How To Prepare Dried Hawthorn Berries – “His thorns are like nails. inches long and strong; intensity. And yet, a milder, more nutritious medicinal plant is unlikely to be found.” – Jim McDonald
For today’s article I am sharing excerpts from Alchemy of Herbs about the many healing gifts of hawthorn. I’m also including one of my all-time favorite recipes: Hawthorn Cordial.
Table of Contents
How To Prepare Dried Hawthorn Berries
Hawthorn from Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods and Remedies that Heal by Rosalee de la Forêt (Hay House, 2017)
Hawthorn Berry Tincture Recipe For Heart Health • New Life On A Homestead
With heart disease being the number one cause of death in the United States, it’s surprising to me that more people don’t know about hawthorn. Before I start sounding like a snake oil salesman, I should note that people get heart disease for many reasons, and that hawthorn is not a cure-all that you can take while ignoring the basic foundations of wellness, such as eating healthy and being active. of life.
European culture has long been fascinated with hawthorn and many myths and bits of folklore surround this thorny tree. In addition to its medicinal use, the tree’s hardwood was made into tools, and the tree’s thick, thorny nature made it a popular choice as a natural fence or hedge. Various species of hawthorn are native to North America, where First Nations have used it to treat a variety of ailments, including wounds and digestive problems. People in China also have a well-developed relationship with hawthorn, often using it for stagnant digestion.
In the spring, hawthorn trees produce a profusion of gorgeous white to pink flowers. After pollination, the tree begins to form many clusters of berries that ripen in late summer. These red berries are dry and mealy and can range from bitter to sweet, depending on the species.
Hawthorn is a tree of the rose family that grows throughout the northern hemisphere. There are more than 280 species and botanists use them all similarly. The species that have been studied the most in science were
Organic Hawthorn Berry (freeze Dried)
The current Western medicine paradigm for treating chronic disease relies heavily on suppressing symptoms rather than addressing the factors that cause the problem. For example, if you have seasonal allergies, a practitioner may give you something to block your body’s attempt to make histamine, but practitioners often don’t give anything to regulate your immune system and prevent allergy symptoms in the first place. This example can be seen in the range of pharmaceuticals used by Western medicine to treat the symptoms of heart disease. While this Band-Aid effort may save lives in the short term, it does not address why the person has heart disease in the first place.
In fact, many commonly prescribed medications deplete the body of nutrients essential for heart health. Statins, commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol, deplete the body of CQ10, an important enzyme for a healthy heart. Diuretics, commonly prescribed for high blood pressure, deplete the body of potassium. A lack of potassium leads to an irregular heartbeat. Hawthorn, by nourishing and strengthening the heart, does something that no other medicinal product can claim.
How does hawthorn work? Like most herbs, hawthorn works in many and complex ways, many of which we do not yet understand. However, an important factor is hawthorn’s high content of flavonoids. Heart disease is often associated with inflammation, and regular consumption of herbs and foods high in flavonoids has been shown to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
From the 1950s until fairly recently we mistakenly believed that eating foods high in cholesterol caused high cholesterol levels. An updated perspective on high cholesterol is its relationship to systemic inflammation, which hawthorn, with its high flavonoid content, helps reduce.
Impressive Hawthorn Berry Benefits, Dosage, & Side Effects
Research scientists have been studying hawthorn in relation to various symptoms of heart disease for decades. In one study, researchers gave people with diabetes and coronary artery disease 1,200 mg of hawthorn leaf and flower every day for six months. After that time, those taking hawthorn showed a greater trend toward lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and reduced neutrophil elastase (an enzyme that, when elevated, is associated with heart disease) than those taking a placebo.
The dose used in this study was relatively low compared to herbalists’ standards and it would be interesting to see the results of the higher doses more commonly used by herbalists.
For herbalists, one of the most common indications for hawthorn is high blood pressure. Some herbalists use hawthorn alone, others combine it with other herbs, and herbalists usually recommend it along with a healthy diet and regular exercise. After centuries of use, it remains a favorite for reducing hypertension.
Clinical trials have supported this traditional use. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in Iran, 92 men and women with mild hypertension received an extract of a local species of hawthorn for four months. Blood pressure was measured every month and the results showed a significant reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure after three months.
Starwest Botanicals, Organic Hawthorn Berries, 1 Lb (453.6 G)
Another study gave hawthorn to patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and showed that the herb lowered diastolic blood pressure.
The herbalist Charles Kane says: “As a medicine for the heart there is no other herb with such a positive but mild influence as Hawthorn.”
In addition to helping to reduce specific heart problems such as high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia, hawthorn has been shown to improve overall heart function in people with mild to moderate heart disease.
One study looked at 1,011 people who had been diagnosed with stage 2 heart disease and were taking a high dose of a patented hawthorn product. After 24 weeks, the researchers observed a significant improvement in symptoms, including reduced ankle swelling, improved cardiac output, and reduced blood pressure.
Useful Properties Of Hawthorn Berries. Harvesting Of Dried Hawthorn For Future Use Stock Photo
Another trial used the same hawthorn product but studied patients for two years. After that time, those taking the hawthorn had significant improvements in the three main symptoms of heart disease – including fatigue, pain with increased exertion and palpitations – compared to the control group. The researchers concluded that hawthorn had a clear benefit for patients with mild to moderate heart failure.
Western herbalists tend to use berries more often. However, research studies have paid more attention to the flower and leaves in recent years.
You can eat the berries as food and enjoy them in a variety of ways, including infusing them in alcohol or vinegar, or making them into honeys, jams, or even ketchup. I recommend that you regularly enjoy hawthorn in large quantities. taking it daily keeps hearts fed and strong!
Hawthorn berries are a food herb that people can consume in larger quantities as you would a food. For best results with berries, leaves or flowers, use daily and long term.
Dried Hawthorn Berries In The Shape Of A Heart On
Tea: up to 30 grams of berries and up to 30 grams of leaves and flowers, per day
This hearty hawthorn recipe combines the nutritional properties of hawthorn with delicious spices that aid digestion. Enjoy it in small amounts after the evening meal. (I find it helps me unwind from the day.)
I recently brought it to a feed and served 1 to 3 teaspoons of cordial in about 1 cup of sparkling water for a low-alcohol cocktail. It was a hit and several people asked to buy a bottle from me (I gave them the recipe).
Need organic herbs or supplies? Get them here! This post is sponsored by our friends at Mountain Rose Herbs.
Hawthorn Berries: Gin, Brandy Or Tincture?
Hawthorn Cordial Recipe from Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods and Remedies That Heal by Rosalee de la Forêt (Hay House, 2017)
She is a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches students from around the world how to confidently use medicinal plants. Explore more herbs with Rosalee on her website, Herbs with Rosalee, where you can take her free course, How to Choose the Best Herb for You.
HerbMentor hosts many courses including Getting Started with Herbs, Essential Herbs, Wildcrafter’s Toolkit & Cultivating Wellness… Our Community Forum… Plant Walks, Exclusive Herb Monographs and more. This herbal hawthorn berry and rosebud syrup contains ingredients often used in traditional Chinese medicine. I wanted to create a herbal syrup that was versatile enough — something that would suit a busy modern Singaporean household with young children (ie pancakes for breakfast, chicken rice for lunch) and still allow me to inject some wellness and care into my family home sustenance. This particular combination of dried Chinese herbs – hawthorn berry, licorice root and schisandra fruit – is perfect for hot weather as it nourishes yin and improves appetite.
Taste was key for me in trying to combine the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine with deliciousness and utility as well as enjoyment. This herbal syrup gets its sweetness from licorice root (this is subtle and complex, even though it’s considered sweeter than sugar!), Chinese dates (which are rich in nutrients), and hawthorn berries (some of this nostalgic taste of the flake caramel we ate growing up here in Singapore). The Schisandra fruit gives it an appealing bitterness and a hint of bitterness, I suspect, along with the licorice (think Negroni).
Hawthorn Berry 1200 Mg
I feel the rosebuds give the blend balance. Boiled rather than boiled, the mild floral qualities of the dried buds contribute sweetness and tartness to this herbal syrup. But you can skip them if you don’t