5 Ways Hops Replenishes You

Do you ever feel tired, drained, or even that you simply have no more to give? Hops has a way of cheering your soul. It has been used for centuries by men and women alike to replenish their bodies and spirits. The medicinal properties released when brewed, provide great benefits to rebuild your body, mind and spirit. Science shows us there are five specific ways that hops helps with sleep, pain, blood sugar, fat burning, and nursing mothers.

The first way that hops can help you replenish, is by relaxing the mind, so that your body can rest. If you struggle with sleeping, try adding a blend of hops and valerian tea as a part of your evening unwinding routine. In a clinical trial, hops combined with valerian herb was shown to be as effective as the drug benzodiazepine in assisting as a sleep aid.[1] In addition, a blend of hops and valerian was shown to reduce and even stop the stimulating affects of caffeine.[2] Slowing down and resting is an essential part of rebuilding ourselves.

The second way that hops helps restore your spirit, is by reducing discomfort in the body. Hops has been shown as effective as 400 mg of ibuprofen for inflammation and pain - however the hops provides benefits for much longer (about nine hours) without the side affects.[3] Take a break and sip a cup or two of hops tea during the day. Give your spirit time to rebuild, and your body time to repair.

The third way hops can benefit your spirit is by stabilizing your blood sugar. This beautiful green herb contains bitter acids called isohumulones that actually improves how the body breaks down fats and processes carbohydrates. When brewed into tea or beer, these bitter acids are released. Isohumulones have been shown to significantly improve glucose tolerance and reduce insulin resistance.[4] The tea would obviously seem a better choice for those with any type of blood sugar concerns. In addition, emotional swings are often connected to swings in blood sugar. By helping stabilize blood sugar, you may also find that your emotions become more steady, and a smile becomes more natural.

Would reducing the excess fat on your body give you more energy? Then you have discovered the fourth way that hops can boost your spirit. The isohumulones from hops appear to support the liver and also help the body more effectively break down fats. These bitter acids were shown to decrease the size and quantity of overly large fat cells.[5] If you drink more hops tea, you support yourself to become healthier, stronger, and reduce the burden on your body, thereby feeling replenished and increasing your energy available.

Of all the ways that hops supports us, this fifth way is most commonly known. Hops is respected for its ability to help new mothers relax and produce milk Today, it is most common for mothers to brew tea from the hops, but years ago they drank fermented beer to assist a new mother’s milk to let down. Beer today is filtered and therefore not as bioactive as it was in years past. The hops helps to relax the mother and the nursing infant, as well as feeding nutrients to the mother’s mammary system. Drinking hops tea might also help to prevent colic or tense crying in young babies who are nursing.

Enjoy some hops today. Take a few minutes to unwind while this delicious aromatic plant feeds your body and soul. With all its delightful properties, no wonder people for generations have counted on this beautiful, golden green herb to help them feel replenished.

Bedtime Tea Recipe
8 oz of water
1 tea bag Hops tea*
1 tea bag of Valerian-Mint tea*
1 teaspoon of honey
Squeeze of lemon

Boil water, add the tea bags, cover pot and take off of heat. Allow to steep for few minutes, then pour into your favorite cup. Add honey and lemon, put your jammies on and relax.

_{Recipe by Lydia Marshall.
*Herbal teas can be found in most natural food stores across the country.}

________ 

_{¹Schmitz M, Jackel M. Institut fur Psychosomatik, Wien. “Comparative study for assessing quality of life of patients with exogenous sleep disorders (temporary sleep onset and sleep interruption disorders) treated with a hops-valarian preparation and a benzodiazepine drug” Wien Med Wochenschr. 1998;148(13):291-8.}

_{² “The Fixed Combination of Valerian and Hops (Ze91019) acts via a Central Adenosine Mechanism.” Institut fur Ganzheitliche Medizin und Wissenschaft, Huttenberg, Germany. Planta Med. 2004 Jul;70(7):594-7.}

_{³“In vitro and ex vivo cyclooxygenase inhibition by a hops extract” Lemay M, et al. Access Business Group LLC, California, USA. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2004;13 (Suppl):S110. Retrieved March 29, 2010, from http://www.raysahelian.com/hops.html}

_{⁴“Isohumulones, bitter acids derived from hops, activate both peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha and gamma and reduce insulin resistance.” Yajima H,. Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd, Yokohama, Yokohama 236-0004. J Biol Chem. 2004 Jun 3}

_⁵Ibid.