It has been more than ten years ago when the health benefits of xanthohumol, a flavonoid present in hops used in beer making, has first been recognized. An article published in the journal Phytochemistry reviews the potential health beneficial effects attributed to hops in

• cancer prevention programs: xanthohumol has shown 'broad-spectrum' cancer chemopreventive agent in in vitro studies, and in
• prevention or treatment of (post-)menopausal 'hot flashes' and osteoporosis: prenylflavonoids, specifically 8-prenylnaringenin, which also found in hops are potent phytoestrogens and can be used in hormone replacement therapy
• as an antioxidant: xanthohumol has also shown the ability to reduce the oxidation of LDL, or bad cholesterol

The main source of hops right now is through beer consumption. However, most beers contain very low levels of these compunds, and it's absoption into the body is limited. Although there are "health beers" and other hop containing herbal products being introduced into the market, researchers suggest biotechnological modification of hops to increase xanthohumol levels for beer brewing and 8-prenylnaringenin levels for pharmaceutical production.

Source: OSU Press Release