Effects of a hops (Humulus lupulus L.) dry extract supplement on self-reported depression, anxiety and stress levels in apparently healthy young adults: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover pilot study.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Copper (Supplement) in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The Humulus lupulus L. plant (hops) is used as a herbal medicinal product for anxiety/mood disorders.

Their aim was to study the effects of a hops dry extract on self-reported depression, anxiety and stress levels in young adults.

Who Took Part

The age groups tagged for this paper are young adults and adults, both men and women.

Apparently healthy young adults from their university completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and those reporting at least mild depression, anxiety and stress were invited to complete the study intervention.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Copper (Supplement) and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

As a double-blind Copper (Supplement) study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Copper (Supplement) could be set against what happens without it.

In the crossover set-up each of the participants took both Copper (Supplement) and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Anxiety, Depression, Humulus, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Plant Extracts and Stress, Psychological.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Copper (Supplement).

Its findings take up roughly 5 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2017 (Hormones (Athens, Greece)), a journal based in Switzerland.

More context: the Copper (Supplement) compound page, all human trials.