How To Use Hawthorn Berries For Tea – “Her thorns are like nails; inches long and strong; tightness. And yet, a more noble and nourishing medicinal plant is unlikely to be found.” – Jim McDonald
For today’s article I am sharing excerpts from Herbal Alchemy about the many healing gifts of hawthorn. One of my all-time favorite recipes is also included: Hawthorn Cordial.
Table of Contents
How To Use Hawthorn Berries For Tea
Hawthorn from the Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients into Healing Foods and Medicines by Rosalee de la Forêt (Hay House, 2017)
Hawthorn Berry Tea Recipe
With heart disease being the leading cause of death in the United States, I’m surprised 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 hawthorn is not a silver bullet cure that you can take while ignoring the basics of wellness like a healthy diet. and an active lifestyle.
European culture has long been fascinated by the hawthorn, and there are many myths and bits of folklore surrounding this thorny tree. Apart from being used for medicine, the hardwood of the tree was used to make tools and the thick thorny nature of the tree made it popular as a hedge or natural fence. Various species of hawthorn are native to North America, where First Nations 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 beautiful 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 smooth and can be bitter to sweet, depending on the species.
Hawthorn is a tree in the rose family that grows throughout the Northern Hemisphere. There are more than 280 species, all of which are used similarly by botanists. They are the most studied species in science
Hawthorn Berry Tea Photos
The current Western medical paradigm for treating chronic diseases relies heavily on suppressing the 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 create histamine, but practitioners often do not give anything to modulate your immune system and prevent allergy symptoms Firstly. This paradigm can be seen in the range of pharmaceuticals used by Western medicine to combat the symptoms of heart disease. While this Band-Aid effort can save lives in the short term, it does not address the reason why a person has heart disease in the first place.
In fact, many commonly prescribed medications deplete the body of nutrients necessary for heart health. Statins, commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol, reduce the body’s CQ10, an important enzyme for a healthy heart. Diuretics, commonly prescribed for high blood pressure, deplete the body of potassium. Potassium deficiency results in an irregular heartbeat. Hawthorn, to nourish and strengthen the heart, does what no other pharmaceutical 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, one important factor is the high flavonoid content of hawthorn. 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 recently we mistakenly believed that eating foods high in cholesterol caused high cholesterol levels. An updated perspective on high cholesterol levels is its relationship to systemic inflammation, which hawthorn, with its high flavonoid content, helps reduce.
Hawthorn: Benefits, Side Effects, And Preparations
Research scientists have been studying hawthorn in relation to various symptoms of heart disease for many years. In one study researchers gave people with diabetes and coronary heart disease 1, 200 mg of hawthorn leaf and flower every day for six months. After that time, those who took the hawthorn showed a greater trend towards LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and reduced neutrophil elastase (an enzyme that is associated with heart disease when elevated) than those who took a placebo. .
The dose used in this study was relatively low compared to herbal standards, and it would be interesting to see the effects of the larger 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 hundreds of years of use, it is still 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 ingested 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 systolic and diastolic blood pressure after three months.
Planet Organic Organic Hawthorn Berry Loose Leaf Tea 100g
Another study gave hawthorn to patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and showed that the herb reduced diastolic blood pressure.
Herbalist Charles Kane says, “As a heart remedy there is no other herb that has such a positive, yet gentle influence than the Hawthorn.”
In addition to helping to reduce specific heart problems such as high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia, hawthorn has been shown to improve general heart function in people with mild to moderate heart disease.
One study looked at 1,011 people diagnosed with stage 2 heart disease who were taking a high dose of a patented hawthorn product. After 24 weeks, researchers observed a significant improvement in symptoms, including reduced ankle edema, improved cardiac performance, and reduced blood pressure.
Products: Hawthorn Berries Dried
Another trial used the same hawthorn product but studied patients for two years. After that time, the people who took the hawthorn had significant improvements in the three main symptoms of heart disease – including fatigue, increasing pain, and palpitations – compared to the control group. The researchers found that hawthorn had a clear benefit for patients with mild to moderate heart failure.
Western herbalists tend to use the berries more often; however, research studies have given more attention to the flower and leaf in recent years.
You can eat the berries like food and enjoy them in a variety of ways, including infusing them into alcohol or vinegar or making them into honey, jam, or even ketchup. I recommend regularly enjoying hawthorn in large quantities; if taken daily it keeps hearts strong and nourished!
Hawthorn berries are a food-like herb that people can eat in larger amounts, as you would food. For better results with the berries, leaves, or flowers, use it daily and long-term.
Celebration Herbals Herbal Tea, Hawthorn
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 qualities of hawthorn with delicious spices that aid digestion. Enjoy in small amounts after an evening meal. (I think it helps me get through the day.)
I recently brought this to a potluck and served 1 to 3 teaspoons of the core 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 instead).
Need herbs or organic supplies? Find them here! This post is sponsored by our friends at Mountain Rose Herbs.
Hawthorn Berry Tea 1.6 Oz
Hawthorn Cordial Recipe from Herbal Alchemy: Transform Everyday Ingredients into Healing Foods and Medicines by Rosalee de la Forêt (Hay House, 2017)
She is a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches students from all over the world how to confidently use medicinal plants. Explore more herbs with Rosalee on her website, Herbs with Rosalee, where you can find her free course, How to Choose Your Favorite Herb.
HerbMentor runs many courses including Getting Started with Herbs, Herb Basics, Wildcrafter’s Toolkit & Cultivating Wellness… our Community Forum… Plant Walks, Exclusive Herb Monographs and more. Hawthorn has long been used in Chinese and Western medicine to treat a variety of ailments. The most studied use of hawthorn is for congestive heart failure (CHF). Its efficacy in CHF and other conditions is limited, but so is its toxicity. However, it is always best to consult with your primary care provider and pharmacist before starting any herbal regimen to avoid any potential interactions with prescription or over-the-counter medications.
Genus and the rose family and includes hundreds of types of shrubs and trees. Other names for this plant include the thorn, the flower, the shan za, and the crataegus berry. Hawthorn is native to northern Europe but is grown all over the world. Hawthorn plants are found as thorny bushes or small trees with bright green leaves, white flowers and red berries.
Glass Bottle Of Hawthorn Tincture Cup Of Hot Tea And Fresh Hawthorn Berries In The Bowl With Green Leaves Hawthorn Card Watercolor Hand Drawn Illustration Isolated On White Background Stock Illustration
Hawthorn fruit is used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve digestion, blood circulation, and to treat heart problems such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The dried fruits are usually made into jams, jellies, candies, or wine which are used to improve digestion. In European herbal medicine, hawthorn is the oldest known medicinal plant. The fruits, leaves and flowers are commonly used as a heart tonic, as an astringent, for muscle spasms, and for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The leaves, berries and flowers can be used to make liquid extracts usually with water