Hop cones - medicinal properties and contraindications

Speaking of hops, many people, first of all, remember the unbridled fun or alcohol intoxication. Of course, there is a connection in this - high-quality beer is made from hops. But first of all, hops are a plant that fascinates with its curly look. Hops are most often planted for decorative purposes - the plant gently envelops verandas, terraces and arbors, creating incredibly beautiful images of landscape design. Hop cones are small fruits that are also used for decorative purposes - they complement the images in ikebans, are stored for a long time and are not strewed even when dried. But few people know the true value of hop cones. Of these, tinctures, decoctions, ointments and extracts are prepared, which are actively used in folk medicine. Today we’ll talk about hop cones - how they affect the body, and how to prepare a medicine from them.

The healing properties of hop cones for the human body

The composition of the fruit (cones) of hops is very diverse. In cones there is a lot of zinc, aluminum, iodine, calcium, potassium, tannins, resin, wax, tannin, boron, copper, choline. They contain B vitamins, vitamin C and PP. The specific intoxicating smell of cones is due to the large amount of bitter essential oils. Also cones contain flavonoids, volatile, manganese and valerianic acid. Such a rich composition allows the use of hop cones in many branches of medicine. Moreover, fresh cone extract is used in many medications, with various pharmacological groups. So, how do hop cones affect the body?

1. Nervous system. Hop cones are added to such well-known drugs as Novo-Passit and Valocordin. The thing is that the cones contain B vitamins, which perfectly act on the nervous system - strengthen it, restore the integrity of the sheath of nerve fibers. Using hop cones will help you remove causeless anxiety, relieve panic attacks, and improve sleep. You can get rid of insomnia, depression, stress. To calm down, you need to drink a little tea before going to bed on hop cones - just a teaspoon of crushed raw materials per glass of boiling water. A bath with a decoction of hop cones helps a lot - such aromatherapy will help you regain strength after a hard working day and relax before going to bed. Place the hop cones in the pillow - the smell will accompany you all night, this will allow the baby to sleep.
2. Women Health. Fresh hop cones contain a substance that is similar to the female sex hormone estrogen. Therefore, women need to drink tea brewed on the basis of green, not dried cones. This helps during menstruation to get rid of pain and discomfort. But cones during menopause are especially useful. When a woman's body ages, it is the lack of estrogen that causes the onset of menopause and all the associated symptoms. If you consume medicine from cones during this period, you can transfer it much easier - get rid of headaches, flushing, sweating, etc. By the way, an increase in the amount of estrogen in the body leads to such a pleasant side effect - for many, breast enlargement due to hormonal changes. Therefore, hop cones can fix this “small” cosmetic problem. To do this, you need to drink cones in a course - a month or two. To do this, prepare a tincture of fresh cones on alcohol and drink it 20 drops in the morning and evening.
3. Ointment for bruises and sprains. Hop cones warm well, have anti-inflammatory and healing effects. It is not difficult to prepare the ointment - you need to mix the dried and crushed cones with butter and let it brew in the refrigerator for several days. Then you need to rub the composition with massage movements for 10 minutes, wrap it with a film and insulate, leave until morning. Such treatment is effective for rheumatism, bruises, sprains, painful joints. It also helps to soothe bone pain after fractures, if the limbs hurt when the weather changes. If you take a bath with a decoction of cones, this will help get rid of rheumatism and the effects of paralysis.
4. Outdoor use. Hop cones have bactericidal anti-inflammatory properties. This allows the use of ointment, lotions and grinding in the fight against various skin diseases. Dampen a clean cloth in a cold broth of hop cones and put it on the back of a patient with a sunburn - this will help relieve irritation, redness, burning and itching, gently cool and soothe the skin. Such a solution is also effective for frostbite - it enhances blood circulation in the tissues, bringing them back to life. An ointment based on hop cones and butter helps with eczema, purulent wounds and cuts, inflammation, boils. Tincture of hop cones relieves itching and redness. If you rub with tincture or decoction of the foot with a fungal infection, you can rid the skin of the unpleasant symptoms of the fungus.
5. Urinary system. On the basis of hop cones, the excellent preparation Urolesan was prepared, intended for the treatment of kidneys and urinary tract. Hop cones can be used as a decoction. This will help get rid of hepatic colic, biliary dyskinesia, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis. The drug helps to remove kidney stones. Hop cones help cope with bladder inflammation. Drink the broth three times a day, and there will not be a trace of cystitis symptoms in a week.
6. Liver. Hop fruits have a great effect on the liver, helping it recover from serious disorders. Hop cones contribute to liver detoxification after hepatitis, alcohol intoxication, treatment with serious medications.

In addition, medicines based on hop cones are useful for hyperacid gastritis and pancreatitis. The broth relieves swelling of various origins and relieves headaches. Hop cones are not only good for health - they are incredibly valuable for the beauty of skin and hair.

Cosmetic use of hop cones

Everyone knows natural hair masks based on live beer. So, hop masks have a similar composition and act in much the same way. Most often, hops are used in the fight against hair loss and early baldness. Prepare a decoction based on hop cones, calamus and burdock root. Mix the crushed and dried ingredients in equal proportions, pour boiling water and let it brew. To rinse with such a composition after each shampooing, rinse the strands with water after rinsing is not necessary - just pat dry with a towel. Hop cones nourish the scalp and hair follicles, strengthen them in their holes, and prevent hair loss. In addition, it helps to cope with dandruff and seborrhea.

Hop cones are also good for facial skin. The anti-inflammatory effect of a decoction or tincture helps to cope with acne, acne, skin inflammation. In general, hop cones have an excellent effect on the condition of the skin - it becomes more elastic, toned, supple, acquires a healthy and natural color. To get such a result, you just need to moisten a cloth for the face in the decoction, leave it on the skin for a while. If you take the habit of doing such a procedure daily, the condition of the face will improve markedly, the aging process slows down. This mask is very effective for oily skin.Hop cones normalize the sebaceous glands, the skin gradually becomes dull, an unpleasant oily sheen disappears.

How to use hop cones

In most cases, during the treatment they use a decoction or tincture based on hop cones. Preparing a decoction is not difficult, but you need to know a few nuances. To prepare a liter of broth, you need to take three tablespoons of crushed raw materials and pour boiling water. It is best to insist a decoction in a thermos for at least 6-8 hours, so that the cones give the liquid maximum of its useful properties. Then the broth should be filtered and drunk in small portions - no more than half a glass at a time. It is impossible to store a decoction of hop cones for more than a day - it will begin to deteriorate.

If the treatment is long, and you do not want to suffer every day with the preparation of fresh broth, it is better to use a tincture that is stored for much longer and is always at hand in a ready-made form. Tincture should be prepared only from fresh hop cones, dry in this case will not work. Fill a dark glass bottle with cones. If they do not fit in the neck, they can simply be chopped. We fill the container with raw materials up to the neck, and then fill it with alcohol or vodka. The bottle should be closed and left in a dark and cool place, it can be in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks. Periodically, the bottle should be shaken so that the tincture is more concentrated. You need to drink tincture of 20-30 drops, diluting it in water. But remember that alcohol-insisted hops can lead to a small dose of ppm in the body. If you drive, you should refuse such treatment.

Contraindications to the use of hop cones

Hop cones should not be consumed during pregnancy and lactation, especially if it is an alcohol tincture. Also, hops in any form cannot be used to treat children under three years of age. frequent and regular use of hops should be taken with caution to men - because this will increase the production of estrogen in the body, reduce the level of the hormone testosterone. This will lead to unpleasant consequences - effeminate breasts, a set of fat mass in the hips.

Remember, an allergic reaction or an overdose of a medicine based on hop cones can cause dizziness, nausea and vomiting, in some cases shortness of breath and heart pain. Therefore, you should start taking the medicine with small portions, carefully monitoring the reaction of the body. Hop cones are a powerful medicine that must be used correctly. Take bumps competently and monitor your health!

Video: useful properties and application of hop cones