Hops are flowering vines grown in northern climates. They’ve been used for centuries to brew beer.
When used in the brewing process, hops (Humulus lupulus) give beer a bitter flavor. The more hops, the more bitter the beer (e.g., India Pale Ales [IPAs] are very hop-heavy, hence, super-bitter tasting).
Recently, research has stumbled on the antioxidant and cancer-fighting power of a polyphenolic compound found in the cone head of the hops flower…
It’s a micronutrient that’s been called the "master molecule" because it does so many beneficial things for the body…
And it’s said to be 200 times more powerful than resveratrol, the much-touted disease-fighting antioxidant found in grapes, wine and dark chocolate…
Read on to discover if this "amazing molecule" is all they say it is…
Continued below...
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Xanthohumol (pronounced "zan-though-hue-mall") is the remarkable compound that was discovered in the flower head of the hops plant. The substance is found in the resin inside the lupulin glands of the pinecone-looking flowers.
Xanthohumol is technically a prenylflavonoid, which is a sub-class of flavonoids found in the plant kingdom. Prenylflavonoids are considered to be adaptogens -- chemicals that help decrease cells’ sensitivity to stress and restore homeostasis – basically, the ability of our body systems to rebalance and correct themselves.
As a flavonoid antioxidant, xanthohumol helps the body to conserve and absorb other antioxidants, like vitamin C and vitamin E. This in turn keeps the mitochondria, the power source of cells, healthy and protects them from free radical damage.1
More than 203 published studies on this chemical show that it’s one of your body’s greatest allies in the fight against, to name just a few, free radical damage, inflammation, malaria, herpes, hepatitis, HIV, staph infection, liver fibrosis, stress and cancer.2
Xanthohumol has been proven effective against more than 60 kinds of cancer without having any harmful effect whatsoever on healthy cells and tissues.
The hops extract fights cancer in a variety of ways:
✔ It deactivates carcinogens in the body by interfering with the enzymes that trigger cancer development.
✔ It interferes with the enzymes that trigger metastasis (spreading of cancer and tumors).
✔ It has anti-angiogenesis properties, which means it prevents the formation of a tumor’s blood vessel network.
✔ It induces apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells without interfering with healthy cells or tissue.3
Below are a few highlights from all the research investigating the cancer-killing properties of xanthohumol.
Xanthohumol protects against prostate cancer
A study published in the February 2007 issue of the journal Cancer Letters reviewed the anti-tumor properties of xanthohumol on both malignant prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia (enlarged prostate).
The researchers found that xanthohumol activated proteins that promote natural cell death and decreased expression of NF-kB, the protein responsible for signaling cancer cells to grow. This activity shows xanthohumol can stop the spread of prostate cancer cells and can help keep the prostate healthy.4
A study published in Phytotherapy Research found xanthohumol causes prostate cancer cell death through autophagy – a word meaning “self-eating.” In other words, the hops chemical starved out the cancer cells until they essentially ate themselves.5
Xanthohumol interrupts
cancer cell signaling pathways
In looking for ways to prevent and treat cancer, researchers have been studying the NOTCH1 cell signaling pathway. The NOTCH1 signaling system is active in ovarian cancer as well as Kaposi’s sarcoma, a condition involving tumors of the lymph nodes and/or skin.
Researchers tested the effects of xanthohumol on the NOTCH1 pathway of ovarian cancer cells to discover if it would be a viable cancer prevention agent.
They found that xanthohumol significantly inhibited the growth of cancer cells by downregulating the NOTCH1 pathway. It reduced the signaling capacity of the cancer cells, which induced cell cycle arrest and caused apoptosis in the cancer cells.6
This is promising research that could have an impact on all cancers with active NOTCH1 cell signaling pathways.
Xanthohumol is effective against leukemia
Leukemia is a malignant cancer that affects bone marrow and blood-forming organs. It can cause many complications and secondary conditions, and can be difficult to treat.
Leukemia depends on blood vessels to supply nutrients, and will manipulate chemical signals involving endothelial cells, which line the inside wall of blood vessels, to create new blood vessels.
It’s leukemia’s version of a superhighway of nutrients straight to the cancer cells. This is where xanthohumol’s ability to prevent cancer-supporting blood vessels proves important.
A study published in the journal Cancer found that xanthohumol targeted both tumor cells and endothelial cells to decrease tumor and blood vessel formation. This helped to control the unchecked aggression of the leukemia, making xanthohumol a promising treatment option.7
In addition to stopping the creation of new blood vessels, xanthohumol can influence the cell signaling pathways in leukemia as well.
Research shows the hops extract inhibits tumor growth by interrupting the cancer cells’ communication at the mRNA level (messenger RNA, involved in gene expression).
The study also found that xanthohumol inhibits leukemia cell invasion and adhesion to endothelial cells, which can "potentially prevent the life-threatening complications of leukostasis." Leukostasis is when a person has an excess of white blood cells that can clump together, blocking blood flow to the heart, lungs and other vital organs.8
Is drinking beer the best way to
get this master molecule?
Sorry, beer lovers, the answer is no. By the time the raw hops flowers have been mashed, boiled, fermented and strained into beer, only a piddling amount of xanthohumol is left. You’d have to drink 300 beers at a time to get the benefits, and that’s not something I would recommend!
The best way to benefit from this powerful micronutrient is by taking 5mg daily of concentrated liquid xanthohumol. Liquid is best, as the body does not readily absorb powdered or tablet forms.
When taken in healthy doses, xanthohumol is completely nontoxic.
There are actually a variety of patented or patent-pending xanthohumol supplements available, so shop around for the best products. Check the label to be sure you get a product that’s free from preservatives, alcohol and additives.
Xanthohumol appears to have a wide variety of health benefits. And with little to no risk of toxicity, it appears that adding this supplement into your daily regimen is a great way to lower your risk of developing all kinds of cancer.
Besides the beer in your fridge, there are other items in your kitchen with powerful cancer-fighting properties: spices. In our last issue we ran down the best ones. If you missed the article, you can read it now just below. . .
Best regards,
Lee Euler,
Publisher
