Hops – Humulus lupulus
Benefits of hops:
- Protects the brain, stabilises brain potassium levels, reduces the risk of stroke
- Reduces stress, anxiety and symptoms of mild depression.
- The combination of valerian and hops helps treat insomnia.
- Increases the breakdown of fat cells, helping to prevent obesity.
- Improves mitochondrial function and metabolism.
- Its essential oil improves hair strength and shine.
- Prevents the development of diabetes.
- It prevents blood clot formation, arrhythmias, enhances the vascular system.
- Reduces intestinal spasms.
- Protects against pneumonia and acute lung injury.
- Protects the liver from the development of fatty liver, reduces liver scarring.
- Contributes to the proper functioning of the kidneys.
- It is effective against acne, eczema, skin infections, melanoma, wound healing and skin ageing due to its anti-inflammatory properties, and it also has an effect on arthritis.
- It has antimicrobial properties, killing most lactic acid bacteria.
- The acids in the herb, called lupulones and humulones, kill cancer cells. It makes cancer cells more sensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
- It stimulates the immune system.
- Prevents bone disease.
- It also has an effect on the genitals and hormones, reducing the frequency of hot flushes. Vaginal gel containing hops reduces painful intercourse, vaginal dryness, itching, burning and inflammation.
- Reduces T4 levels, affects the thyroid gland.
Side effects of hops:
The herb is not recommended for nursing and pregnant mothers, infants, children. Use may cause skin rashes, breathing difficulties and dry cough. In severe cases, hyperthermia, seizures, restlessness, upset stomach and vomiting may occur.
Detailed description:
Humulus lupulus L. A wild plant in our country in heaths and grasslands, which is also cultivated for its female pine cone-shaped inflorescences. It is a dioecious plant, i.e. it has separate male and female flowers, which occur on separate individuals. Male hops develop only stamens, which form large, spiky inflorescences. The male or female hop produces small cone-shaped inflorescences, which are first light green, then yellow, loose, soft and light. In these pollen grains, tiny yellow glands are formed, which form the so-called hop juice and contain a special substance, lupulin. It flowers in July and its cones ripen in September. The cones have a strong spicy, balsamic odour and a spicy-herbal taste. All this comes from lupulin. However, the cones are only valuable if they do not form seeds. Therefore, in order to prevent the female flowers from being fertilised by the wind, the wild male hop plant, which develops the fertilising pollen, is written from the plantation landscape.
Hops
Hop cones are an important material for brewing beer, but they are also used in medicine under the name glandulae lupuli, and hop flour is used in pharmacy under the name lupulin. Hop cones are also used in medicine, mainly for making baths, but more particularly hop flour, which is used in the form of powder and pilules, mainly for cystitis, spasm of the altesti, insomnia, nervous excitement, headache and poor digestion. It is also made into a wine extract. Wild hops are also used medicinally. 
The cones are harvested in early September. The cones must be carefully dried in a ventilated attic. Good hops are characterised by a light yellowish-green or golden-yellow colour, the leaves of the cones are delicate and thin-veined. They should have a pleasant, spicy smell. Old and badly dried hops are worthless because they have lost their flavour. The plant is dried in a covered, airy place on separate frames. It is not advisable to stack the hops thickly, as this requires a lot of turning, and the hops lose a lot of their flour content. The hop flour is obtained from the hop cones, the dry cones are tapped at the end and sieved, so that the hop flour falls out as a yellow powder. The dry hops are packed in bags. 
It is most often consumed in the form of alcohol (beer), but of course this is not the best way to enjoy its medicinal properties. It should be used in the form of capsules, creams, essential oils. Source: Béla Páter, The wild herbs