More information

Helps to maintain a comfortable menopause.

Hops is a climbing, perennial plant with a rhizome like underground storage stem. It is a dioecious species, but the female and male flowers arise on separate plants (for brewing beer the unfertilised female flowers are used). It contains bitter principles derived prenylated from floroglucinol (α-acids (2-12%), mostly humulone and ß-acids (1-10%), mainly lupulone), flavonoids (0.5-1.5%) (quercetin and kempferol derivatives), essential oil (0.5-1.5%) (humulene, myrcene and ß-caryophyllene) and proanthocyanidins.

Traditionally, hops have been used as a tranquilliser, although its mechanism of action is not known in detail. The bitter principles have an appetite-stimulating and bactericidal effect. Its oestrogenic action has been studied in vitro, but its potential clinical usefulness has not been sufficiently evaluated. In a placebo-controlled study it reduced hot flushes in patients with ovarian failure (due to menopause or oophorectomy). Another open-label, uncontrolled study showed the effectiveness of a gel based on hyaluronic acid, liposomes, hops phytoestrogens and vitamin E in the treatment of genital atrophy in postmenopausal women.

MAIN INDICATIONS

• Relief of symptoms of mental stress and sleep disorders.
• Dysmenorrhoea.
• Inappetence, dyspepsia, hepatobiliary dyskinesias, cholecystitis and gastrointestinal spasms.