Hops

HOPS | LUPULO DE SEEN

Hops are those papery green cones that give your IPA its bite. But long before they were cool in craft breweries, they were ancient medicine, monastic remedy, and wild vine of dreamers and healers. Hops aren’t just a flavoring agent- they’re a calming, cleansing, and hormonally intelligent plant that’s been climbing its way through human history for over a thousand years.

Hops (Humulus lupulus) are native to Europe, western Asia, and North America, growing like wild green fire up trees and trellises, with their telltale spiral vines and resinous yellow lupulin glands tucked inside their cones. In early folk medicine, especially among the Germanic and Slavic peoples, hops were used to calm the nerves, ease digestion, and induce restful sleep. Stuffed into pillows and sachets, they helped restless sleepers drift off into dreams. Think of hops as one of the original herbal sleep aids- before melatonin, there were hop pillows.

But hops didn’t get famous in a tea bag. Their big break came in the 9th to 12th centuries, when Benedictine monks in central Europe started experimenting with adding hops to beer- not for flavor, but for preservation. Before that, brewers used a mix of herbs and spices called gruit, but hops had antimicrobial properties that kept beer fresher, longer. Monasteries - the ancient laboratories of fermentation and prayer - recognized the power of hops, and beer as we know it began to take form.

By the 1500s, hops in beer had replaced herbal ale across much of Europe. But while the brewing industry grew, the herbalists never forgot. In traditional European and Indigenous American medicine, hops were used to stimulate appetite, ease menstrual discomfort, and cool internal heat- especially heat tied to inflammation, restlessness, or excess tension. In Mexican folk medicine, lúpulo has long been used in tés de nervios, herbal blends to calm anxiety, relieve headaches, and soothe emotional upset.

Medicinally, hops contain phytoestrogens, bitter resins, and volatile oils like humulene and lupulin, which give them their anti-inflammatory, sedative, and mildly estrogenic properties. They’re commonly used in formulas for insomnia, hot flashes, restless legs, nervous tension, and digestive sluggishness. They also play well with other herbs - like valerian, passionflower, or skullcap - in deep relaxation blends.

Energetically, hops are about letting go. They cool what's hot, calm what's restless, and bring the body down to earth after a day of spinning thoughts and clenched jaws. They say, You’ve done enough. Sit down. Rest now. In herbal energetics, they’re considered cooling, drying, and a little moody- which makes sense. They're not for everyone, but when they’re the right fit, they work like a spell.

Medicinal Benefits of Hops (Lúpulo)

• Promotes Sleep & Eases Insomnia
  Hops are best known for their natural sedative properties. Often used in sleep teas and tinctures, they help calm the nervous system and promote deep, restful sleep—especially when combined with valerian or passionflower.

• Reduces Anxiety and Nervous Tension
  Acts as a mild nervine, helping soothe the body during stress, anxiety, irritability, or emotional overwhelm. Excellent for people who carry tension in the chest, jaw, or gut.

• Balances Hormones (Especially in Women)
  Contains phytoestrogens that can support menopausal symptoms, especially hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings related to low estrogen levels.

• Eases Digestive Issues
  As a bitter herb, hops stimulate digestive secretions and can relieve indigestion, gas, bloating, and sluggish digestion. Often taken before meals to “wake up” the digestive fire.

• Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant
  Hops contain compounds like xanthohumol and humulene, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidanteffects, making them useful in addressing inflammatory pain and supporting cellular health.

• Mild Pain Relief
  Used topically or internally, hops may help relieve headaches, nerve pain, or cramps, particularly when associated with tension or hormonal imbalance.

• Appetite Stimulant
  Traditionally used to increase appetite, especially helpful in cases of convalescence or recovery after illness when the body needs nourishment.

• Urinary Tract Support
  Acts as a mild diuretic, supporting fluid balance and urinary tract function.