Hops For Hot Flashes
Flowers from hops plants give beer its bitter flavor, and because they also contain phytoestrogens, supplements made from hops (Humulus lupulus) can relieve hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and other menopausal symptoms. New research from Oregon State University found that these supplements are unlikely to cause harmful interactions with prescription drugs women may be taking. Possible interactions between hops and drugs were a worry because many of the compounds in hops have a relatively long half-life and remain detectable in the blood stream for more than 20 hours after the supplements are taken. The investigators tested four other drugs taken concomitantly with hops: caffeine, the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, an over-the-counter cough medicine and tolbutamide, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. The study showed that dietary supplements derived from hops did not have clinically significant interactions with any of these drugs.
Source:
Richard van Breemen et al, “Pharmacokinetic Interactions of a Hop Dietary Supplement with Drug Metabolism in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, April 14, 2020
