| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Fat One large RCT (n=200) found 35 mg/day MHBA significantly reduced visceral fat area after 8 and 12 weeks and total body fat area after 12 weeks vs placebo in healthy overweight adults. Animal studies show MHBA induces thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue via sympathetic nerve activity, increasing UCP1 expression, and reduces body weight gain in diet-induced obese mice. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2 studies | 200 people | ||
Supplement
Matured hop extract is a concentrate of bitter acids formed as hops age, and animal work suggests it may act on the brain through the vagus nerve. In small trials, people reported less fatigue and anxiety than on placebo, and older adults did better on attention and verbal fluency tests. The evidence is limited, though, since the human studies were small and much of the mechanism work came from animals.
Sources: PMID 32474473; PMID 34741379
- Updated
- How we grade
- 9 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 4
- Outcomes
- 5
- Graded outcomes
- 0032
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Function Three RCTs in middle-aged to older adults (n=100, n=60, n=34) found MHBA (35 mg/day) significantly improved divided attention (SDMT, p=0.045), verbal fluency (p=0.034), Stroop test performance (p=0.019), and attention/executive function after single dose. Multiple animal studies show MHBA improves hippocampus-dependent memory via vagus nerve activation and norepinephrine release, with nicotinic acetylcholine receptor involvement. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 5 studies | 194 people | ||
Studies that measured cognitive function
| ||||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mood and Anxiety An RCT (n=60) found 12 weeks of MHBA (35 mg/day) significantly improved subjective fatigue and anxiety vs placebo. An RCT (n=100) found significantly lower beta-endorphin levels suggesting improved mood state. A pilot study (n=97) of non-alcoholic beer with MHBA showed improved total mood state including anxiety, depression, fatigue, and vigor after 3 weeks. Animal data show MHBA reduces LPS-induced depression-like behavior via vagus nerve-mediated norepinephrine release. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 4 studies | 257 people | ||
Studies that measured mood and anxiety
| ||||||
Body Composition
- Body Fat: improves
General
- Neuroinflammation: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neuroinflammation In rodent models, MHBA and hop bitter acids containing beta-carbonyl moieties prevented inflammation-induced cognitive decline via the vagus nerve and noradrenergic system. MHBA reduced hippocampal IL-1beta levels in LPS-treated mice, restored dendritic spine density damaged by inflammation, and prevented neuronal loss. Effects were abolished in vagotomized mice, confirming vagus nerve dependence. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 3 studies | |||
Studies that measured neuroinflammation
| ||||||
Autonomic Dysfunction
- Autonomic Nervous System Function: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autonomic Nervous System Function A randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial (n=34) found a single dose of MHBA significantly increased high-frequency heart rate variability (HF power, p=0.033) and total power (p=0.025) during cognitive tasks compared to placebo, suggesting enhanced parasympathetic (vagal) tone. This is consistent with the proposed vagus nerve activation mechanism identified in animal studies. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 1 study | 34 people | ||
Studies that measured autonomic nervous system function | ||||||
Key findings
- Cognitive FunctionImproves (the measure goes up)
- Mood and AnxietyImproves (the measure goes down)
- Body FatImproves (the measure goes down)
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- Grade C
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Studies cited
9 studies from PubMed
- Effect of non-alcoholic beer containing matured hop bitter acids on mood states in healthy adults: A single-arm pilot study
- Supplementation with Matured Hop Bitter Acids Improves Cognitive Performance and Mood State in Healthy Older Adults with Subjective Cognitive Decline
- Effects of Hop Bitter Acids, Bitter Components in Beer, on Cognition in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Hop bitter acids containing a β-carbonyl moiety prevent inflammation-induced cognitive decline via the vagus nerve and noradrenergic system
- Matured Hop Bitter Acids in Beer Improve Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Depression-Like Behavior
- Matured hop bitter acids improve spatial working and object recognition memory via nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
- Matured Hop-Derived Bitter Components in Beer Improve Hippocampus-Dependent Memory Through Activation of the Vagus Nerve
- Matured hop extract reduces body fat in healthy overweight humans: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel group study
- Matured Hop Bittering Components Induce Thermogenesis in Brown Adipose Tissue via Sympathetic Nerve Activity