A compound found in hops called 8-prenylnaringenin can act like the hormone estrogen in the body. It might attach to estrogen receptors and could potentially cause fat to build up around the belly area.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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The study shows that 8-prenylnaringenin from hops binds to estrogen receptors and stimulates cell growth, which confirms it's a phytoestrogen (xenoestrogen). However, it doesn't measure fat accumulation in the belly area - it measures breast tissue changes instead.
Contradicting (2)
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Disposition of hop prenylflavonoids in human breast tissue.
The study gave women hop supplements containing 8-prenylnaringenin and measured how much estrogenic activity they produced in breast tissue. They found the effect was tiny compared to the body's own estrogen, concluding these compounds are unlikely to cause estrogen-like effects in breast tissue.
The study tests the same hop compound (8-PN) but looks at bone protection, not fat accumulation. It shows 8-PN has weak effects on uterine tissue, which might suggest it wouldn't strongly promote fat storage either, but the study doesn't actually measure adiposity.
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