Hops Offers Hope for Weight Loss
Hops is best known as an ingredient in beer. Less known is that it is a valuable medicinal herb. New research is adding weight loss to its list of uses.
Hops is accumulating a long list of uses, including menopause, osteoporosis, insomnia, depression, anxiety and stress and even COVID. New research is adding weight loss to that list.
A small 2022 double-blind study of men of healthy weight discovered that 500mg of hops extract a day reduced the amount of food they ate by a significant 17%. It seemed to work by increasing appetite-suppressing hormones (Am J Clin Nutr. March 2022;115(3):925-40).
A new study examined the idea that hops could help weight loss efforts by triggering the release of appetite-suppressing hormones.
GLP-1 is a hormone made in your small intestine that has many functions, including regulating glucose, but also increasing how full you feel when you eat. GLP-1 agonist drugs mimic this hormone by attaching to cell receptors and causing the same actions as the naturally occurring hormone. GLP drugs can cause several side effects. They may also cause significant loss of muscle mass and gaining weight again after you stop taking them.
Hops has been shown to help weight loss and regulate levels of GLP-1. So, this new double-blind study tested the ability of a hops extract to help weight loss when added to exercise and dietary changes.
The study included 128 overweight adults. Half were given a placebo, and half were given hops extract up to 500mg a day for 24 weeks.
The people in the hops group lost significantly more weight. There was also significantly better reduction in body fat and visceral fat. People on hops significantly decreased their calorie intake compared to people on placebo.
Hops led to significantly greater appetite suppression, including less craving for fatty, salty and savory foods.
Interestingly, with GLP-1 agonist drugs in mind, muscle mass increased in the hops group while slightly decreasing in the placebo group, though the difference did not reach statistical significance.
Evidence continues to build that hops can help with weight loss by decreasing hunger and food cravings.
Obes Pillars. July 2026;19:100299.
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For much more on hops, see our book Healthy Herbs: Your Everyday Guide to Medicinal Herbs and Their Use.
For comprehensive natural help with your health, including attaining and maintaining a healthy weight, make an appointment to see Linda Woolven now. Linda’s clinic is now open for in person and virtual appointments.
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