Hawthorn Berries Have Raised My Blood Pressure Is This Normal? – Hawthorn berries are small fruits found on shrubs or trees belonging to the Crataegus family. This category of plants includes over 100 trees and shrubs found throughout Europe, Asia and North America.
A distinctive feature of hawthorn is its high nutritional value, tart taste and relatively low sweetness. The color of hawthorn berries can vary from light yellow to black.
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Hawthorn Berries Have Raised My Blood Pressure Is This Normal?
Hawthorn has long been used as a medicinal plant that helps normalize digestion, heart muscle function and blood pressure. For the same reasons, hawthorn fruits are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Let’s consider further what hawthorn is needed for and how to use it correctly.
Hawthorn Berry Health Benefits And How To Use
As you know, hawthorn berries contain a large amount of polyphenols, which are among the strongest antioxidants of plant origin. When they enter the human body, they help neutralize the negative impact of free radicals – unstable molecules that lead to the destruction of some cells. The concentration of unwanted molecules can increase as a result of improper nutrition, negative environmental influences in the form of polluted air, and harmful habits such as smoking.
Due to their high antioxidant activity, scientists have linked the inclusion of polyphenols in the diet with a reduced risk of such diseases as:
And although initial research in the above areas has shown encouraging results, scientists insist that additional experiments are needed to determine the effect of hawthorn on various diseases.
Adding hawthorn berries to your diet can reduce inflammation, which can improve your health. According to research, chronic inflammation causes a number of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, asthma and many others.
Hawthorn Herb Benefits
One experiment found that hawthorn was able to reduce inflammatory compounds in mice with liver disease. At the same time, in another group of rodents with asthma, the drug eliminated the symptoms of the disease.
Corresponding results of animal studies have shown that the supplement can have an anti-inflammatory effect, including in humans. But more research is needed to confirm this property.
For many years, hawthorn has been used in Chinese medicine to lower blood pressure. Scientists explain this use by the ability of berries to expand blood vessels, which leads to normalization of pressure.
In a 10-week study of people with high blood pressure, scientists found that regular consumption of 500 milligrams of hawthorn extract lowered diastolic blood pressure but had no effect on blood pressure.
Hawthorn Berry: Your Heart’s Best Friend
In another experiment involving 79 people with type 2 diabetes, researchers found that 1,200 milligrams of hawthorn extract was more effective at normalizing blood pressure than moderate doses. However, in people with normal blood pressure, taking this substance did not lead to worse or better changes.
You can often find hawthorn as one of the ingredients of cosmetics designed to protect against hair loss or to stimulate hair growth. For example, one of the experiments on rats showed that adding hawthorn extract to the diet increases the size and number of hair follicles, which improves the quality of hair and ensures its increased growth.
According to scientists, the effect described above is explained by the high content of polyphenols. Despite this, the number of studies in this field of hawthorn use is relatively small. Therefore, a number of additional experiments are needed to confirm this effect.
Some studies show that the inclusion of hawthorn fruits in the diet can normalize the level of fats in the blood, namely triglycerides and cholesterol. These trace elements are responsible for transporting nutrients and hormones throughout the body. However, this function is performed only if their levels are within normal limits.
Impressive Health Benefits Of Hawthorn Berry
An increase in the level of triglycerides and cholesterol with a parallel decrease in HDL (good cholesterol) can lead to the development of atherosclerosis and the accumulation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels. The latter process can cause a complete blockage of blood vessels and, as a result, lead to a stroke or heart attack.
During one of the studies, scientists found that in mice with hawthorn extract in their diet, the level of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) decreased by 28-47 percent, and along with it, the amount of triglycerides decreased. At the same time, another study showed that the effectiveness of the plant is comparable to special drugs for normalizing cholesterol levels. However, unlike the drug, the fruit extract was more effective in lowering LDL levels.
Hawthorn fruits have been used in traditional medicine for several hundred years to normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract. They can eliminate abdominal pain and indigestion. Researchers attribute this property to the high content of fiber, which eliminates constipation, improves digestion and acts as a probiotic on the body.
Probiotics are substances that are necessary to maintain healthy intestinal bacteria and normalize digestion. One study found that in people with indigestion, regular fiber intake shortened the time between bowel movements by an average of 30 minutes.
Hawthorn Berry 1200 Mg
What’s more, scientists have found that hawthorn extract can reduce the time it takes for food to pass through the gastrointestinal tract. It helps speed up a number of processes and eliminate the symptoms of indigestion in a shorter period of time. In addition, this product was able to protect the stomach from damage in participants suffering from ulcers.
One of the distinctive properties of hawthorn is a slight sedative effect on the body, which allows you to reduce feelings of anxiety. Despite this, studies of the effects of hawthorn on blood pressure have shown that this product has little effect on anxiety levels. However, in another experiment, combining the berries of this plant with magnesium and maca led to a significant reduction in feelings of anxiety and worry.
Based on the fact that taking hawthorn has minimal side effects compared to anti-anxiety medications, scientists continue to study its effects on the central nervous system. In addition, researchers suggest that this product can be used to treat CNS disorders and depression.
If you wish to use hawthorn extract or the fruits of this plant to reduce anxiety, restlessness, or treat depression, you should first stop taking other medications and consult your doctor.
Hawthorn Benefits + How To Use To Lower Blood Pressure
Often, the benefits of hawthorn are compared to traditional medicines for the treatment of heart failure. An analysis of 14 different experiments conducted on different age groups showed that the use of hawthorn in combination with drugs for heart failure improves the work of the heart and its ability to withstand high physical loads. At the same time, shortness of breath decreased and endurance increased in the participants of the experiment.
One two-year study involving about 950 people with heart failure found that hawthorn berries could normalize heart rhythm and relieve shortness of breath more effectively than a placebo. In addition, the group that took hawthorn needed less medication to treat heart disease.
Another study involving more than 2,600 people with symptoms of heart failure found that hawthorn extract may reduce the risk of death from heart disease.
Because of the health benefits of hawthorn described above, doctors strongly recommend using this product in conjunction with heart failure medications. They also note that the supplement is not dangerous for human health and has a minimum of side effects.
Hawthorn Berry Schnapps
Hawthorn berries are extremely rare to find in grocery stores. However, they can be easily purchased in specialized online stores.
As a rule, the composition of hawthorn tablets includes not only the berries of the plant, but also leaves and flowers. This is due to the fact that the concentration of useful substances in the last two products is much higher than in fruits.
Recommendations for the use of hawthorn may differ depending on the form. So, for example, for the treatment of heart failure, the extract should be consumed in the amount of 300 milligrams per day, while in its natural form, the recommended amount of consumption is from 250 to 500 milligrams.
It is worth noting that the composition of dietary supplements in most cases is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Thus, it is impossible to know the effectiveness or safety of a particular supplement.
Hypotensive Effects Of Hawthorn For Patients With Diabetes Taking Prescription Drugs: A Randomised Controlled Trial
When purchasing supplements, you should look for products that have been certified by independent sources such as the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), ConsumerLab, or NSF International.
Although the number of side effects when taking hawthorn is relatively small, doctors recommend including this product in the diet with extreme caution. This is due to the fact that some people experienced dizziness and nausea when using the extract of this plant.
Scientists also noted that due to its strong effect on the heart muscle, hawthorn can somehow affect the effect of some drugs. Therefore, before including it in the diet, you should definitely consult a doctor.
Doctors often attribute the beneficial properties of hawthorn to the high content of antioxidants. Including them in the diet can have a positive effect on the health and work of the heart muscle. Research shows that this product, among other things, can normalize blood pressure, reduce the level of triglycerides and “bad” cholesterol in the blood. Also, its intake can improve hair growth and eliminate inflammatory processes that lead to the development of dangerous diseases.
Hawthorn: The Heart Healer
If you want to include hawthorn fruits or supplements of the same name in your diet, consult your doctor beforehand.
On our blog: You’ll find posts from Vietnamese doctors and our editors on a variety of health news and issues. By Ariane Lang, BA, MBA and SaVanna Shoemaker, MS, RDN, LD — Medical Review by Kathy W. Warwick, R.D., CDE, Nutrition — Updated December 13, 2021
These nutrient-rich berries have a tart, tangy flavor and a slight sweetness. They have a color from yellow to dark red (
For hundreds of years, people have used the hawthorn berry as a remedy