remedies, especially among Cherokee people who used it to treat rheumatism, swelling, pain, breast and female reproductive organ issues, kidney stones, and so on. In traditional Chinese medicine, hops is used for all sorts of different ailments like sleeplessness, restlessness, and for bad cramps; it is also used to treat lack of appetite. Chinese lab research has documented effective results with hops for treating conditions of TB, leprosy, bacillary dysentery, silicosis as well as asbestosis. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India suggests the use of hops for anxiousness related to nervous stress, headache, and poor digestion, reporting it works primarily for sedation, hypnosis, and fighting bacteria.
Nowadays, hops is used most often for its relaxing effect on nerves, and its properties of sedation to improve sleep habits. Positive effects on the female endocrine system have been noted, specifically in Europe, from hops. There is a high content of flavonoids, which is a form of phytoestrogens, and this has become a very common ingredient for natural breast enhancements. Clinical studies have shown that consumption of hops alone promotes breast development. In fact, beer which has a high hop content, has even been touted by some doctors as being a breast enhancer if consumed in large quantities. Yet other contemporary uses for hops are to treat IBS and premature ejaculation, along with its characteristics as a diuretic to help those retaining water or suffering excessive uric acid. Hops tea is apparently a wonderful remedy for delirium tremens, and you can add honey to it to ease the symptoms of bronchitis.
In order to reduce the pain due to the inflammation of abscesses, boils, swellings, and neuralgic and rheumatic complaints including easing skin infections, eczema, herpes, and ulcers, Hops tea is used as an external application in the form of a poultice. Dried hops has long been sewn into pillows to combat insomnia and nightmares. Hops is used in shampoos to treat dandruff and oiliness due to its anti-septic and sebhorrheic traits, and has lately been considered beneficial for growing and conditioning hair and scalp, leading to its use in a lot of hair growth items. Hops is actually good for the skin in general as it stimulates the cutaneous metabolism, so you'll often find it listed as an ingredient in toiletries and cosmetics.
Hops is native to a great part of the northern half of the world, customarily located in northern European, west central Asian, and North American regions. The earliest reported case of growing hops was in central Europe in 736, with the ensuing centuries seeing hops grown extensively in Bavarian, Bohemian and Slovenian regions, and later in England. Hops was first cultivated in North America in 1629; cultivation began in Japan, China and Korea in the 1860s. Hops is produced in many different regions these days, but roughly three quarters of all hops originates from Germany, North America, and China.
Traits and properties:
The most widely recognized use of hops is to flavor beer, leading to its significance globally as a commercial agriculture product. While hops is a comparatively minimal component of beer, quantity-wise, it is a significant one since it imparts the unique bitter taste of beer, a property possessed uniquely by hops. Initially, hops was utilized in making beer since it not only imparts taste, but acts to naturally preserve beer, keeping it from turning sour and increasing its shelf life dramatically. This permitted beer to be shipped a long way, instead of having to be used near the brewery, allowing brewers to greatly expand operations.
Medical uses:
The earliest reported use of hops for medicinal purposes was by ancient Egyptians and Babylonians who were convinced it safeguarded against leprosy and plague. European medicinal use of hops goes as far back as its ninth century use to treat 'melancholy', acquiring the name vermifuge and effective for eradicating parasites. When the twelth century rolled in hops were recognized as an aperitif, a depurative, and a laxative and was applauded for its properties of sedating and relaxing. Later this was used as a treatment for people with liver problems and any general digestive complaints. On the North American continent, hops was widely utilized in native remedies, especially among Cherokee people who used it to treat rheumatism, swelling, pain, breast and female reproductive organ issues, kidney stones, and so on. In traditional Chinese medicine, hops is used for all sorts of different ailments like sleeplessness, restlessness, and for bad cramps; it is also used to treat lack of appetite. Chinese lab research has documented effective results with hops for treating conditions of TB, leprosy, bacillary dysentery, silicosis as well as asbestosis. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India suggests the use of hops for anxiousness related to nervous stress, headache, and poor digestion, reporting it works primarily for sedation, hypnosis, and fighting bacteria. Nowadays, hops is used most often for its relaxing effect on nerves, and its properties of sedation to improve sleep habits. Positive effects on the female endocrine system have been noted, specifically in Europe, from hops. There is a high content of flavonoids, which is a form of phytoestrogens, and this has become a very common ingredient for natural breast enhancements. Clinical studies have shown that consumption of hops alone promotes breast development. In fact, beer which has a high hop content, has even been touted by some doctors as being a breast enhancer if consumed in large quantities. Yet other contemporary uses for hops are to treat IBS and premature ejaculation, along with its characteristics as a diuretic to help those retaining water or suffering excessive uric acid. Hops tea is apparently a wonderful remedy for delirium tremens, and you can add honey to it to ease the symptoms of bronchitis. In order to reduce the pain due to the inflammation of abscesses, boils, swellings, and neuralgic and rheumatic complaints including easing skin infections, eczema, herpes, and ulcers, Hops tea is used as an external application in the form of a poultice. Dried hops has long been sewn into pillows to combat insomnia and nightmares. Hops is used in shampoos to treat dandruff and oiliness due to its anti-septic and sebhorrheic traits, and has lately been considered beneficial for growing and conditioning hair and scalp, leading to its use in a lot of hair growth items. Hops is actually good for the skin in general as it stimulates the cutaneous metabolism, so you'll often find it listed as an ingredient in toiletries and cosmetics.