Hops is not just for sleep, it’s a great analgesic too.
Self-subscribing pharmaceutical drugs for pain management is the norm for most people these days, but are we actually healing ourselves?
If you suffer from a headache, migraine, backache or joint pain, medics regard this as “minor pain”. But this pain can be far from minor and extremely debilitating. Masking the pain for a few hours with Ibuprofen and Aspirin (NSAIDs Non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can make matters far worse.
In naturopathy, we believe there is an underlying problem and the pain is the alarm bell alerting us to address the root cause.
Often pain is connected to inflammation and tissue injury from toxicity. Therefore it makes sense to remove the toxin to begin healing. Toxins may be in the form of a food intolerance, house mould (aflatoxin), low grade viruses, parasites. All of which are trigger by stress which compromises the immune function.
Furthermore a diet high in processed and genetically modified food exacerbates symptoms and prevents communication between cells. This increases inflammatory pathways making pain more severe.
Naturopathically we remove the toxicity and address the cause of pain whilst at the same time symptomatically receiving the pain. For Example: pain in the lower abdomen caused by a parasite from uncooked food can be relieved naturally by a herbal mix of fennel, hops and chamomile. Within the same mix will also be goldenseal, clove and zinc which target and eliminate the underlying microbes that cause the pain.
Hops the natural at inflammatory
Hops are already known to be antibacterial and a natural preservative. When inflammation occurs within the body, COX enzymes must be inhibited to reduce that inflammation. Hops act in exactly the same way as Ibuprofen in doing this job but without any of the side effects. Unlike many other natural remedies, Hops work immediately, getting straight to the problem, and providing prompt pain relief whilst healing the root cause.
Pain is a very personal thing, depending on your threshold and for some, can lead to anxiety, insomnia and other sleep dis-orders, restlessness and loss of appetite. The Alpha acid extract from the Hop plant has also proved to be beneficial in curing these complaints. Further evidence suggests Hops are beneficial in an array of medical illnesses such as types of cancer, high cholesterol, TB, bladder infections, and intestinal disorders, to name but a few.
Just in case you thought this was a good excuse for a beer, unfortunately the process of brewing for medicinal purposes is very different. However, the next time you reach for a medicine for drinking too much beer, you might want to consider an alternative.
Check out the product https://www.nutrigold.co.uk/antioxidants/nurocyte.html for the latest developments in hops for pain relief.
