Can Hawthorn Berries Stop A Heart Attack – Hawthorn is often referred to as the “herb of the heart” because of its various heart-protective abilities. Hawthorn berries, valued for their ability to uplift and strengthen the heart both emotionally and physically, have been used for centuries as a natural remedy for all types of serious heart problems. These include angina, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, irregular heartbeat and even congestive heart failure.
In fact, hawthorn was used to treat heart disease as early as the first century! Fast forward to the early 1800s and doctors in the U.S. were also using the herb to treat respiratory and circulatory health conditions. (1)
Table of Contents
Can Hawthorn Berries Stop A Heart Attack
Today, hawthorn fruits, leaves and flowers are used in medicine. Hawthorn fruits are small red berries. Native American tribes enjoyed eating them, and they also used hawthorn to treat heart disease as well as gastrointestinal ailments. (2)
Hwf Clean Heart
What makes hawthorn berries so medicinal? It seems to be their many flavonoids. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that effectively reduce inflammation while boosting the immune system. Consumption of a diet rich in flavonoid-containing foods, beverages, and herbs has been linked to the prevention of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as cancer. (3)
Let’s take a closer look at how a tiny little hawthorn berry can actually make a big difference to the health of many people.
Hawthorn bush, also called thorn or maywood, is a deciduous plant. It is a representative of the rose family (Rosaceae), which belongs to the genus
. Hawthorn can take the form of a thorny hawthorn bush or a hawthorn tree. Most of the time, you can find hawthorns growing on sunny wooded hillsides. There are different species of hawthorn, many of which are found in North America. (4)
The Benefits Of Hawthorn Berry Tea
The hawthorn plant has berries as well as flowers that bloom in May. Hawthorn flowers are red, pink or white. The tiny hawthorn berries appear after the flowers bloom. When fully ripe, hawthorn berries are usually red in color, but sometimes they are black. These berries are edible. How do they taste? Most people describe hawthorn berries as a sweet and sour mixture.
The hawthorn herb is rich in health-promoting compounds. These compounds have actually been shown to improve heart health. Antioxidant flavonoids in hawthorn improve blood circulation, protect against blood vessel damage and even help dilate blood vessels. (5)
These flavonoids include OPC. What is OPC? OPC stands for oligomeric proanthocyanidins. OPCs are some of the most common polyphenolic substances found in plants. (6)
Hawthorn berries are best known for their beneficial tonic effects on the heart. As a “cardiotonic herb,” hawthorn has proven to be impressively beneficial for all kinds of serious heart problems. These include heart failure, heart disease, angina, heart rhythm changes and atherosclerosis. According to a 2016 study published in the journal
Natural Approach To Angina Treatment
So far, studies have shown that hawthorn may even have a beneficial effect on congestive heart failure (CHF). Several studies have shown that hawthorn supplementation has improved heart function based on several parameters. These parameters include blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output and exercise tolerance.
In one study, 78 patients with NYHA class II heart failure were given a commercial preparation of hawthorn leaves and flowers. After two months, patients who received 200 milligrams of hawthorn three times a day had increased heart rate and reduced symptoms. A decrease in systolic blood pressure was also observed in the hawthorn group during physical activity. Another German study also showed that hawthorn extract (LI132 Faros®) worked almost as well as a prescription drug for heart failure (captopril). In addition, hawthorn extract had fewer side effects. (9)
) special extract alone or as a supplement to traditional treatment. After two years, fatigue, stress dyspnea and heart palpitations (the three main symptoms of heart failure) were significantly reduced in the hawthorn group compared to the non-hawthorn group. (10)
Many herbalists recommend hawthorn berries, flowers and leaves as natural blood pressure reducers. a scientific study published in
Hawthorn Medicine — Herbs & Hands
79 type 2 diabetes patients took 1,200 milligrams of hawthorn extract daily or a placebo for a total of 16 weeks. Hypotensive medications were also used by 71% of the study participants.
What did they find? The hawthorn group had a greater reduction in diastolic blood pressure. However, there were no group differences in systolic blood pressure reduction. (11) It is hoped that more studies will soon be conducted to support the use of hawthorn for lowering blood pressure.
Decreased blood flow to the heart causes chest pain called angina pectoris. It is sometimes confused with indigestion. But true angina can be a symptom of coronary heart disease. So far, research has shown that hawthorn can be an effective natural remedy for preventing and treating angina.
, hawthorn bioflavonoids help dilate both peripheral and coronary blood vessels. It can improve blood flow to the heart, making hawthorn very useful for angina. The proanthocyanidins in hawthorn are also thought to reduce the tension in blood vessel walls. Again, this is very helpful in preventing angina. (12)
Benefits Of Blueberries For Heart Disease
In one study, 80 subjects (aged 45 to 65 years) with stable angina were randomly divided into four groups. The first group was the aerobic exercise group. The second group took hawthorn extract. The third group performed aerobic exercise and also took hawthorn extract. Finally, the fourth group was the control group. After 12 weeks, the researchers found that the combination of aerobic exercise and hawthorn supplementation was “an effective adjunctive strategy for significantly reducing the risk of atherosclerosis and heart problems.” (13)
Animal studies show that hawthorn berry extract may be a useful natural remedy for lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol from the body. In China, hawthorn is called “Shan-Zha”. An animal study showed really impressive health results from Zhongtian hawthorn extract, a wild Shan-Zha variety that has larger hawthorn fruits.
This 2016 study found that hawthorn berry extract not only reduced total high cholesterol, but also significantly reduced LDL cholesterol, liver cholesterol, and triglycerides, as well as body weight. (14)
Scientific studies conducted in 2008 revealed that hawthorn berry extract perfectly reduces inflammation. This is very important for health because we know that inflammation is the cause of most diseases.
Heart Attack: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
The study also shows that hawthorn berry extract is a free radical scavenger. This is extremely beneficial to human health because free radicals can cause cell damage (including DNA damage) by stealing electrons in a process called oxidation.
A 2008 animal study also showed how hawthorn berry extract has a protective effect on the gastrointestinal system and appears to successfully kill many types of unwanted bacteria. (15)
How can you incorporate hawthorn berries into your life? There are a few options. You can choose hawthorn berry tea, prepackaged or loose. You can often find loose hawthorn berries in the bulk section of many health food stores. You can also take a hawthorn supplement in capsule form or hawthorn extract in liquid tincture form.
To date, safe doses of hawthorn range from 160 to 1,800 milligrams per day over a period of three to 24 weeks. It may take six to 12 weeks for significant improvement in symptoms. (18)
Hawthorn For Heart Health — Grace Hamilton. Online Naturopath. Sydney Naturopath
You should not use hawthorn if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not give hawthorn products to children. For short-term use in adults, it is recommended to supplement with hawthorn. If any symptoms worsen while using hawthorn, you should stop using it and seek emergency medical attention.
In some users, hawthorn may cause nausea, upset stomach, fatigue, sweating, headache, dizziness, palpitations, nosebleeds, insomnia, agitation, and other side effects.
Although hawthorn is known to be great for the heart, it can interact with prescription medications used to treat heart disease. Medicines for other heart problems, high blood pressure, and male dysfunction are known to interact with hawthorn. Some specific medications known to interact with hawthorn include digoxin, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers (CCBs), nitrates, phenylephrine, and phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors. If you have heart disease or any other medical condition, or are currently taking medication, consult your doctor before using a hawthorn berry product or any other hawthorn supplement. (19, 20)
It is also important to note that heart failure is a very serious medical condition. If you suffer from this condition, it is better not to self-medicate with hawthorn supplements.
Hawthorn Berries: Identify, Harvest, And Make An Extract |
Dr. Ax on Facebook 2461 Dr. Ax on Twitter 4 Dr. Ax on Instagram Dr. Ax on Google Plus Dr. Ax on YouTube Dr. Ax on Pintrest 1024 Share on Email Print Article 3.5K
Dr. Ax on Facebook 445 Dr. Ax on Twitter 2 Dr. Ax on Instagram Dr. Ax on Google Plus Dr. Ax on Youtube Dr. Ax on Pintrest 145 Share on Email Print 592.
Dr. Ax on Facebook 560 Dr. Ax on Twitter 3 Dr. Ax on Instagram Dr. Ax on Google Plus Dr. Ax on Youtube Dr. Ax on Pintrest 2314 Share on Email Print Article 2.9K
Dr. Ax on Facebook 22 Dr. Ax on Twitter 0 Dr. Ax on Instagram Dr. Ax on Google Plus Dr. Ax on Youtube Dr. Ax on Pintrest 0 Share Email Print Article 22 Could this little-known Chinese berry hold the key to supporting your health and helping you become the healthiest version of yourself? The potential lipid-lowering effects of this strange Chinese berry were investigated