Hawthorn Berries Benefits – Hawthorn berries, also known as “hawthorn,” have been a popular ingredient in desserts and wine for thousands of years, as well as an important medicinal herb. In ancient Rome, it was used to relieve diarrhea. It is also the main medicinal material of traditional Chinese medicine. In the Middle Ages, Europeans used it to keep their hearts healthy.
There are hundreds of species of hawthorn worldwide. Although they are small, hawthorn berries have great health benefits, especially for your heart. They can also improve your athletic performance (x).
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Hawthorn Berries Benefits
Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of hospital visits, hospitalizations, and death in the United States. Heart disease kills more than 600,000 people every year (x).
Hawthorn Berry Benefits: A Gift For All Of Humankind
Hawthorn berries contain phytonutrients, including anthocyanins and procyanidins — antioxidants that strengthen blood vessel walls. They also reduce symptoms of congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, arrhythmias, low blood pressure, angina pectoris, atherosclerosis, and high cholesterol (x).
Studies have shown that hawthorn berry extract significantly benefits heart health compared to placebo (x). In one study, researchers gave 78 heart failure patients 200 mg of hawthorn three times a day for two months. At the end of the trial, the patients’ heart function improved and their heart disease symptoms decreased (x). In fact, hawthorn berries are nearly as effective at reducing symptoms as prescription heart medications—with fewer side effects (x).
Hawthorn also supports heart health by lowering blood pressure. In one study, scientists gave 1,200 mg of hawthorn extract or a placebo daily to 79 people with type 2 diabetes. At the end of the 16-week study, participants who took hawthorn had a greater reduction in blood pressure than those who didn’t (x).
Often confused with indigestion, angina is the technical term for chest pain. It is caused by decreased blood flow to the heart and is often a symptom of heart disease.
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Studies have shown that the bioflavonoids (plant compounds) in hawthorn can reduce angina by dilating and relaxing blood vessels, thereby promoting healthy circulation. They also improve blood flow to the heart and reduce tension in the walls of blood vessels, which can help prevent chest pain (x).
Hawthorn berry extract has been used to treat gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea and indigestion since as early as the first century (x). Today, research shows that hawthorn improves digestion by promoting gastrointestinal motility – muscle contractions that move food through the digestive system (x). Hawthorn also supports the production of enzymes, ensuring you are absorbing nutrients properly for optimal health (x).
People use hawthorn berry extract topically to help treat itching, boils, sores, ulcers, and frostbite. However, there are insufficient studies to substantiate these claims (x).
Hawthorn is effective when used in combination with various other supplements. Coenzyme Q10 in combination with hawthorn may reduce the incidence of early heart disease. Ginkgo biloba can be used with hawthorn to improve blood circulation and ensure adequate oxygen to the brain. Garlic (Allium sativum) and Arnica (Arnica montana) help treat angina and low blood circulation. Melissa Officinalis and St. John’s Wort are also used in combination with hawthorn to calm nerves and induce insomnia.
Food For Free: How To Make Hawthorn Jelly
Hawthorn is considered a safe supplement for adults. However, there are rare side effects including upset stomach, headache or dizziness (x, x).
Also, hawthorn berry extract may interact with prescription medications. Consult your doctor before taking this supplement if you are taking any medications that affect and treat the heart. Additionally, you should consult your doctor before taking this supplement if you have high blood pressure, are taking beta-blockers and calcium blockers, male enhancement drugs that dilate blood vessels, or any medication that increases blood flow to the heart . Hawthorn is also contraindicated in people taking digoxin (x). Pregnant women may also wish to avoid hawthorn berries as it may reduce uterine tone (x).
As a supplement, ideally take 1, 200 mg or half a teaspoon once or twice daily, or as directed by your healthcare practitioner (x). Additionally, you can safely take hawthorn berry extract (x) for up to 16 weeks.
Hawthorn berry extract is touted as a heart-healthy herb. Research has shown that it contributes to the overall health of the cardiovascular system. This is especially true for people with angina, congestive heart failure, high or low blood pressure, and other heart-related health problems. European doctors have been prescribing hawthorn for medically supervised use for years, although not many in the US. Overall, this cranberry is great for heart health, and it’s a good idea to add this supplement to your daily diet. Hawthorn is known as the “heart herb” for its various cardioprotective abilities. Acclaimed for their ability to lift and strengthen the heart, both emotionally and physically, hawthorn berries have been used for centuries as a natural remedy for a variety of serious heart problems. These include angina, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, arrhythmias, and even congestive heart failure.
Hawthorn Cordial Recipe: Hawthorn For The Heart
In fact, hawthorn has been used to treat heart disease dating back to the first century! Fast forward to the early 1800s, and physicians in the United States also used the herb to treat respiratory and circulatory disorders. (1)
Hawthorn berries, leaves and flowers are used medicinally today. Hawthorn fruit comes in the form of small red berries. Native American tribes loved hawthorn, which they also used to treat heart disease and gastrointestinal distress. (2)
What makes hawthorn berries so medicinal? For starters, that seems to be their plethora of flavonoids. Flavonoids are potent antioxidants known to effectively reduce inflammation while enhancing immune function. Eating a diet rich in flavonoid-rich 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 hawthorn fruit can lead to huge improvements in the health of many people.
Nature’s Answer Hawthorn Berry (90 Capsules)
Hawthorn shrub, also known as thornapple or May-tree, is a deciduous plant. It is a member of the rose family (Rosaceae) belonging to the genus
. Hawthorn can come in the form of a prickly hawthorn bush or hawthorn tree. Most of the time, you can find hawthorn on the sides of sunny wooded hills. There are many species of hawthorn, many of which are native to North America. (4)
Hawthorn plants have berries and flowers that bloom in May. Hawthorn flowers are red, pink or white. After the flowers bloom, petite hawthorn berries appear. When hawthorn berries are fully ripe, they are usually red, but sometimes they are black. These berries are edible. How do they taste? Most people describe hawthorn berries as a mixture of sweet and sour.
Hawthorn herb is rich in compounds that are beneficial to health. These compounds have been shown to actually boost heart health. Hawthorn’s antioxidant flavonoids improve blood flow, prevent damage to blood vessels, and even help dilate blood vessels. (5)
Unheard Of Benefits Of The Hawthorn Berry Tree
These flavonoids include OPCs. What is OPC? OPC stands for oligomeric proanthocyanidins. OPCs are one of the most common polyphenols in plants. (6)
Hawthorn berries are known for their heart-friendly toning effects. As a “heart herb,” hawthorn has been shown to be significantly helpful for a variety of serious heart problems. These include heart failure, heart disease, angina, changes in heart rhythm and atherosclerosis. According to a study published in the journal in 2016
To date, studies have shown that hawthorn can even have beneficial effects on congestive heart failure (CHF). Several studies have shown that hawthorn supplements can improve heart function according to a number of parameters. These parameters include blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, and exercise tolerance.
One trial in particular provided a commercial preparation of hawthorn leaves and flowers to 78 patients with NYHA class II heart failure. After two months, patients who took 200 mg of hawthorn three times a day had increased cardiac workload and reduced symptoms. The hawthorn group also showed a decrease in systolic blood pressure during physical activity. Another German study also showed that a hawthorn extract (LI132 Faros®) was almost as effective as a prescription heart failure medication (captopril). Also, hawthorn extract has fewer side effects. (9)
The History, Mythology, And Offerings Of Hawthorn
) special extracts are used alone or as an add-on to routine treatments. After two years, the group taking hawthorn had significantly lower fatigue, stress dyspnea and palpitations (three main symptoms of heart failure) compared to the group not taking hawthorn. (10)
Many herbal practitioners recommend hawthorn berries, flowers, and leaves as natural blood pressure lowering agents. A scientific study published in
There were 79 people with type 2 diabetes who took 1200 mg of hawthorn extract or a placebo daily for 16 weeks. 71% of study participants also took blood pressure medication.
What did they find? The reduction in diastolic blood pressure was greater in the hawthorn group. However, there was no between-group difference in systolic blood pressure reduction. (11) Hoping for more research to support the use of hawthorn in lowering blood pressure