Can a hop-derived compound protect bones during menopause without harmful side effects?
Tissue specificity of 8-prenylnaringenin: protection from ovariectomy induced bone loss with minimal trophic effects on the uterus.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists tested 8-prenylnaringenin, a compound from hops, in rats without ovaries (mimicking menopause). They found it protected bones from weakening while having much smaller effects on the uterus compared to standard estrogen treatment.
Surprising Findings
Complete bone protection with minimal uterine effects
Typically, estrogen compounds that protect bone also stimulate uterine tissue. This compound appears to separate these effects.
Practical Takeaways
Don't start taking hop supplements for bone health based on this study
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists tested 8-prenylnaringenin, a compound from hops, in rats without ovaries (mimicking menopause). They found it protected bones from weakening while having much smaller effects on the uterus compared to standard estrogen treatment.
Surprising Findings
Complete bone protection with minimal uterine effects
Typically, estrogen compounds that protect bone also stimulate uterine tissue. This compound appears to separate these effects.
Practical Takeaways
Don't start taking hop supplements for bone health based on this study
Publication
Journal
The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology
Year
2005
Authors
M. Hümpel, P. Isaksson, O. Schaefer, U. Kaufmann, P. Ciana, A. Maggi, W. Schleuning
Related Content
Claims (6)
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.
A compound found in hops called 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN) appears to be much weaker at stimulating the uterus and uterine lining than the hormone estrogen, even when both are given at doses that protect bones equally well.
Scientists tested a plant compound called 8-prenylnaringenin in special mice that have been genetically modified to show when estrogen-related activity is happening, and they found that this compound strongly activated estrogen-like effects in the mice's prostate glands.
A compound called 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN) was found to fully stop bone loss in rats that had their ovaries removed - these rats are used to study a condition similar to osteoporosis that happens to women after menopause.
This claim is about a compound called 8-prenylnaringenin (found in hops) and how it affects the uterus and uterine lining in rats that had their ovaries removed. The claim says it has very small growth effects on these tissues, and importantly, these effects don't change no matter how much of the compound is given.