What is Hops? While not a traditional vine, the hops plant is similar to a vine in that it is a climbing plant. The Hops plant can be found growing naturally in Europe, Asia, and various regions of North America. Hops are the cone-like, fruiting bodies of the plant and are most frequently harvested from cultivated female plants. Hops are also the main ingredient in beer and other beverages.
Benefits Other than being the main constituent in many beer products, hops also offer a variety of health benefits. It is believed that hops may be useful when used in connection with insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, and related conditions. It is still used for sedation, often in combination with other sleep-promoting herbals such as valerian.
In a few small laboratory studies, chemicals in hops have shown to have some anti-infective activity. Hops may also have anti-cancer properties. In several small studies of laboratory cultures or animals, hops prevented different cancer types from starting, growing, or spreading. Perhaps more significant, a chemical derived from hops has caused laboratory cultures of leukemia cells to disintegrate. Whether any of these effects may apply to humans has yet to be determined.
