Hops is one of the few bitter herbs that we are familiar with in north american culture. All of the bitter herbs stimulate digestion, hence half a glass of bitter ale before dinner might be a good idea! Hops also has some sedative action, so is a nice bedtime tea, and a great addition to many of my dream pillows.
A “hop” is the green cone around the female flower of the hop plant.
Hops have been used for centuries to flavor beer, at least as far back as 10,000 years ago in Asia. The Sumerian goddess Ninkasi was the goddess of brewing and beer, and head brewer to the gods.
The Romans said that hops grew “wild among the willows, like wolves among sheep”, hence the name Lupulus.
There is also evidence that they have been used even longer to aid sleep and to reduce libido. This should not come as any surprise as hops are a distant relative of stinging nettles and cannabis. In fifteenth-century Germany, monks prescribed teas of hops to young males to help them remain chaste, which might work because the phytoestrogens in hops are almost bioidentical to human estrogen.
Hops promotes healthy relaxation and sleep.
Also popularly used in dream and sleep pillows.
1 oz dried buds
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