Hops - Homulus Lupulus L.

Hops (Homulus Lupulus L. plants, available all over the world, Hops are actually are the female flowers of these plants. Homulus lupulus L. is the actual name of the complete plant. The variety grows with the help of other plants, it can be used for climbing since it has very strong stem.

Homulus Lupulus L. has both male and female flowers growing on it. However, it is the female flower Hops, which is more useful medicinally. The two medically useful ingredients contained in Hops are the humuline and lupuline. The chemicals like methylbutenol present in the dried Hops work like mild sedatives, this has the capacity for complete relaxation of the central nervous system. Hops are also used for insomnia treatment, having Hops tea before bedtime, might help sleep to quite some extent.

Since the chemical methybutenol helps as mild sedative, it can also be used to relieve stress, anxiety, etc. There is another medicinal usage for Hops, Hops is antibacterial, if taken as a tea or beer, the antibacterial qualities help produce gastric juice production.
In case of insomnia, consuming beer also might have the same effect as drinking Hops tea.

The female flowers Hops are used in brewing and storing of beer, Hops contain both types of acids, the alpha acids and the beta acids. Alpha acids help in formation of yeast, which is beneficial for making beer. The bitterness of the beer depends on whether these Hops are used dry into the beer or after boiling.

Generally, Hops with higher degree of aroma and less amounts of beta acids are used in beer, such Hops give good aroma with less bitter taste. Hops have oil called Humulene, which decides the beer taste.

Though humans do not have much of a history of consuming Hops only through beer or as tea, several animals that eat greens only eat Hops as their regular diet. Now Humulus Lupulus is being cultivated all over the world, however the quality depends only on the ones which are rich in Humulene and low in both types of acids the alpha acids and beta acids. Only the best ones are being used in beer, people are discovering Hops as a delicacy and are introducing it in their diet, as a boiled salad.

Hops was used earlier to be eaten by very poor, Hops have existed on this year for several centuries, where the first record of Hops was in the year 736, in Germany. Today Germany produces almost 25% of total Hops production.

Submitted on January 16, 2014