Humulus lupulus L., flos (hop strobile) · herb
Evidence tier: traditional
A classic sleep herb, especially good with valerian. Also useful for perimenopause due to mild phytoestrogen activity.
Hypothesis, not established. Humulone appears to positively modulate GABA-A receptors at low micromolar concentrations, and a melatonin receptor route is suggested by luzindole antagonism in mice (PMID 17430638). Both are in vitro and murine. Neither has been confirmed in humans, and both EMA and LiverTox treat the sedative mechanism as unconfirmed.
Traditional use only, and the reason is unusually clean. EMA's HMPC grants hops a traditional use monograph (EMEA/HMPC/513617/2006) for relief of mild symptoms of mental stress and to aid sleep. The monograph is laid out in two columns, well established use and traditional use, and the well established use column is empty in every single section. The public summary (EMA/304459/2016) states the conclusion is based on traditional use because there is insufficient evidence from clinical trials. The single most important fact about hops is what EMA did next: it looked at the clinical sleep studies and refused to credit them to hops, because every one of them tested hops combined with valerian root, so firm conclusions on the effects of hop strobile could not be drawn. Memorial Sloan Kettering says the same independently: preliminary data suggest hops extract in combination with valerian may improve sleep in mild insomnia. There is therefore no credible hops monotherapy sleep evidence at all. No systematic review or meta analysis of hops alone for sleep exists to cite, and any grade above traditional would mean quietly crediting valerian's trials to hops. EMA maintains a separate combination monograph for valerian root plus hop strobile, which is where that evidence actually lives. Score 2 rather than higher: outside of long standing use and a laboratory mechanism, human evidence for hops alone is essentially absent.
EMA traditional use posology, adults and adolescents over 12: 0.5 to 1.0 g comminuted dried inflorescences; 0.5 to 2.0 g as infusion; 0.5 to 2.0 ml liquid extract (1:1, ethanol 45 percent); 2.0 to 4.0 ml tincture (1:5). To aid sleep, 1 to 2 single doses half an hour to one hour before bedtime. EMA sets a stop rule at 2 weeks, not an onset.
0.5 to 1 g dried hops as tea 30 min before bed, or 100 to 250 mg extract. Often combined with valerian.
May worsen depression in susceptible individuals. Avoid in oestrogen sensitive conditions.
Pregnancy: avoid
Breastfeeding: avoid
Active compounds: alpha acids (humulone), beta acids (lupulone), xanthohumol, isoxanthohumol, 8-prenylnaringenin
Remedies using Hops · Browse by body system · Check it against what you take
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.