Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Of the 200 study participants, those who ingested 35 mg of matured hop extract had a significant reduction in areas of visceral and total fat following 8 and 12 weeks of ingestion. 

obesityOverweight and obesity are a major public health crisis that, according to some estimates, costs our healthcare system $113.9 billion per year 1. There are many recommendations for preventing overweight and obesity, including increasing physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption, and decreasing sugar intake 2. A little known possibility is the iso-alpha acids present in a type of hops found in beer. During the brewing process, α-acids in hops are converted to iso-alpha acids by isomerization 3 and reportedly may have many health benefits” 4-6.

In a 2016 study 7, researchers investigated the effects and safety of 12-week ingestion of matured hop extract (MHE) on body fat reduction in participating healthy subjects. The study involved 178 subjects (90 males, 88 females) between the ages of 42 and 46 with a body mass index of > 25 kg/m2 received 350 milliliters of a beverage containing either matured hop extract (containing 35 milligrams of bitter acids) or a placebo per day for 12 weeks.

Before and after the study, CT scans were conducted on each subject to measure abdominal fat area. Dietary intake was tracked in each subject, who were instructed not to change their diet in any way. Their activity was monitored with a pedometer but they were also asked not to change their exercise habits in any way.

The following results were then noted between the two groups. This chart reflects the change in secondary endpoints since 0 week:

Bitter HopPlacebop-value
Weight
(kilograms)
0.7% decrease
(74.65 to 74.18)
0.1% decrease
(74.42 to 74.40)
< 0.01
Body mass index0.7% decrease
(27.57 to 27.40)
0.1% decrease
(27.54 to 27.53)
< 0.01
Body fat %0.4% decrease
(32.12 to 32.02)
7.4% increase
(32.15 to 34.55)
< 0.01
Waist circumference
(cm)
1.1% decrease
(94.15 to 93.18)
0.7% decrease
(93.19 to 92.61)
< 0.01
Visceral fat
(cm2)
9 cm2 decrease*4 cm2 decrease*< 0.01
Total fat (cm)18 cm2 decrease*8 cm2 decrease*< 0.01

After 12 weeks, those consuming the matured hop bitter acids significantly decreased their calorie intake (4.6% decrease – 1810.1 to 1728.5, p < 0.05) while the placebo group had no significant change (p > 0.05). Pedometer totals did not differ significantly in the two groups before and after the study.

When suggesting a mechanism by which the bitter hop acids may promote these healthful effects, the researchers suggested that “bitter taste receptors are present not only in taste buds on the tongue but also in the digestive tract…causing a release of hormones or neurotransmitters that may play a role in metabolism and blood sugar control” 8. For the researches, “matured hop extract could be a useful and safe tool to prevent obesity and related metabolic disorders.”

Source: Morimoto-Kobayashi, Yumie, et al. “Matured hop extract reduces body fat in healthy overweight humans: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel group study.” Nutrition journal 15.1 (2016): 25.

© 2016 Morimoto-Kobayashi et al Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted May 2, 2017.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

  1. Tsai AG, Williamson DF, Glick HA. Direct medical cost of overweight and obesity in the USA: a quantitative systematic review. Obesity Reviews. 2011;12(1):50-61.
  2. CDC. Losing Weight. 2015; Overview of what a healthy weight loss is and its benefits Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html. Accessed April 25, 2015, 2017.
  3. Steenackers B, De Cooman L, De Vos D. Chemical transformations of characteristic hop secondary metabolites in relation to beer properties and the brewing process: a review. Food chemistry. 2015;172:742-756.
  4. Yajima H, Ikeshima E, Shiraki M, et al. Isohumulones, bitter acids derived from hops, activate both peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and γ and reduce insulin resistance. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2004;279(32):33456-33462.
  5. Nozawa H, Nakao W, Zhao F, Kondo K. Dietary supplement of isohumulones inhibits the formation of aberrant crypt foci with a concomitant decrease in prostaglandin E2 level in rat colon. Molecular nutrition & food research. 2005;49(8):772-778.
  6. Miura Y, Hosono M, Oyamada C, Odai H, Oikawa S, Kondo K. Dietary isohumulones, the bitter components of beer, raise plasma HDL-cholesterol levels and reduce liver cholesterol and triacylglycerol contents similar to PPARα activations in C57BL/6 mice. British Journal of Nutrition. 2005;93(04):559-567.
  7. Morimoto-Kobayashi Y, Ohara K, Ashigai H, et al. Matured hop extract reduces body fat in healthy overweight humans: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel group study. Nutrition journal. 2016;15(1):1.
  8. Janssen S, Depoortere I. Nutrient sensing in the gut: new roads to therapeutics? Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2013;24(2):92-100.