Up until now, I've only known hops to give pure enjoyment in the aroma, flavor, and bitterness it lends to beer and to help when you are having trouble sleeping. Now pharamcutical companies are looking to hops to help with joint pain and other inflammatory related health problems.
Metagenics has announced that it has been awarded new patents related to Luduxin and Tetrase which provide anti-inflammatory properties good for joint health. Metagenics says that it has linked these two-hop derived ingredients to help against inflammation in a number of health conditions such as osteoarthritis, autoimmune disease, low bone mineral density and metabolic syndrome. The antioxidant properties of hops also help regulate substances such as eicosanoids, cytokines, and damaging free radicals that can negatively effect health. The company also says that by comprising reduced iso-alpha acid derivatives, Luduxin and Tetrase offer effective anti-inflammatory support with high degrees of predicted safety. Metagenics is also continuing to look for additional applications for this new technology.
Metagenics is not the first to develop extracts and derivatives from hops to use as an anti-inflammatory supplement. Pharmachem and John I Haas (JIH) have collaborated on the introduction of a standardized extract of hops - Perluxan - to help relieve pain caused by inflammation.
Considering all the snowboarding I do and the injuries I have sustained to my ankles and knees, maybe someday I will be ingesting hops in pill form as well as liquid form. More hops can't be a bad thing.
