Medicinal Proparties Of Hawthorn Berries – The hawthorn berry, also known as “haw”, has been a popular ingredient in desserts and wines and an important medicinal herb for thousands of years. In ancient Rome, it was used to relieve diarrhea. It is also a staple herb in traditional Chinese medicine. In the Middle Ages, Europeans used it to keep their hearts healthy.
There are hundreds of species of hawthorn worldwide. Although small, hawthorn berries provide serious health benefits, especially for your heart. They can also improve your exercise performance (x).
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Medicinal Proparties Of Hawthorn Berries
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of physician visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States. More than 600,000 people die each year from heart disease (x).
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Hawthorn berries contain phytonutrients including anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins – antioxidants that strengthen blood vessel walls. They can also reduce symptoms of chronic heart failure, irregular heart rhythm, arrhythmia, low blood pressure, angina, atherosclerosis and high cholesterol (x).
Research suggests that hawthorn berry extract significantly benefits heart health compared to placebo (x). In one study, researchers gave 78 patients with heart failure 200 mg of hawthorn three times daily for two months. At the end of the trial, patients experienced an improvement in heart capacity and a reduction in their heart disease symptoms (x). In fact, hawthorn berry was almost as effective as prescription heart medications in reducing symptoms — and it had fewer side effects (x).
Hawthorn can also keep your heart healthy by lowering blood pressure. In one study, researchers gave 79 patients with type 2 diabetes either 1,200 mg of hawthorn extract daily or a placebo. At the end of the 16-week study, participants who took hawthorn had a greater reduction in blood pressure than those who did not (x).
Often confused with indigestion, angina is the technical term for chest pain. It is caused by reduced blood flow to the heart and is often a symptom of heart disease.
Hawthorn Tincture Photos
Studies suggest that the bioflavonoids (plant compounds) in hawthorn can reduce angina by dilating and relaxing blood vessels, promoting healthy circulation. They also improve blood flow to the heart and reduce tension in your blood vessel walls, which helps prevent chest pain (x).
People have used hawthorn berry extract to treat gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea and indigestion as far back as the first century (x). Today, studies suggest that hawthorn improves digestion by promoting gastrointestinal motility—the contraction of muscles that move food through your digestive system (x). Hawthorn can also support the production of enzymes that ensure you absorb nutrients properly for optimal health (x).
People have applied hawthorn berry extract topically to treat itching, boils, sores, ulcers, and frostbite. However, there are not enough studies to confirm these claims (x).
Hawthorn can be effective when used in combination with various other supplements. Coenzyme Q10 can lower cases of heart disease during the early stages when combined with hawthorn. Ginkgo Biloba can be used with hawthorn to improve blood circulation and ensure adequate oxygenation to the brain. Garlic (Allium sativum) and arnica (Arnica montana) can help treat cases of angina and low blood circulation. Lemon balm (Melissa Officinalis) and St. John’s wort are also used in combination with hawthorn to calm the nerves and induce sleep in insomnia.
Red Berries Of Medicinal Hawthorn, Snail On A Hawthorn Bush Stock Photo
Hawthorn is considered a safe supplement for adults. However, there are rare side effects that include an upset stomach, headache, or dizziness (x, x).
Additionally, hawthorn berry extract may interact with prescription medications. If you are taking any medications that affect and treat the heart, consult your doctor before taking this supplement. Also, if you have high blood pressure, take beta blockers and calcium blockers, male enhancement drugs that dilate blood vessels, or other medications that increase blood flow levels to the heart, you should consult your doctor before taking this supplement. Hawthorn is also contraindicated for people taking digoxin (x). Women who are pregnant may also want to avoid using hawthorn berries as it may possibly decrease uterine tone (x).
As a supplement, it is best to take 1,200 mg or half a teaspoon, once or twice per day, or as directed by your doctor (x). In addition, you can safely take hawthorn berry extract for a period of 16 weeks (x).
Hawthorn berry extract is touted as a heart health herb. Research has shown that it contributes to the overall health of the cardiovascular system. This is especially true for those suffering from angina, congestive heart failure, high or low blood pressure and other heart-related health problems. European doctors have been prescribing hawthorn for use under medical supervision for many years, but not so much among American doctors. Overall, this little red berry is a helpful ally when it comes to heart health and you may do well to add this supplement to your regular diet. Hawthorn is often called the “heart herb” for its various heart-protective abilities. Prized for its ability to lift and strengthen the heart both emotionally and physically, the hawthorn berry has 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 heart rhythm and even congestive heart failure.
Hawthorn Berry Recipes
In fact, hawthorn has been used to treat heart disease all the way back to the first century! Fast forward to the early 1800s and doctors in the United States were also using this medicinal herb for respiratory and circulatory ailments. (1)
Hawthorn fruits, leaves and flowers are all used medicinally today. Hawthorn fruit comes in the form of small red berries. Native American tribes enjoyed eating them and they also used hawthorn to treat heart problems, as well as gastrointestinal ailments. (2)
What makes hawthorn berries so medicinal? It seems to be their many flavonoids to begin with. Flavonoids are potent antioxidants known to effectively reduce inflammation while strengthening the immune system. 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 exactly how one tiny little hawthorn berry can actually make huge improvements in the health of many people.
Hawthorn Blend Tincture
The hawthorn bush, also called thorn 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 a hawthorn tree. Most of the time, you can find hawthorn growing along the sides of sunny forested hills. There are different species of hawthorn, many of which are found in North America. (4)
A hawthorn plant has berries as well as flowers that bloom in May. Hawthorn flowers are red, pink or white. The small hawthorn berries appear after the flowers have bloomed. 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 mixture of sweet and sour.
The hawthorn herb is loaded with health-beneficial compounds. These compounds have been shown to actually increase heart health. Hawthorn’s antioxidant flavonoids improve blood flow, protect against damage to blood vessels and even help dilate blood vessels. (5)
Hawthorn For A Healthy Heart: The Beat Goes On!
These flavonoids include OPCs. What is OPC? OPC stands for oligomeric proanthocyanidins. OPCs are some of the most common polyphenolic substances found in plants. (6)
Hawthorn berry is best known for its helpful toning effects on the heart. As a “cardiotonic herb,” hawthorn has been shown to be impressively helpful for all kinds of serious heart problems. These include heart failure, heart disease, angina pectoris, changes in heart rhythm and atherosclerosis. According to a 2016 study published in the journal
So far, research has shown that hawthorn may even have a useful effect on chronic heart failure (CHF). Several studies have shown that hawthorn supplementation has resulted in improved heart function based on a number of parameters. These parameters include blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output and exercise tolerance.
One study specifically gave 78 patients with NYHA class II heart failure a commercial preparation of hawthorn leaves and flowers. After two months, the patients who received 200 milligrams of hawthorn three times per day had an increase in heart capacity, as well as a reduction in symptoms. The hawthorn group also showed a reduction in systolic blood pressure during physical activity. Another German study also showed that a hawthorn extract (LI132 Faros®) worked almost as well as a prescription drug for heart failure (captopril). And the hawthorn extract had fewer side effects. (9)
Organic Hawthorn Berry Tea
) special extract either alone or as an addition to conventional treatment. After two years, fatigue, stress dyspnea and palpitations (the three main symptoms of heart failure) were all significantly reduced in the hawthorn group compared to the non-hawthorn group. (10)
Many herbal practitioners recommend hawthorn berries, flowers and leaves as natural blood pressure reducers. A scientific study published in
Had 79 type 2 diabetes patients either take 1200 milligrams of hawthorn extract daily or a placebo for a total of 16 weeks. Antihypertensive medications were also taken by 71 percent of study participants.
What did they find? The hawthorn group experienced greater reductions in diastolic blood pressure. However, there were no group differences in systolic blood pressure reduction. (11) Hopefully more studies to support hawthorn’s use in lowering blood pressure