HOPS Overview Information
Hops is a plant. The dried, flowering part of the plant is used to make medicine.
Hops is used for anxiety, inability to sleep (insomnia) and other sleep disorders, restlessness, tension, excitability, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), nervousness, and irritability. It is also used to improve appetite, increase urine flow, start the flow of breast milk, as a bitter tonic, and for indigestion. Other uses include prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, high cholesterol, tuberculosis, bladder infections, intestinal cramps, an intestinal disorder called mucous colitis, nerve pain, and prolonged painful erection of the penis (priapism).
Hops is sometimes applied to the skin for leg ulcers and as an antibacterial agent.
In foods and beverages, the extracts and oil are used as flavor components. Hops are also used in brewing beer.
In manufacturing, the extract is used in skin creams and lotions.
How does it work?
The chemicals in hops seem to have weak estrogen effects.
HOPS Uses & Effectiveness 
Insufficient Evidence for:
- Anxiety.
- Inability to sleep (insomnia). Taking a combination product containing 41.9 mg of hops extract plus 187 mg of valerian extract per tablet, two tablets at bedtime, seems to help some people get to sleep faster. But it takes 28 days of treatment to see these benefits. Treatment for only 14 days doesn’t seem to improve insomnia.
- Tenseness.
- Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Improving appetite.
- Indigestion.
- Prostate cancer.
- Breast cancer.
- Ovarian cancer.
- High cholesterol.
- Intestinal cramps.
- Leg ulcers.
- Tuberculosis.
- Pain and swelling (inflammation) of the bladder.
- Nerve pain.
- Start the flow of breast milk.
- Other conditions.
HOPS Side Effects & Safety
Hops are considered LIKELY SAFE for most people.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of hops during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.Depression: Hops may make depression worse. Avoid use.
Surgery: Hops might cause too much sleepiness when combined with anesthesia and other medications during and after surgical procedures. Stop taking hops at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
HOPS Interactions
Moderate Interaction Be cautious with this combination
- Alcohol interacts with HOPS
Alcohol can cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Hops might also cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Taking large amounts of hops along with alcohol might cause too much sleepiness.
- Sedative medications (CNS depressants) interacts with HOPS
Hops might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness are called sedatives. Taking hops along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness.
Some sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), phenobarbital (Donnatal), zolpidem (Ambien), and others.
HOPS Dosing
The appropriate dose of hops depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for hops. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
