Americans cite Motueka hops

Motueka hops are acclaimed for their citrus and tropical aromas in craft beers, but a natural extract from the plant is also revolutionising a supplement aiding weight loss and appetite control.

The trending ingredient known as Amarasate, meaning bitter fullness in Latin, stimulates the production of GLP-1, the hormone that communicates a feeling of fullness and satiation.

It was a eureka moment for Plant and Food Research when it was dissected back in 2012, and it became commercialised in Aotearoa as part of the supplement Calocurb’s production line in 2018 before it made its way to the US market.

The locally-grown hops are currently transformed into a CO2 extract at Pharmalink Extracts in Appleby.

With reports of Calocurb users losing up to 30kg, it’s brewing particular interest in the USA, with three American specialist doctors visiting the local production at New Zealand Hops and Motueka’s Plant and Food Research Centre last week.

One of those pundits was San Diego-based functional medicine physician Dr Mark Tager, who strives for natural approaches to health and well-being and praises Calocurb.

Not only was he impressed by “idyllic” Tasman, but he lauded the locals’ dedication to the natural product.

“It’s excellent science behind the product, and that’s what I came away with, all of the great testing for the quality, for purity, for the active ingredients… it was very impressive to see the systems behind this,” he says.

“This commitment to excellent, high-level research in plants and the derivatives from those plants, the compounds and molecules I think was exceptional.

“This opens up the door for more exploration into other compounds within hops that can have nutritional benefit, be applied to medical conditions, and be applied to longevity and wellness, I think that was very exciting,” he says.

Auckland-based Plant and Food Research scientist Dr Ed Walker led the team that discovered Amarasate, and he also visited the local production.

“In 2014 we ran the clinical trial where we gave the Amarasate hop extract around an hour before a meal, and what we found was that people who took it would eat less of the meal by almost 20 per cent,” he says.

“If we can help diversify the hop production into another high-value opportunity, then that’s great for the local community.

“It’s going to be probably the first in a series of proven, effective nutraceutical products that are derived, hopefully from Motueka Hops, that can be targeted towards various ailments,” he concludes.