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Dietary supplement

Hops Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by Nature's Sunshine

Capsule Category: Botanical
Most serious interaction: Moderate
The interaction bottom line Most serious interaction: Moderate

Hops is a dietary supplement by Nature's Sunshine with 1 active ingredient. Its ingredients are commonly taken for sleep problems and insomnia, anxiety and restlessness, menopausal symptoms.Based on those ingredients, 863 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are Hops. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Hops by Nature's Sunshine

Our pharmacy team’s full take, with four database checks built into the cards below — a summary of what is known, not a grade of the product itself.

From our pharmacy team — supplement deep dive

What’s inside

Full disclosure
Ingredient Transparency · database check
Full

Every active ingredient lists its own amount on the label.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 1 of its 1 active ingredient.
  • No proprietary blends here — you can verify the dose of every single component.

This product contains one active ingredient: hops, the flowering cone of the hop plant. Hops has a long history in herbal medicine, traditionally used for relaxation and sleep support.

The capsule itself is an inactive ingredient — it's just the delivery form.

Does it work?

Not established
Evidence for Intended Use · database check
By FDA rules, dietary supplements can’t claim to treat, cure, or prevent disease — so labels speak in careful marketing language. We discern each product’s intended use from its name, label claims, and label statements, then grade the clinical evidence for that use. How these ratings are computed
Not established

The graded evidence we hold for these ingredients covers different conditions than the ones this product is marketed for, so there's no established rating for its stated use — see Hops's own graded uses on its monograph.

Why this rating?
  • The label markets this product for: traditional aid for sleep and nervousness.
  • We looked for evidence on: Insomnia, Anxiety, Sleep quality, Restlessness, Nervousness.
  • The closest evidence on file: Hops is rated "Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate" for Anxiety (Natural Medicines).
  • Also on file: Hops is rated "Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate" for Insomnia.

The evidence we have doesn't yet establish whether hops works for any of its common uses. Our data rates the following as insufficient reliable evidence to draw a conclusion: age-related cognitive decline, sexual dysfunction, anxiety, ADHD, dyspepsia (indigestion), and insomnia.

That doesn't mean it doesn't work — it means the research so far isn't strong enough to say either way. If you're considering hops for one of these reasons, talk it over with your doctor or pharmacist about what the current science supports.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Hops

How safe is it?

Well-documented data
Safety Information · database check
Well characterized

Adverse-effect, pregnancy, and general safety data are on file for most of these ingredients.

Why this rating?
  • We hold adverse-effect (side-effect) data for 1 of the 1 matched ingredient.
  • Pregnancy & breastfeeding safety ratings cover 1 of 1.
  • General safety write-ups exist for 1 of 1.
  • Remember: this measures how much safety information exists. Thin data is not the same as being safe.

Hops is generally well tolerated in the short term, but drowsiness is possible. Long-term safety hasn't been well studied, so we don't have solid data on what happens if you take it regularly for months or years.

Occupational exposure to hops dust has been linked to chronic respiratory symptoms like dry cough and bronchitis, though that's mainly a concern for people working with large amounts of the plant dust. The safety data advises against hops during pregnancy.

For breastfeeding, there isn't enough information to know whether it's safe, so it's best avoided until you've talked with your doctor or pharmacist. A few cases of postmenopausal bleeding have been reported in people taking supplements that combined hops with soy, though it's unclear which ingredient — or the combination — caused it.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Hops

Meds to double-check

Moderate interaction found
Known Interaction Concern · database check
Moderate identified

The most serious documented interaction for these ingredients is Moderate. Check your medications for a personalized result.

Why this rating?
  • 1 of the 1 matched ingredient can interact with medications — Hops.
  • The most serious interaction on file is rated Moderate.
  • For scale: 864 individual medications appear in the full list. A big number alone doesn't make a product dangerous — what matters is whether YOUR medication is on it, so run yours through the interaction checker on this page.

Before taking hops, double-check with your doctor or pharmacist if you're on sedating drugs like sleeping pills or anti-anxiety medications — the risk of additive drowsiness is Moderate. Also mention estrogen-based medications, including hormone replacement therapy and birth control, since hops may interfere with how they work.

If you take drugs that depend on CYP1A2 or CYP3A4 liver enzymes to break down (including many heart and blood pressure medications, statins, and immunosuppressants), confirm it's okay to combine — the interaction is Minor but worth verifying with your provider.

Check your own medication Run your meds through the checker above

The bottom line

Scorecard at a glanceFully disclosed formula with no established evidence rating for its marketed use. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and safety information is well characterized.

Hops is traditionally used for relaxation and sleep, but current evidence doesn't yet confirm whether it works for those or other common uses. If you take sedating medications or hormone replacement therapy, you'll want to check with your doctor or pharmacist before adding hops — the interactions are moderate, and drowsiness is a real possibility.

Pregnant and breastfeeding individuals should avoid it. Run your full medication list through the interaction checker on this page.

Educational only — not medical advice; always confirm with your pharmacist. Our editorial policy · How we use AI

Assessment coverage: 1 of 1 active ingredient matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Oct 24, 2022.

This Scorecard evaluates available label information, ingredient evidence, and known medication-safety considerations. It does not independently verify product identity, purity, potency, contamination, or manufacturing quality. How these ratings are computed

At a glance

General information

Key facts about Hops, straight from the product label.

Brand Nature's Sunshine
Barcode (UPC) 099904003804
Net contents 100 Capsule(s)
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Oct 24, 2022
DSLD ID 278117
Product type Botanical
Supplement form Capsule
Dietary claims / uses All Other, Structure/Function
Intended target group(s) Adult (18 - 50 Years), Kosher
From the label
Everything in this section is reproduced from the manufacturer’s own product label — it’s the label speaking, not HelloPharmacist. We show it so you can see exactly what the maker states; we don’t verify or endorse those statements.

Supplement Facts

The label details for Hops by Nature's Sunshine, sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Supplement Facts

Daily Value (DV) Target Group(s):
Adults and children 4 or more years of age
Minimum serving Sizes:
2 Capsule(s)
Maximum serving Sizes:
2 Capsule(s)
Servings per container
50
UPC/BARCODE
099904003804
IngredientAmount% DV
Hops500 mg--

Other ingredients: Capsule

Tap any ingredient to jump to its full detail below.

Label statements
These statements are the manufacturer’s wording, reproduced from the product label — the label is saying it, not HelloPharmacist. We don’t verify or endorse them.
FDA Disclaimer Statement

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

General Statements

Bottle made from 100% post consumer recycled material. We are committed to you and our planet. Scan to learn more.

We source the world's purest ingredients, no matter where they are grown, to ensure the active nutrients are delivered just as nature intended.

New look! Same great product

Formulation

A traditional aid for sleep and nervousness.

Traditional sleep and calming aid Supports calm nerves

Guaranteed pure

Seals/Symbols

Ko Pareve (Kosher)

Formula

Ko Pareve (Kosher)

Precautions

Do not use if inner seal is missing or damaged.

FDA Statement of Identity

Dietary Supplement

Brand IP Statement(s)

Natures Sunshine Herbal experts since 1972

Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

Recommended Use: Take 2 capsules with a meal twice daily.

See for yourself

Hops by Nature's Sunshine label

The label scan from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Tap to enlarge.

What’s inside

The Ingredients in Hops by Nature's Sunshine

This is the 1 active ingredient this product is made of. Select it to open its full monograph.

Serving size2 Capsule(s) Dosage formCapsule Servings per container50 Amounts shown are per serving.

Hops

Interacts with
863 drugs
500 mg per serving

Hops are most often used for sleep and mild anxiety, frequently combined with valerian, but the human evidence is limited and not very strong. They ar...

Hops monograph & interactions

Other (inactive) ingredients: Capsule. These complete the product’s ingredient list but are not active constituents.

Interaction report

Hops by Nature's Sunshine Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against Hops?

Ask about interactions with your drugs in plain English — “Can I take it with lisinopril?” — and we find you the answer in seconds, ingredient by ingredient.

Go to the checker
863Drugs
289 Moderate 574 Minor

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Hops 863

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in Hops with known interactions, here are the types of medications it can affect. Open any type for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

Hops4 drug types · 863 drugs

Cns Depressants

Theoretically, concomitant use of hops with sedative drugs might cause additive sedation.
Some animal research shows that hops has sedative effects.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Estrogens

Theoretically, concomitant use of large amounts of hops might interfere with hormone replacement therapy due to competition for estrogen receptors.
In vitro research suggests that certain hops constituents can competitively bind to estrogen receptors. However, most hops extracts contain very small amounts of these constituents.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Cytochrome P450 1A2 (Cyp1A2) Substrates

Hops extract does not seem to affect the metabolism of CYP1A2 substrates.
In vitro research suggests that flavonoid constituents of hops inhibit CYP1A2 enzyme activity. However, a pharmacokinetic study in healthy postmenopausal patients shows that taking a standardized extract of spent hops containing prenylated phenols, as 59.5 mg twice daily for 2 weeks, does not affect levels of caffeine, a CYP1A2 probe substrate.

Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D
Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

Theoretically, hops extract might alter metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates; however, this effect may not be clinically significant.
Animal research suggests that specific constituents of hops, called lupulones, can induce hepatic CYP3A4 enzyme activity. However, a pharmacokinetic study in healthy postmenopausal patients with normal metabolism shows that taking a standardized extract of spent hops containing prenylated phenols, as 59.5 mg twice daily for 2 weeks, decreases the concentration of alprazolam, a CYP3A4 probe substrate, by 7.6%. This reduction is unlikely to be clinically relevant.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for Hops, from the product label.

Nature's Sunshine

See all Nature's Sunshine products
Name
Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc.
City
Spanish Fork
State
Utah
ZipCode
84660
Phone Number
1-800-223-8225
Web Address
www.naturessunshine.com
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Hops by Nature's Sunshine: Common Questions

Does Hops by Nature's Sunshine interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, Hops has a known interaction with 863 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
Hops contains a single active ingredient, and that one ingredient can interact with many different medications on its own. We check it against each medication and show the mechanism responsible.
Where does this information come from?
The product label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD); the interaction data is built on the Natural Medicines database and reviewed by HelloPharmacist pharmacists.
Will hops make me drowsy?
Drowsiness is a possible side effect, especially in the short term. Animal research shows hops has sedative properties, so if you're sensitive to relaxing herbs or are taking sleep aids or anti-anxiety medications, expect a stronger effect. Avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how it affects you.
Can I take hops if I'm on birth control or hormone replacement therapy?
That's something to check with your doctor or pharmacist first. Hops may interfere with estrogen-based medications, though the practical risk depends on the dose. Since most hops extracts contain only small amounts of the active compounds, your provider can help you decide whether it's safe for you specifically.
Is hops safe to take long-term?
We don't have solid data on long-term safety. It's generally well tolerated short-term, but if you're thinking about taking it regularly for months or years, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about monitoring and whether that makes sense for you.
Can I take hops during pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
No — the safety data advises against hops during pregnancy. For breastfeeding, there isn't enough information to say either way, so it's best avoided. If you're pregnant or nursing and interested in hops, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about safer options.
Does hops actually help with sleep or anxiety?
The evidence we have isn't strong enough yet to say for sure. Our data rates both insomnia and anxiety as having insufficient reliable evidence. That doesn't mean it won't help you — it means more research is needed. Your doctor or pharmacist can discuss what the current science supports and whether hops might fit into your care plan.
What's in this product besides the hops?
Just the capsule — which is an inactive ingredient used to hold the hops powder. There are no added fillers or excipients beyond that.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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Label information is sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database and reflects the product version on file; always read your actual product label. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Confirm with your pharmacist or doctor before combining supplements and medications.

Hops label
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Hops's label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; the ingredient interaction data is from the Natural Medicines database, reviewed by our pharmacists.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

The 15 references behind this product’s interaction data

Every citation that drives the interaction findings for this product’s ingredients, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Open an ingredient to browse its citations — links open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Hops 15 references
  1. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  3. Zava DT, Dollbaum CM, Blen M. Estrogen and progestin bioactivity of foods, herbs, and spices. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1998;217:369-78. PubMed
  4. Milligan SR, Kalita JC, Heyerick A, et al. Identification of a potent phytoestrogen in hops (Humulus lupulus L.) and beer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999;84:2249-52.. PubMed
  5. Milligan SR, Kalita JC, Pocock V, et al. The endocrine activities of 8-prenylnaringenin and related hop (Humulus lupulus L.) flavonoids. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2000;85:4912-5.. DOI
  6. Henderson MC, Miranda CL, Stevens JF, et al. In vitro inhibition of human P450 enzymes by prenylated flavonoids from hops, Humulus lupulus. Xenobiotica 2000;30:235-51.. PubMed
  7. Mannering, G. J., Shoeman, J. A., and Deloria, L. B. Identification of the antibiotic hops component, colupulone, as an inducer of hepatic cytochrome P-4503A in the mouse. Drug Metab Dispos 1992;20(2):142-147. DOI
  8. Skorska, C., Mackiewicz, B., Gora, A., Golec, M., and Dutkiewicz, J. Health effects of inhalation exposure to organic dust in hops farmers. Ann.Univ Mariae.Curie Sklodowska [Med] 2003;58(1):459-465.
  9. Schiller, H., Forster, A., Vonhoff, C., Hegger, M., Biller, A., and Winterhoff, H. Sedating effects of Humulus lupulus L. extracts. Phytomedicine. 2006;13(8):535-541. PubMed
  10. van Hunsel, F. P. and Kampschoer, P. [Postmenopausal bleeding and dietary supplements: a possible causal relationship with hop- and soy-containing preparations]. Ned.Tijdschr.Geneeskd. 2012;156(41):A5095.
  11. Fenselau, C. and Talalay, P. Is oestrogenic activity present in hops? Food Cosmet.Toxicol. 1973;11(4):597-602. PubMed
  12. Godnic-Cvar, J., Zuskin, E., Mustajbegovic, J., Schachter, E. N., Kanceljak, B., Macan, J., Ilic, Z., and Ebling, Z. Respiratory and immunological findings in brewery workers. Am J Ind Med 1999;35(1):68-75. DOI
  13. Lee KM, Jung JS, Song DK, and et al. Effects of Humulus lupulus extract on the central nervous system in mice. Planta Med 1993;59(Suppl):A691.
  14. Assessment report on Humulus lupulus L., flos. European Medicines Agency, 2014. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/final-assessment-report-humulus-lupulus-l-flos_en.pdf. Accessed September 29, 2021.
  15. van Breemen RB, Chen L, Tonsing-Carter A, et al. Pharmacokinetic Interactions of a Hop Dietary Supplement with Drug Metabolism in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women. J Agric Food Chem. 2020;68(18):5212-5220. PubMed

See these in context on the Hops monograph →

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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