Abstract
Humulus lupus (hops) is a climbing perennial vine that vigorously grows 20-35 feet each year. Humulus lupus is a member of the hemp family, which has grown wild since ancient times in Europe, Asia, and North America. The female flowers mature in late summer and are used to add bitterness, flavor, and aroma to beer. In ancient times the young shoots were eaten as a vegetable and the dried flowers were used for their slight narcotic effect and sedative action in the treatment of mania, toothache, earache, and neuralgia.1 Modern herbal medicine practitioners continue to use hops as a sedative and mild hypnotic, as well as for its endocrine, free radical scavenging, and antitumor properties.