Hops

Hops () contains bitter acids, flavonoids, phytoestrogens (e.g., 8-prenylnaringenin), and essential oil. Hops is a purported galactogogue.[1] Some animal evidence indicates that a polysaccharide in hops can increase serum prolactin.[2] However, a small study in humans found that a hops soup appeared to lower serum prolactin levels.[3] Galactogogues should never replace evaluation and counseling on modifiable factors that affect milk production.[4,5] No data exist on the excretion of any components of hops into breastmilk or on the safety and efficacy of hops in nursing mothers or infants. Hops is "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) as a food by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Hops can cause sedation and should be avoided while taking other sedating drugs and in patients with depression. Allergy to hops occurs rarely. Some sources recommend avoiding hops during breastfeeding because of its phytoestrogen content. Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products. More detailed information about dietary supplements is available elsewhere on the LactMed Web site.