
Their flowers are used in brewing, but they have been used as a garland or in floral arrangements for centuries in Europe. In addition to medicinal and cosmetic purposes, hops are decorative. Other benefits of hop tea as medicine include the fact that they are high in antioxidants, they are phytoestrogenic, antiviral and antimicrobial, anti-carcinogenic, and may help in the treatment of diabetes symptoms. They are also used in cosmetics, such as natural soaps and deodorants. You can even purchase pillows which are stuffed with hop cones, which is said to help aid with insomnia. They can be taken orally for these purposes, but they can also be infused in teas. Because of their anti-inflammatory and sedative properties, hops were used in medicine for a very long time. By the late 16th century, all of Europe favored the hop over other bittering alternatives.ĭue to the popularity of brewing your own beer, hops are no longer used for a lot of the things they once were.


Gruit imparted bitterness and flavor to the beer much in the way hops do now, but without the preservative qualities of hops. Originally, beer was brewed with a blend of herbs called gruit.
