Hawthorn

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Hawthorn Berries

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Hawthorn Flowers

Hawthorn

The medicinal herb Hawthorn as an alternative herbal remedy - Hawthorn is a spiny, flowering shrub or small tree of the rose family. The species of hawthorn discussed here are native to northern European regions and grow throughout the world.Common Names--hawthorn, English hawthorn, harthorne, haw, hawthorne Latin Names--Crataegus laevigata (also known as Crataegus oxyacantha), Crataegus monogyna

What Hawthorn Is Used For

Hawthorn fruit has been used as an herbal remedy for heart disease since the first century. It has also been used for digestive and kidney problems.

• More recently, hawthorn leaf and flower have been used for heart failure, a weakness of the heart muscle that prevents the heart from pumping enough blood to the rest of the body, which can lead to fatigue and limit physical activities.
• Hawthorn is also used for other heart conditions, including symptoms of coronary artery disease (such as angina).
• Hawthorn is also used as an herb to lower blood pressure, and treat some heart related diseases.

Herbal Remedy Products with Hawthorn as part of the ingredients

	RectoRex Drops™ - Herbal remedy supports health and circulation of rectal veins & capillaries in the anal area Supports health of the surrounding tissue of the anal opening Maintains routine circulation in the anal area while sitting Supports vein and capillary health of the anal passage
	High-Rite™ - Proven natural remedy to lower high blood pressure (hypertension) Lowers high blood pressure Protects the heart and cardiovascular system Improves circulation, including chilblains and tingling Improves the heart's ability to pump blood Reduces plaque buildup in arteries Relieves symptoms of angina

• What RectoRex Drops™ and High-Rite™ says: Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) is according to recent studies, beneficial for heart health (Schussler M, Holzl J, Fricke U. "Myocardial effects of flavonoids from Crataegus species". Arzneimittelforschung 1995;45:842-5. ) (Walker, AF, Marakis G, Morris AP, Robinson PA. "Promising hypotensive effect of hawthorn extract: a randomized double-blind pilot study of mild, essential hypertension". Phytotherapy Research. 2002;16(1):48-54). This herb also has flavonoids as an active constituent. (Kao ES, Wang CJ, Lin WL, Yin YF, Wang CP, Tseng TH. "Anti-inflammatory potential of flavonoid contents from dried fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida in vitro and in vivo". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2005;53(2):430-436).

How Hawthorn Is Used

• The hawthorn leaf and flower are used to make liquid extracts, usually with water and alcohol. Dry extracts can be put into capsules and tablets.

What the Science Says about Hawthorn

• There is scientific evidence that hawthorn leaf and flower are safe and effective for milder forms of heart failure.
• There is not enough scientific evidence to determine whether hawthorn works for other heart problems.
• NCCAM is supporting research studying the mechanisms by which hawthorn may affect heart failure.

Side Effects and Cautions of Hawthorn

• Hawthorn is considered safe for most adults when used for short periods of time. Side effects are usually mild and can include upset stomach, headache, and dizziness.
• Drug interactions with hawthorn have not been thoroughly studied. It was once thought that hawthorn interacted with the heart medicine digoxin. However, a very small study in people without heart conditions found no interaction, but evidence is limited.
• Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

News About Hawthorn

Hawthorn: A Natural Way to Boost Heart Health

• Source:http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/heart-health/hawthorn-a-natural-way-to-boost-heart-health/

(Best Health)

Hawthorn has been a popular natural remedy used to improve heart health since ancient times

Hawthorn for a healthy heart

Hawthorn is taken as a tincture or in capsule form, and is included in some herbal remedies, to protect against atherosclerosis and heart failure and to reduce blood pressure. Together with garlic, hawthorn has become one of the most popular traditional treatments for heart disease. Hawthorn extract is available from some health food stores. Always follow package instructions carefully. You can also make tea from dried hawthorn leaves, flowers and berries.

Who should take hawthorn?

Hawthorn has many possible side effects’which include nausea, headache and palpitations. There may be adverse interactions with other medicines, notably conventional medications for heart disease and high cholesterol. It is advised to use caution when administering hawthorn at home. If you are taking other medications, it is best to ask your doctor if hawthorn is safe in combination.

Medical experts advise against giving hawthorn extract to children or pregnant women.

Medical studies and research on hawthorn

With more people dying every year from cardiovascular disease than from any other cause, hawthorn’s ancient pedigree has prompted much recent research into how it can be used in relation to heart health. Some of the most interesting findings have emerged from a study at the University of Cincinnati, in which the ‘guinea pigs’ were not humans or mice but baby zebrafish. (Zebrafish embryos are widely used in medical research as ‘model organisms’ for testing compounds in vivo, prior to human trials.)

The Cincinnati researchers fed zebrafish larvae high-cholesterol diets. Then they divided the fish into three groups: one fed with regular food, one given a high-cholesterol diet and one on a high-cholesterol diet plus an extract of hawthorn leaves and flowers. The results? As noted in the researcher’s 2012 report, the high-cholesterol diet significantly reduced cardiac output, as expected; and cholesterol was reduced, and cardiac output increased, in the fortunate fish that had been fed the hawthorn extract. As well as highlighting the fact that hawthorn extract can reduce cholesterol and increase cardiac output, the zebrafish study found that in fish that did not have high cholesterol, hawthorn actually reduced cardiac output.

Another study, carried out at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, in 2009, involving mice on a high-cholesterol diet, found that hawthorn extract was as good as simvastatin a standard treatment for high cholesterol.

Several studies have been carried out on humans, too. In one trial, people received either a hawthorn extract or a placebo daily for three weeks. Among those who took hawthorn, the blood flow to the heart was improved and symptoms of chest pain (angina) were reduced.

In a 2004 German study involving 900 people suffering heart failure (decreased cardiac output), half were treated with 900 milligrams per day of hawthorn extract over 2 years; at the end of the trial, all the classic symptoms of heart failure’fatigue, shortness of breath and irregular heartbeat’were significantly improved in those patients.

What do the studies mean?

All of the studies to date involved an extract of hawthorn’a complex mixture of compounds. So, what are the active compounds, which might be having an effect? Most researchers put it down to a class of antioxidants called flavonoids’once dubbed ‘vitamin P”present in many plants, and in abundance in hawthorn.

Hawthorn in conventional heart medicine

For now, the creation of a hawthorn-based medicine remains tantalizingly out of reach. But further research may change that, and this ancient ally may yet extend its reach to benefit millions more people. Did you know?

‘ Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) are members of the rose family and grow widely in temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere

‘ Hawthorn is also called Thorn-apple tree, May bush, May tree, May flower and whitethorn.

‘ Hawthorn was first used to treat heart disease around 1600, when a court physician prescribed it for French king Henry IV.

‘ Medicinal use of hawthorn dates back to the Middle Ages, as herbal medicine books of that time suggest hawthorn as a treatment for diarrhea and stomach cramps.

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Hawthorn: The Safe Heart Tonic that Improves Blood Supply to the Heart

• Source:http://www.smart-publications.com/articles/hawthorn-the-safe-heart-tonic-that-improves-blood-supply-to-the-heart/page-2

(Smart Publications)

Long before most herbs are promoted in the United States, they are approved as medicines by the German government and are reviewed by Commission E, a group of experts and authorities responsible for the creation of monographs similar to the official summaries used to regulate drugs in the United States. Commission E monographs describe each herb, its applications, the appropriate dosage and contraindications. Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha, C. monogyna) is one of these herbs, and has been prescribed by European doctors for years to treat various heart conditions including hypertension and hypotension, elevated cholesterol levels, angina, congestive heart failure, and atherosclerosis, and to improve breathing capacity, physical performance, and general heart function.

Although there are about 280 known species of hawthorn, the plant from which medicinal extracts is obtained is a spiny shrub native to the northern wooded temperate zones of eastern North America and Europe.

Hawthorn was initially documented by the first century Greek herbalist Dioscorides and later by the Swiss physician Paracelsus. According to Christian legend, the Crown of Thorns was believed to be made of hawthorn. Because of this, the herb was thought to possess miraculous healing properties. In ancient Greece, hawthorn was a symbol of hope and happiness, while in Rome, it was considered a potent charm.

Hawthorn berries are edible and the herb has an excellent safety record with plenty of clinical evidence to support its cardiovascular benefits. Clinical use of the herb for cardiovascular disease and heart ailments, however, didn't begin in Europe until the nineteenth century.

Chemical composition

Hawthorn's health benefits are due to the active flavonoid compounds found in its leaves, berries and blossoms, particularly anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins. These flavonoids are powerful antioxidants and are responsible for the red-to-blue colors found in hawthorn berries and also blackberries, cherries, blueberries, grapes, and flowers.

How does hawthorn support cardiovascular health?

••Appears to improve the metabolism of the heart, thereby increasing strength and promoting regular contractions of the heart, helping to normalize arrhythmias

••Has a relaxing effect that helps regulate blood pressure and treat hypertension

••Can be useful in the recovery period after a heart attack by strengthening the heart muscle, and improving blood flow and oxygen to the heart, and in treating congestive heart failure

••Helps prevent free radical damage

••Improves blood flow, oxygen and nutrients to the heart by dilating blood vessels, and helps alleviate the pain associated with angina

Lowers blood pressure

Hawthorn is thought to lower blood pressure and strengthen heart-muscle function by relaxing and dilating blood vessels, producing a mild diuretic effect, and acting as both a natural calcium channel blocker and an ACE inhibitor. ACE, short for angiotensin converting enzyme, refers to an enzyme that reduces sodium retention and blood pressure. Be patient though. Hawthorn can take two to four weeks to lower blood pressure.

Helps prevent and treat atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis remains a major cause of death in the United States. The good new is the proanthocyanidins in hawthorn help reduce cholesterol levels and decrease the size of existing atherosclerotic plaques15, probably due to their ability to stabilize collagen, the most abundant protein in the body. Cholesterol is deposited within the artery when the collagen matrix of the artery is weakened, and scientists believe that atherosclerotic plaques will not form if the collagen matrix remains strong. Studies in which laboratory animals were fed proanthocyanidin extracts showed a decrease in serum cholesterol levels and the reversal of atherosclerotic lesions.

Shows promise in the treatment of congestive heart failure

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, almost 5 million Americans have congestive heart failure, a progressive and lethal disease if left untreated. Half of the patients diagnosed with CHF die within five years, and there are an estimated 400,000 new cases each year. Even with existing therapies, the mortality rate remains high, and the quality of life is significantly impaired.

What is CHF?

The condition is caused by and/or exacerbated by hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart attack, and excessive alcohol consumption. Patients with CHF are unable to pump blood out of their heart efficiently, because of weak and dilated heart chambers. As a result, congestion may occur in the lungs or the circulatory system, giving rise to a variety of symptoms including edema, reduced circulation, and reduced urine output during the day and increased urine output at night. In order to compensate for insufficient circulation, the heart increases the number of contractions. This results in an enlargement of the muscle itself, a progressive thickening of the heart muscle fibers and enlarged chamber volume. The increased tissue mass increases the heart's need for oxygen, which is why people with CHF have difficulty breathing.

CHF is a difficult condition to treat. Hawthorn, however, has been shown to increase survival time and improve quality of life, by actually improving circulation in the heart itself.

Hawthorn has shown promise in both uncontrolled and controlled clinical trials in the treatment of New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II congestive heart failure-defined as "fatigue or shortness of breath during heavy exertion and possibly during normal activities."

A very recent double-blind study of 143 patients shows the efficacy and safety of a standardized extract of hawthorn berries in patients with cardiac failure. For eight weeks, the patients had their work output on an ergometer bicycle measured. The group taking hawthorn extract three times a day showed less fatigue and shortness of breath than the group taking the placebo. The researchers concluded that patients taking hawthorn over a period of time could expect improvement in their heart failure condition.

A similar study of 136 patients showed an improvement in shortness of breath, ankle edema, and restricted physical performance. Patients also reported a "better sense of mental well-being."

When patients taking hawthorn extract were compared to patients taking the ACE inhibitor Captopril in a double-blind study, hawthorn was shown to produce similar benefits to the drug without any serious side effects.20 Produces a relaxing effect inside the arterial wall

Nitric oxide is produced by endothelial cells that line your blood vessels. It is responsible for causing all of the capillaries and little blood vessels to relax and go to their biggest open position rather than half-closed or tightly-closed position, as you would find in someone with high blood pressure. In other words, nitric oxide production is essential to allow the unobstructed flow of blood throughout your vessels.

But if the endothelial cells are damaged from free radicals, inflammation or contain heavy metals, nitric oxide production is impaired. Endothelial dysfunction, as it is called, has been linked to hypertension, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, diabetes, blood clots, infection, and heart failure.

A study in which hawthorn extract was given to rats, indicates that its procyanidins produce an endothelium-dependent nitric oxide-mediated relaxation in isolated rat aorta, which is good news for individuals with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Conclusion

Though heart disease continues to plaque our nation as the #1 killer, hawthorn is an exceptional, safe herb for strengthening the heart muscle, and benefiting a number of heart ailments. In fact, in Eat Right for Your Type (Putnam Pub. Group, 1997), Peter D'Adamo writes, "If I had my way, extracts of hawthorn would be used to fortify breakfast cereals, just as vitamins are."

Combined with a healthy diet, exercise, stress-reduction techniques, and other nutritional supplements, including an excellent vitamin/mineral supplement, CoQ10, and cardio-support nutrients such as taurine, folic acid, and red wine polyphenols, hawthorn may be just what you need to create a heart wellness program that will protect your heart and arteries … and give you peace of mind.

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10 Amazing Health Benefits Of Hawthorn

• Source:http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/amazing-health-benefits-of-hawthorn/

(Naomi, StyleCraze)

What if there is one ingredient that can magically help in your weight loss process? Or what if the very same ingredient helps you lose cholesterol and prevents cancer as well? Wondering what we are talking about? Well, it is the hawthorn berries!

Hawthorn berries, in addition to the ones mentioned above, have many other health benefits! They have many uses as well! Would you like to know them? Please give this post a read!

Uses Of Hawthorn Berries:

These berries were used in the form of traditional medicine back in the first century. They contain phytonutrients such as anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins.

Hawthorn berries have antioxidants that strengthen the walls of your blood vessels, and also provide therapeutic effects as well.

The leaves and blossoms contain certain kinds of compounds that fight cholesterol and alleviate the symptoms of chest pain. This makes you less prone to heart attacks and cardiovascular diseases.

Hawthorns are also great for patients who are stressed or anxious. They help you sleep better at night and prevent kidney damage.

Hawthorns have been considered to be safe for adults. And side effects are rare.

And now for the amazing health benefits of hawthorn berries! Go ahead!

1. Aid In Weight Loss:

Weight loss has been everyone’s obsession these days. Eating right and looking good is so important. And while trying to do so, one should only stick to foods that are low in calories or are organic in nature. A healthy option in such cases would be hawthorn berries. They boost weight loss and help you lose those unwanted pounds within a short period of time.

2. Fight Cholesterol:

Another health benefit of hawthorns is their ability to eliminate bad cholesterol and boost the good cholesterol. They contain flavonoids that protect your heart, and treat conditions like chest pain and clogged arteries.

3. Contain Antioxidants:

Hawthorn berries are an excellent source of antioxidants. They prevent life threatening diseases by neutralizing the free radicals. With hawthorn berries, you can maintain the radiance of your skin and stay flawlessly beautiful for life. In other words, they contain anti-ageing properties that control fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, dullness and other signs of aging.

4. Boost Metabolism:

Hawthorn berries also help in burning body fat. They boost metabolism and help you break plateau. They also allow your body to burn more calories while working out. You should eat hawthorn berries more often if you want your body to improve quickly.

5. Improve Digestive System:

Hawthorn berries are excellent for your digestive system too. They control constipation, bloating, flatulence and ensure timely bowel movement.

6. Ensure Good Cardiovascular Health:

Hawthorn berries are full of flavonoids that protect your heart and significantly improve your cardiovascular health. They also contain antioxidants that contain anti-inflammatory properties. Hawthorn berries even help in preventing blood clots in the arteries.

7. Prevent Cancer:

You can also prevent dangerous diseases such as cancer with the help of hawthorn berries. They contain powerful antioxidants that fight all the cancer causing radicals in the body. They also detoxify your blood, cleanse your system and flush out all the toxins.

8. Treat High Blood Pressure:

Hawthorn berries also treat high blood pressure. There are several cardiovascular benefits this fruit can provide you with. People who suffer from hypertension should definitely try hawthorn berry tea! It shows great results.

9. Treat Insomnia:

Hawthorn berries have often been recommended by doctors for people suffering from insomnia. This fruit will improve your sleeping patterns and ensure you don’t get up too often at night. If this sounds like you, get hold of hawthorn berries as soon as possible!

10. Improve Vision:

Hawthorn berries are excellent for your eyes too. They contain Vitamin A that maintains a healthier vision and prevents cataract growth. Vitamin A upholds the growth of cells too.

You have read what makes hawthorn berries a great ingredient! Now go ahead and read how to prepare the amazing hawthorn berry tea!

Ingredients:

• Hawthorn berries

• Water

• Saucepan

Instructions:

1. Boil water for two minutes on the stove.

2. Now drop 3 to 4 hawthorn berries into the water.

3. Once you are done boiling, steep for 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Now scoop out the berries with the help of a spoon.

5. Pour the tea into a cup and enjoy.

6. You can also store the tea if you like. But make sure you don’t store it for more than three days.

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Herbs for Health: Hawthorn Benefits

• Source:http://www.motherearthliving.com/health-and-wellness/herbs-for-health-hawthorn-benefits.aspx

By Steven Foster

Heal with hawthorn remedies from around the world.

Few plant groups have perplexed botanists as thoroughly as the hawthorns (Crataegus), a genus of shrubs and small trees in the rose family native to temperate North America, Europe, and northern Asia. Unrestrained interbreeding and a lack of isolating mechanisms have produced hundreds of hybrids and other variants. During the late nineteenth century, botanists felt compelled to describe nearly every one of these as a species and named almost 1,000 species native to North America alone. Today’s botanists recognize a total of 100 to 200 variable species.

The generic name Crataegus is derived from the Greek kratos, “strength”, referring to the toughness of the wood. Plants range from 3-foot shrubs to 30-foot trees, most with dark brown scaly bark and stout or slender, straight or branched spines ranging in length from 1 to 8 inches. The leaves are usually 1 to 4 inches long, varying in shape from oval to deeply cut. In England, the nutty-tasting young leaves of one-seeded hawthorn (C. monogyna) were eaten in sandwiches. Clusters of delicate white (sometimes red, purple, or pink), usually foul-smelling, 1/2-inch, roselike flowers bloom in May and June. The fruits (haws) look like round, oblong, or pear-shaped rose hips. They may be 1/4 to 1 inch long and come in orange-yellow, scarlet, red, yellow, blue, and black. The flesh is mealy and dry like that of rose hips and contains one to several hard seeds. Some fruits are extremely astringent, but those of several species are reportedly quite tasty. The 1-inch, orange-yellow haws of the eastern Mediterranean azarole (C. azarolus) are apple-flavored and are used to make jams and liqueurs.

Many kinds of hawthorns are grown as ornamentals in parks and residential plantings. The showy fruits lengthen their season of interest, and tolerance of heavy pruning make some forms suitable as hedges. Hawthorns are generally more resistant to disease than other ornamental fruit trees.

Traditional uses

Hawthorns have been used as medicine wherever they are native. They include the European one-seed hawthorn (C. monogyna) and English haw­thorn (C. laevigata), the Balkan (C. pentagyna), Mediterranean (C. azarolus), and eastern European black hawthorn (C. nigra). In China, C. pinnatifida and C. cuneata have been used.

The Greek and Roman herbal writers mention haw­thorn only in passing for its edible, though less than delicious fruit. English herbalists also paid it little attention. A few Western sources note it as a remedy for stomach ailments and diarrhea.

Native Americans including the Potawatomi, Ojibwa, Chip­pe­wa, Meskwaki, Cherokee, Omaha-Ponca, Winnebagos, and Kwakiutl used the fruit or decoctions of the root or bark to treat gastrointestinal disorders and as female and general tonics, heart stimulants, and poultices for wounds and sores.

In China, hawthorn was mentioned as a drug in the Tang-Ben-Cao, an herbal dating to a.d. 659. It was used to treat stomach disorders, heart disease, and scurvy.

Western medicine first acknowledged hawthorn’s utility in treating heart ailments in an 1896 article by J. C. Jennings, a Chicago physician. For the next fifty years, it was widely used in both Europe and the United States, but U.S. physicians have since forgotten it. A modern phytomedicine

Today, European and Asian practitioners prescribe haw­thorn for treating early congestive heart failure, angina pectoris, and heart attacks, as well as sensations of pressure or anxiety in the heart, age-related heart problems not requiring digitalis, and mild arrhythmias. Pharmacological and clinical studies have shown that it increases the blood supply to the heart muscle and strengthens its contractions, enabling the heart to pump more blood to the rest of the body. Hawthorn extracts also improve circulation to the extremities by reducing resistance in the arteries.

Germany has approved prep­a­rations of the leaf with flowers of C. monogyna or C. laevigata but not drugs made solely from the fruits or the leaves. That’s because most clinical studies of hawthorn have used preparations that include both the leaf and the flower.

Active constituents

Studies have confirmed that sterols, triterpenes, flavonoids, catechins, proanthocyanidins, and amines isolated from the flowers, leaves, and fruits affect the cardiovascular system. A combination of these compounds appears to be responsible for these effects.

Commercial preparations are standardized to flavonoids, oligomeric procyanidins, chlor­ogenic acid, and other constituents. Potency varies with the plant part used as well as the time of harvest. For example, procyanidins are three times as concentrated in the fall leaves as in leaves harvested in the spring.

Preparations and cautions

The usual dose of a standardized product is 160 mg per day (divided into two doses); under a physician’s supervision, as much as 160 mg three times daily may be prescribed in Europe. A pleasant-tasting, slightly tart, astringent tea may be made by combining a teaspoon of the powdered fruits with a cup of boiling water.

Although no adverse effects from taking hawthorn have been reported, any heart condition is a serious matter. Don’t try to diagnose or treat yourself, but see a qualified health-care provider.

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The Benefits of Hawthorn

• Source:https://www.verywell.com/the-benefits-of-hawthorn-89057

By Cathy Wong, ND (Reviewed by a board-certified physician)

Health Benefits, Uses, Tips & More

A tree native to Europe, North America, and northern Asia, hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) produces berries that contain potent antioxidants. Extracts of the berries (as well as hawthorn leaves and flowers) have long been used in herbal medicine. In the United States, hawthorn products are typically marketed for their effects on heart health.

Uses for Hawthorn

Hawthorn is purported to help treat the following health problems:

• indigestion

• angina

• atherosclerosis

• congestive heart failure

• high blood pressure

Benefits of Hawthorn

The antioxidants in hawthorn are thought to boost heart health by strengthening blood vessels and stimulating blood flow. Keep in mind that scientific support for the potential benefits of hawthorn is limited.

1) Chronic Heart Failure

Hawthorn may help manage symptoms and improve physiologic outcomes when used as a supporting treatment for chronic heart failure, according to a 2008 research review of 14 studies (including a total of 855 chronic heart failure patients). The review's findings indicate that treatment with hawthorn may lead to improvement in exercise tolerance and in symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath.

2) High Blood Pressure

In a pilot study published in 2002, 38 mildly hypertensive volunteers were assigned to a daily supplement of 600 mg of magnesium, 500 mg of hawthorn extract, a combination of magnesium and hawthorn, or a placebo.

After 10 weeks, the 19 subjects who took hawthorn extract showed a greater reduction in resting diastolic blood pressure than other study members. What's more, hawthorn-taking participants were found to have lower levels of anxiety.

In a more recent study, published in 2006, scientists discovered that hawthorn helped lower blood pressure among individuals taking prescription drugs to treat their type 2 diabetes.

3) Atherosclerosis

An animal study published in 2009 suggests that hawthorn may help reduce levels of blood fats (including cholesterol) and aid in the prevention of atherosclerosis (the buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries).

Using Hawthorn for Health

Given the extremely serious nature of heart disease, it's crucial not to attempt to self-treat a heart condition with hawthorn (or any other herbal remedy). Make sure to consult your physician if you're considering the use of hawthorn in treatment of a heart problem.

Caveats

Although hawthorn is generally considered safe, it may trigger adverse effects such as nausea, fatigue, sedation, and sweating.

Hawthorn may also interact with certain medications, such as blood pressure drugs. Supplements haven't been tested for safety and due to the fact that dietary supplements are largely unregulated, the content of some products may differ from what is specified on the product label.

Also keep in mind that the safety of supplements in pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, and those with medical conditions or who are taking medications has not been established. You can get tips on using supplements here, but if you're considering the use of hawthorn, talk with your primary care provider first.

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Your health: How to keep your heart healthy

• Source:http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11650030

By Sandra Clair (Sandra Clair 's Opinion)

Hi Sandra, I've had a couple of friends that have recently been diagnosed with heart problems. It spurred me to go to the doctor for a check-up and I'm fine, but it still gives me some anxiety - I don't want to wait around for something bad to happen. Is there anything I can do proactively to keep my ticker healthy? -- William, Ashburton.

Hi William,

Thank you for your question. It is great that you are thinking of your long term health. Cardiovascular health is an important topic for everyone, especially as we age.

Studies show that by increasing your fibre intake can reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. Fibre can bind with extra cholesterol and help pass it from the body preventing further absorption. Exercise helps because as we know, our heart is a muscle and it needs to be worked to maintain good health.

Work on reducing your alcohol and cigarette intake as this can place more pressure on your cardiovascular system.

Plant medicine can significantly help, in particular Hawthorn (Crataegus spp). In a meta-analysis of this plant it showed that Hawthorn treatment provided overall benefits for the whole cardiovascular system while also improving fatigue, and helping those that have difficulty with breathing. Hawthorn is mostly used for cardiovascular conditions as its benefits lie in its ability to help strengthen the heart muscle. It also helps with increasing the integrity of blood vessels, and improving coronary blood flow. These actions provide an increased benefit to the cardiovascular system as well as providing positive effects on the utilisation of oxygen.

High cholesterol is a major problem for many of us, especially for New Zealand men. High cholesterol can lead to depositions on the walls of the arteries, which can block them and this may cause heart attacks or strokes. High cholesterol can also be attributed to dietary factors, lack of exercise, smoking or by being overweight. Globe artichoke leaf (Cynara cardunculus) extract has be shown to help with reducing high cholesterol. This medicinal plant was attributed to reducing the LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol level and also helping to increase the HDL cholesterol (which provides heart protective benefits). You can easily take your daily dose of Globe artichoke leave as a medicinal tea each morning before breakfast. Because it is bitter, it has additional liver cleansing effects. Just as you clean your teeth every day, it is important to look after your inner health every day too.

Cinnamon is high in antioxidants and is very anti-inflammatory. This is beneficial as often cardiovascular conditions arise from high inflammation levels within the body. Cinnamon also helps to lower blood pressure as it can help with vasodilation, and can help with the reduction of cholesterol.

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiac) holds multiple active constituents that attribute positive benefits for the cardiovascular and muscular system. It acts as a muscle relaxant that eases general muscle tightness, calms palpitations that arise from stress and supports normal heart rhythm.

All these medicinal plants contain water soluble active constituents and are traditionally enjoyed as a hot drink.

Always remember that regular health checks can be a great way to monitor your cardiovascular health, so keep your lead medical provider informed of any new things you are starting or taking. Good luck and well done on thinking proactively.

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10 British trees you should grow in your garden

• Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/how-to-grow/ten-british-trees-you-should-plant-in-your-garden-/

By Julie Kendall

Only 1 per cent of UK families can identify the country's most common trees, according to new research by Unilever. Now is the time to get to know our native species, says Eden project horticulturalist. Julie Kendall. here, she explains why planting native trees in your garden is such good idea and which ones to pick.

The Eden Project is famous for bringing together plants from across the world, with the rainforest and med biomes iconic symbols of global gardens. However, in the outside gardens and estate you'll find a huge range of native plants and trees, which help keep the local eco-system healthy.

The fact that the majority of Brits are not able to identify the country’s most common trees could be addressed by more of us planting native trees in our gardens. Watching a tree grow and flourish in your own garden is a great way to get to know the species.

And native trees means that they are at home in Britain: they’ve grown here for thousands of years - so planting them will help native insects and other animals to survive.

10 trees you should plant in your garden

1) Alder, Alnus glutinosa

Planting an alder is a great way to invite birds and insects to live in your garden. These trees grow fast and love damp soil. In the winter, male catkins and female cones dangle from the branches. Its timber was used as a lure for woodworm, which would prefer to eat away at a block of alder wood placed in a wooden cupboard than the cupboard itself.

2) Ash, Fraxinus excelsior

For the Vikings, their ‘world tree’ was an ash: Yggdrasil united heaven, hell and earth. Many pagans saw the ash as a healing tree, and used it in ceremonies and treatments. The wood is very springy and can withstand sudden shocks, so is great for snooker cues and hockey sticks.

3) English oak, Quercus robur

Oaks grow all over Britain, but why not grow one of these huge, solid beauties in your garden? They’re the best at attracting insects (who’ll help to pollinate other plants in your garden) and can live for over 500 years.

4) Hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna

The hawthorn is also known as the May tree, and you’ve probably seen loads of its beautiful white flowers blooming in the month of May. Used in spring ceremonies, this tree also has more practical uses and its berries are thought to benefit the heart and to lower blood pressure.

5) Hazel, Corylus avellana

If you grow a hazel, you can look forward to harvesting the tasty nuts and perhaps sharing them with garden friends such as squirrels and dormice. The catkins that grow on hazels also look pretty cool – they’re known as ‘lamb’s tails’.

6) Holly, Ilex aquifolium

You’ll love harvesting holly from your own garden at Christmas, and the birds will love you for providing shelter and a plentiful source of food in the berries. There’s nothing like seeing the red berries and the shiny, spiky leaves of holly to brighten a dark, cold winter’s day.

7) Rowan, Sorbus aucuparia

This used to be planted outside houses to ward off witches, but you might like to plant one simply because it’s a lovely tree with bright red berries! It can even survive on high and exposed ground.

8) Silver birch, Betula pendula

If you want to make a quick impression on your garden, try this fast- growing pioneer species with its slightly shiny silvery-white trunk. Its timber is used to smoke haddocks, among other things, and its trunk can be tapped for sap that can be made into wine.

9) Small-leaved lime, Tilia cordata

Although you won’t get green lime fruits from this tree, it is one of our most beautiful native species. You can eat the leaves in salads, and brew a pleasant, uplifting tea from the flowers.

10) Willow, Salix sp.

These graceful trees survive in the dampest of places, so will suit a water- logged or riverside garden. They also have their fair share of folklore – the words ‘witch’ and ‘wicked’ come from the same word as ‘willow’.

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Hawthorn Pills Safe for Heart Patients

• Source:http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20070327/hawthorn-pills-safe-heart-patients?page=2

(WebMD)

Hawthorn Extract May Extend Lives of Heart Failure Patients, Though Further Study Needed

Hawthorn Extract Extends Lives in Short Term

The study included 2,681 people with advanced heart failure who were taking standard drug therapy for the condition, including ACE inhibitors to lower blood pressure and beta-blockers to improve the heart's pumping abilities.

Half were given a hawthorn extract pill twice a day; the rest were given a placebo. Six months later, 5% of those on a placebo and 3% of those taking the supplements had died. This means that the risk of dying was 40% lower in those taking the extract, Holubarsch says.

Eighteen months later, 12% of patients on a placebo and 9.5% of those taking the supplements had died. This means that the risk of dying was 20% lower in those taking the extract, he says.

"On average, the extracts extended patients' lives by four months during the first 18 months of the study," Holubarsch says.

But by 24 months later, about 14% of people in both groups had died.

Hawthorn Extract Safe

Those taking the pills were less likely to suffer serious side effects such as fast orirregular heartbeats and chest pain than those on a placebo, he says. They were also less likely to suffer mild side effects like nausea and stomachaches.

Marc Pfeffer, MD, PhD, a heart specialist at Harvard Medical School, says these are important findings.

Many people take herbal and dietary supplements without telling their doctors, which can result in dangerous, even deadly, drug interactions, he notes.

The study results should help alleviate concerns, as "we now know you can take this particular supplement safely with other heart medications," Pfeffer tells WebMD.

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8 Super Health Benefits of Hawthorn Berries

• Source:http://www.ifreepress.com/8-super-health-benefits-hawthorn-berries/

By Enozia Vakil

If you are aware of the fruits called hawthorn berries and if it is available at a store near to you, then you’re in for a good health advantage, as you may or may not know that there are a number of benefits of hawthorn and hawthorn berries that may be really useful to you. Let’s have a look at them:

• Rich in Antioxidants: Hawthorn berries are a good source of antioxidants. Through neutralization of the free radicals messing with your health in your body, they do a good job at reducing the risk of life threatening diseases. Plus, it also increases the radiance of your skin through its anti-aging properties which reduces dullness, dark spots, fine lines, and other noticeable signs of aging, pretty sweet.

• Increase Metabolism: By increasing the metabolic activities in your body, hawthorn berries are very useful in burning fat, helping you to shed weight much easier. The same goes for the amount of calories burned during workout as well.

• Keeps Cardiovascular Health in Check: Packed with a good amount of flavonoids, hawthorn berries ensure that your cardiovascular health is good, protecting heart health while doing so. The anti-inflammatory properties due to the antioxidants is also worth mentioning, relieving you of inflammatory pain. Furthermore, hawthorn berries also help in preventing blood clots in the arteries.

• Improve Vision: Hawthorn berries also have a positive effect on your eyes as they contain vitamin A that prevents growth of cataract and maintains a healthy vision. Vitamin A upholds the growth of cells which is another plus too.

• Treat High Blood Pressure: Hawthorn berries are also good in treating high blood pressure. Great results are seen in people who were suffering from hypertension AKA high blood pressure but then consumed hawthorn berries.

• Treat Insomnia: Hawthorn berries have been prescribed by many doctors as a natural medicine to people suffering from insomnia. Hawthorn berries makes sure that you don’t wake up too often at night and improves sleeping patterns as well. Hence, you can finally ensure sound sleep and get a good and recommended amount of sleep.

• Help in Weight Loss: Weight loss has been an increasing problem in the world’s population as there are people striving for shedding as much weight as possible through either the use of effective methods such as a diet, eating healthy or a good workout at the gym or those ‘miracle pills’ that aren’t quite as miraculous as they claim to be. Guess what? Hawthorn berries work here as well, you can have them to boost your weight loss in shorter amount of time, hence behaving as a catalyst in your weight-loss goals.

• Prevent Cancer: Once again, the antioxidant content in these little red bundles of nutrition is what gets things done. Cancer causing radicals in the body are eradicated through antioxidants, as well as a good detoxification is done, cleansing your system and resulting in a lesser risk of cancer to you.

The best way to acquire all of these benefits is to prepare a hawthorn berry tea.

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Healing the Heart With Hawthorn

• Source:http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1945172-healing-the-heart-with-hawthorn/

By Conan Milner (Epoch Times)

Hawthorn has served as both a food and medicine for thousands of years. It’s one of the longest-used medicinal plants in European herbalism. Up until the 19th century, it was widely associated with fairies and magic.

Today hawthorn ranks among the three most often used “heart herbs” in the West (along with garlic and cayenne pepper) and is prescribed by doctors and herbalists alike. It’s used to treat all manner of cardiovascular problems: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arrhythmia, angina, enlarged heart, hardening of the arteries—you name it.

People take hawthorn both for prevention and advanced heart disease. A 2010 meta-analysis of hawthorn research and clinical practice concluded that the herb holds “significant potential as a useful remedy in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.” Hard and Sharp

Ranging in size from shrub to tree, hawthorn is a handsome plant year round. It’s a rustic cousin of the rose, and every spring it erupts in clusters of small blossoms (pink, red, or white depending on the variety).

In the fall, hawthorn produces small, hard, apple-like berries called “haws” (a name that comes from an old Saxon word meaning “hedge”). When its shiny leaves have fallen, the tree reveals thorns the size of sewing needles. The botanical name, crataegus, comes from Greek words meaning hard and sharp.

A full-grown hawthorn tree is small, but trees often enjoy a ripe old age (some are over 700 years old). In Germany and Britain, hawthorn hedges were used for centuries to mark property boundaries.

One old name for hawthorn is “bread and cheese tree” because the berries, blossoms, and leaves are all safe to eat and have provided sustenance in times of famine. Even in times of plenty, the berries are used to make jam, syrup, or wine.

Plant Parts

The hawthorn berry is the part most often used for food. But when it comes to a heart medicine, studies overwhelming favor the leaf and flower. That doesn’t mean the berry has no cardiovascular benefit. Research points to the plant’s rich antioxidant content for its healing ability, and each plant part has a different mix of favorable compounds.

When selecting a supplement, the recommended standardization of compounds to look for is at least 1.8 percent vitexin and 10 percent procyanidins. These standardization recommendations give the consumer something comparable to products found effective in research and clinical practice.

To get a feel for how hawthorn works, consider something called ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme). This enzyme constricts blood vessels, thereby raising blood pressure. Similar to ACE-inhibitor drugs, hawthorn extract works to regulate ACE activity, relaxing the blood vessels so pressure drops and circulation improves.

Further research has shown that hawthorn may also regulate the heartbeat, increase blood flow to the heart, and serve as a mild sedative.

The funny thing about herbal history is that you often find different cultures using the same plants in very different ways.

While heart issues are the main indication for hawthorn in the West, in traditional Chinese medicine, it’s mostly used for digestive problems, such as diarrhea and bloating, especially after an overindulgent, greasy meal. The fruit is also available as a candy, jelly, or powder for a sweet-and-sour tea to sip after dinner.

Given the success of hawthorn as a heart medicine in the West (and the rise in heart disease around the world), Chinese doctors are now using it this way too.

Safety Concerns

Hawthorn is a very safe herb, and European doctors often combine hawthorn with conventional drug treatment. Even so, patients taking heart medicine are advised to talk to their doctor before adding hawthorn.

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Hawthorn – the heart healer

• Source:http://www.nyrnaturalnews.com/article/hawthorn-the-heart-healer/

(Staff Writer, NYR Natural News)

Hawthorn (Crataegus species), a member of the rose family commonly planted along hedges to deter trespassers with its prickly branches, has heart-healthy properties that ancient Greeks and Native Americans recognised centuries ago.

Sometimes called the Thorn Apple, there are over 1,000 different species and hybrids of Crataegus throughout the world. The two species most commonly used for medicinal purposes in Western herbalism are Crataegus oxyacantha (now known as Crataegus laevigata) and Crataegus monogyna.

The distinctive shrubs and small trees, which produce delicate flowers in the spring and bright red berries in the late summer, are native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. Both the berries (or ‘haws’) and flowers are used medicinally and all species of Crataegus appear to have similar healing properties.

Hawthorn is particularly helpful in treating heart conditions associated with ageing. The German Commission E specifically recommends hawthorn leaf and flower for this purpose – though the berry can be equally effective.

Abundant antioxidants

Rich in antioxidant polyphenols, hawthorn appears to work by helping strengthen the heart muscle, reducing or preventing degeneration of blood vessels and improving blood flow by dilating the coronary arteries.

Taken regularly it may help to reduce feelings of tightness in the chest and reducing blood pressure. It may also help to induce a regular heart rhythm and acting as a beta-blocking and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. It also has a role to play in helping to control high blood pressure.

Atherosclerosis is caused by when low density lipoprotein (LDL), or ‘unhealthy’ cholesterol is oxidised causing plaques to build up in the arteries. These plaques narrow the passageway and ultimately affect the amount of blood flow to the heart. This can further lead to complications such as heart attack and stroke Scientists are currently investigating hawthorn’s bioactive compounds as a substance that can prevent the oxidation of “bad” cholesterol in the body.

An analysis of existing data in 2012 showed that supplementing with hawthorn may improve symptoms of heart failure such as dyspnea, fatigue and physical capacity.

Other evidence shows it can potentially reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death, at least in patients with less compromised left ventricular function.

Animal studies suggest that, with regular use, if you do have a heart attack, hawthorn may reduce the size of the attack, and prevent heart cell loss after experimentally induced heart attack or stroke.

As effective as conventional treatments

Some small studies suggest that hawthorn can be as effective as conventional medications.

One early German-language trial in 1994 compared hawthorn extract with ACE inhibitor captopril on 132 patients. Captopril is a medicine used to lower blood pressure, to relieve symptoms of congestive heart failure and to improve survival after a heart attack. Hawthorn seemed to have similar effects as captopril on measurements such as exercise tolerance, fatigue and dyspnoea. In addition hawthorn extract did not trigger any adverse effects.

More recently in 2003 a study of 102 patients diagnosed with mild cardiac insufficiency showed that a preparation of hawthorn improved several symptoms of cardiac insufficiency, a sign of congestive heart failure. In this case hawthorn extract (900 mg/day) taken for 2 months was as effective as low doses of captopril (a prescription heart medication) in improving symptoms of heart failure.

Good for a broken heart, too

Hawthorn’s on the heart may not just be physiological. Though not well researched hawthorn is also used to help to treat sadness, for instance from bereavement and for low self-esteem. Symptoms such as anxiety, nervousness, and sleeplessness may respond to supplementation with hawthorn.

The emotional experience of broken hearts and physiological experience of heart failure share a number of neurohormonal mechanisms and depression’s link to heart failure is well established. Most recently data has shown that loneliness can trigger the kind of inflammation that is linked to heart disease and other health problems.

Anti-tumour and other benefits

Research has shown that polyphenols derived from the fruit of the tree have anti-tumour activities on skin, indicating a potential use in preventing skin cancer. Scientists are also beginning to research the effects of Chinese hawthorn on the inflammation that is a hallmark of liver disease. Preliminary animal and cell culture study results are promising; however more research is needed to determine if this therapy is viable for humans.

Hawthorn has an astringent effect which can be useful for diarrhoea and dysentery. It is sometimes recommended during the fluctuations of the menopause for debility or night sweats. Hawthorn also has a diuretic effect, which can help relieve fluid retention.

Take care

Hawthorn is generally very safe but if you are taking beta-blockers or digitalis it should be used only under the guidance of an herbal practitioner as it may have an ‘additive effect’ to these drugs that can result in a very slow pulse rate. Similar cautions apply if you are pregnant.

It can take a few months before you feel its full beneficial effects. As a general guideline try taking:

Dried herb: 1-2 teaspoons flowering tops, per cup. Drink three times daily.

Tincture: 1-2 ml standardised tincture daily in a little water.

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What Are the Health Benefits of Hawthorn Extract?

• Source:http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/health-benefits-hawthorn-extract-5211.html

By Tracey Roizman, D.C. (Demand Media)

Hawthorn, also known as mayflower, is a member of the rose family, whose flowers, leaves and fruits have been used for food and medicine since the Neolithic period. Ancient Greeks regarded hawthorn as a symbol of hope and fertility and featured the flowers in wedding ceremonies. In modern times, hawthorn is used primarily for its purported heart-healthy benefits. Antioxidants

Hawthorn contains a number of flavonoid compounds that may be useful for treating and preventing cardiovascular disease, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. In particular, it boasts high levels of quercetin and oligomeric proanthocyanidins, or OPCs, which neutralize free radicals that can damage cells and promote arterial plaque formation, or atherogenesis. A laboratory animal study published in the March 2011 issue of the "China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica" found that four weeks of hawthorn supplementation caused changes that led the authors to conclude that hawthorn berry "could inhibit" atherogenesis. Further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results. Congestive Heart Failure

Hawthorn has been used successfully to treat mild to moderate congestive heart failure in several reliable studies, according to New York University Langone Medical Center. A review of 10 previously published studies that appeared in the January 2008 issue of the "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews" found that hawthorn supplementation in conjunction with conventional treatment decrease oxygen consumption and increased exercise tolerance significantly. Study participants also reported less shortness of breath and fatigue with hawthorn supplementation. Researchers concluded that hawthorn shows potential for considerable benefit in the treatment of chronic heart failure. Cholesterol

Cholesterol-lowering effects of hawthorn are possible due to the herb's ability to increase the liver's absorption of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol, according to R. Watson, co-editor of the book, "Botanical Medicine in Clinical Practice." A laboratory animal study published in the July 2012 issue of the journal, "BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine," found that supplementation with hawthorn leaves and flowers significantly reduced cholesterol levels. Further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results. Considerations

Side effects of hawthorn may include skin rash, nausea, headache, heart palpitations and dizziness. High doses may induce low blood pressure or irregular heart beat. Hawthorn can also increase the effectiveness of some heart medications and interfere with others. Consult your doctor before taking hawthorn to treat a health condition. Additionally, while you are taking hawthorn, avoid taking other herbs that affect heart function, such as cola, ginger, mate or shepherd's purse. Pregnant and nursing women, and children under 12 years, should not take hawthorn.

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Foraging Heart-Healthy Hawthorn

• Source:http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/foraging-heart-healthy-hawthorn-zbcz1408.aspx

By Leda Meredith

Hawthorn's bright red fruits caught my eye this past weekend when I was leading a foraging tour. Sometimes snubbed because of its mealy texture, hawthorn fruit makes spectacular liqueurs, jellies, fruit sauce, and chutney.While you're enjoying the rosy color and gentle sweetness of this late summer and early fall fruit, you may also be getting some health benefits: hawthorn has a long history of use as an herbal medicine for the heart, especially for arrhythmia. It is useful for both high and low blood pressure, acting as a balancing tonic. Recognizing Hawthorn

Hawthorns are small trees with leaves that are 1-2 inches long and usually lobed. The leaves can have different shapes from one tree to the next, but are always alternate with toothed margins.The lovely white to pale pink flowers look like clusters of apple or cherry blossoms and bloom in mid-spring.

Hawthorn fruits look like little apples, usually red but sometimes closer to purple. You might think you've found an apple or a crabapple tree...until you notice the wickedly long, stout, and sharp thorns. Those thorns are your ID clincher. Also, apples always have 5 seeds per fruit in a pentacle pattern, whereas the number of seeds in hawthorn fruit can vary from 1 to 5. Collecting Hawthorn Fruit

Look for hawthorn on open hillsides, near pastures and stream banks. It is also widely planted as an ornamental in city parks.

Poking around around hawthorn's spiky branches is no fun, and the fruit that has already fallen to the ground quickly becomes bug-infested. Instead, wait until the fruit has started falling from the tree. Lay down a drop cloth and carefully (watch out for those thorns) shake the reachable branches. The ripe fruit will fall onto your drop cloth. Eating Hawthorn

Go for recipes that skip the tedious work of removing hawthorn's seeds, while making the most of the lovely color the fruit's skin imparts. Hawthorn-infused vodka or brandy, hawthorn jelly, hawthorn syrup...you get the idea. You can also run the fruit, unpeeled, through a food mill to remove the stems and then use the pulp to make hawthorn sauce (similar to apple sauce).

When guests ask what's in their blush-colored digestif, I joke with them that it's strictly for medicinal purposes. But the truth is that although my heart may benefit from hawthorn's tonic properties, I simply enjoy the taste. How to Make Hawthorn Liqueur

Wash ripe hawthorn fruits. Lightly smash each fruit with the bottom of a mason jar or a potato masher. Put the smashed fruit into a clean glass jar and cover it with brandy or vodka. Put the lid on the jar and let the hawthorn steep for one month. Strain out the fruit and add honey to taste (I like just a teaspoon per cup of hawthorn extract, but you may want it sweeter).

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Hawthorn for Your Heart

• Source:http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/hawthorn_for_your_heart/

By Byron J. Richards (Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist)

Widely recognized as a cardiovascular tonic, hawthorn berry relaxes the heart while supporting its ability to produce and sustain energetic output. Since the heart never gets a vacation, the rejuvenating effect of hawthorn may be the next best thing. Hawthorn berries are used in traditional medicine1 in the treatment of chronic heart failure, high blood pressure, irregular heart beat, and digestive problems. They also have mild diuretic properties and a beneficial impact on cholesterol.

Hawthorn berries contain a wide range of flavonoids, which are responsible for their diverse mechanisms of operation. These flavonoids include hyperoside, rutin, quercetin, vitexin, epicatechin, catechin, and proanthocyanidins. Hawthorn also contains germ-controlling phenols such as chlorogenic acid.

There are several varieties of hawthorn. The preferred form for nutritional supplementation is Crataegus oxyacantha, which is standardized at 1.8% to contain the heart-friendly flavonoid vitexin. Common doses used in hawthorn studies range from 160-1800 mg, with the most common doses tested in the range of 600-900 mg per day. Hawthorn and Heart Failure

Hawthorn is widely used in Europe as an approved treatment for the initial stages of heart failure (Class I and II), with the goal of improving patients without the use of drugs. It has also been used to help patients with Class III heart failure, in conjunction with medical treatment.

Heart failure implies that the heart is not fit enough to supply blood for the body’s needs. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, fluid retention (especially ankle swelling), fatigue, and a reduced ability to exercise. The severity of the problem is classified by the heart’s performance based on a four-class scale known as the New York Heart Association Functional Classification.

• Class I: no limitation is experienced in any activities; there are no symptoms from ordinary activities.

• Class II: slight, mild limitation of activity; the patient is comfortable at rest or with mild exertion.

• Class III: marked limitation of any activity; the patient is comfortable only at rest.

• Class IV: any physical activity brings on discomfort and symptoms occur at rest.

A recent scientific review of all double-blind controlled studies on hawthorn2 (of which there are many) found a “significant benefit in symptom control and physiologic outcomes from hawthorn extract as an adjunctive treatment for chronic heart failure.” Hawthorn was shown to improve the heart’s maximum workload, which resulted in improved exercise tolerance. Shortness of breath and fatigue were significantly improved, and the heart’s ability to use oxygen was enhanced. These are very significant findings for a dietary supplement. Hawthorn Berry In Action

Hawthorn has a relaxing effect3 on the arteries, improving circulation and facilitating healthy blood pressure. Hawthorn has been shown to enhance the flow of blood4 through the heart, while helping the heart beat tone up (inotropic effect). In fact, hawthorn was found to be far friendlier and more energy efficient than drugs in helping the heart muscle contract5 to produce an effective beat. A randomized controlled trial showed that hawthorn lowered diastolic blood pressure6 (the lower number) in patients with type II diabetes.

A flavonoid contained in hawthorn has been shown to have a natural regulating effect on angiotensin converting enzyme7, acting as a natural ACE inhibitor. ACE converts the inactive form of angiotensin (angiotensin I) into the active vasoconstrictor (angiotensin II). A system with inadequate brakes leads to higher blood pressure. Better tone in this system also supports kidney health.

During times of circulatory stress, immune cells may release an enzyme called human neutrophil elastase8 (HNE). While this is a normal enzyme, excess amounts can induce wear and tear. Hawthorn berry helps to modulate the release of HNE, thereby supporting cardiovascular health.

Hawthorn has also been shown to protect animals from experimentally induced heart attack9 by maintaining antioxidant status and boosting oxygen utilization within the heart. In another experiment, researchers showed that hawthorn protected the liver10 from adverse changes during a heart attack, indicating hawthorn’s protective effect beyond just the heart and circulation.

In a study of rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet, those on hawthorn had a 23% reduction in total cholesterol11 and a 22% reduction in triglycerides. Researchers believed hawthorn helped reduce cholesterol absorption from the diet. This finding is similar to another animal study, which not only found similar reductions in cholesterol12 and triglycerides, but also found that damage to the liver did not occur at the same rate with hawthorn supplementation. Yet another animal study found that hawthorn helped activate LDL receptors13 in the liver, promoting the natural clearance of cholesterol through the bile.

Hawthorn helps prevent free radical-induced oxidation14 of LDL cholesterol, a step that must occur before LDL can form plaque in arteries. It was also shown to protect vitamin E from damage and synergistically boost vitamin E status by 18%-20%.

While hawthorn has been extensively studied and widely used in Europe for heart failure, its general effect on the heart is relaxing and toning, improving overall fitness. Furthermore, hawthorn’s multiple actions in the circulatory system are synergistic with many other cardio-friendly nutrients toward the goal of improved cardiovascular health.

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Healing the Heart With Hawthorn

• Source:http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1945172-healing-the-heart-with-hawthorn/

By Conan Milner (Epoch Times)

Hawthorn has served as both a food and medicine for thousands of years. It’s one of the longest-used medicinal plants in European herbalism. Up until the 19th century, it was widely associated with fairies and magic.

Today hawthorn ranks among the three most often used “heart herbs” in the West (along with garlic and cayenne pepper) and is prescribed by doctors and herbalists alike. It’s used to treat all manner of cardiovascular problems: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arrhythmia, angina, enlarged heart, hardening of the arteries—you name it.

People take hawthorn both for prevention and advanced heart disease. A 2010 meta-analysis of hawthorn research and clinical practice concluded that the herb holds “significant potential as a useful remedy in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.” Hard and Sharp

Ranging in size from shrub to tree, hawthorn is a handsome plant year round. It’s a rustic cousin of the rose, and every spring it erupts in clusters of small blossoms (pink, red, or white depending on the variety).

In the fall, hawthorn produces small, hard, apple-like berries called “haws” (a name that comes from an old Saxon word meaning “hedge”). When its shiny leaves have fallen, the tree reveals thorns the size of sewing needles. The botanical name, crataegus, comes from Greek words meaning hard and sharp.

A full-grown hawthorn tree is small, but trees often enjoy a ripe old age (some are over 700 years old). In Germany and Britain, hawthorn hedges were used for centuries to mark property boundaries.

One old name for hawthorn is “bread and cheese tree” because the berries, blossoms, and leaves are all safe to eat and have provided sustenance in times of famine. Even in times of plenty, the berries are used to make jam, syrup, or wine.

Plant Parts

The hawthorn berry is the part most often used for food. But when it comes to a heart medicine, studies overwhelming favor the leaf and flower. That doesn’t mean the berry has no cardiovascular benefit. Research points to the plant’s rich antioxidant content for its healing ability, and each plant part has a different mix of favorable compounds.

When selecting a supplement, the recommended standardization of compounds to look for is at least 1.8 percent vitexin and 10 percent procyanidins. These standardization recommendations give the consumer something comparable to products found effective in research and clinical practice.

To get a feel for how hawthorn works, consider something called ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme). This enzyme constricts blood vessels, thereby raising blood pressure. Similar to ACE-inhibitor drugs, hawthorn extract works to regulate ACE activity, relaxing the blood vessels so pressure drops and circulation improves.

Further research has shown that hawthorn may also regulate the heartbeat, increase blood flow to the heart, and serve as a mild sedative. Chinese Hawthorn

The funny thing about herbal history is that you often find different cultures using the same plants in very different ways.

While heart issues are the main indication for hawthorn in the West, in traditional Chinese medicine, it’s mostly used for digestive problems, such as diarrhea and bloating, especially after an overindulgent, greasy meal. The fruit is also available as a candy, jelly, or powder for a sweet-and-sour tea to sip after dinner.

Given the success of hawthorn as a heart medicine in the West (and the rise in heart disease around the world), Chinese doctors are now using it this way too.

Safety Concerns

Hawthorn is a very safe herb, and European doctors often combine hawthorn with conventional drug treatment. Even so, patients taking heart medicine are advised to talk to their doctor before adding hawthorn.

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‘Tis the Season for Hawthorn Berries

• Source:https://beijingtoday.com.cn/2016/01/tis-the-season-for-hawthorn-berries/

By Yen Wang

Shanzha, also known as hawthorn berries, are among the most commonly used fruits in Chinese medicine. Since ancient times they have been considered one of the best medicines for strengthening the spleen, promoting digestion, relieving food retention and quickening circulation.

In Chinese medicine theory, the hawthorn berry is combined with other herbs to relieve indigestion, loss of appetite, infant diarrhea, dysentery, abdominal pain and postpartum blood stasis. In addition to its medical benefits, the fruit has a sweet-and-sour taste that’s appealing to most people.

Its popularity in China has helped the hawthorn berry to find a place in many dishes and snacks. The most famous would be tanghulu, a candied kabob of the fruits.

Tanghulu is an Old Beijing snack of candied hawthorn berries on a kabob stick. Today it is widely available in most Chinese cities. Although tanghulu is traditionally made only of hawthorn berries, in recent years, vendors have been experimenting with cherry tomatoes, mandarin oranges, strawberries, blueberries, bananas and grapes.

Shanzha sticks were a popular snack in the 1990s. In the old days they were usually consumed during the holiday season. For the older generation, shanzha sticks covered in granulated sugar represent abundance and happiness. Many young people love shanzha with lotus roots. It is tasty and highly nutritious. The vivid color contrast between the white lotus roots and bright red hawthorn berries is both appetizing and appealing to the eye. Many Chinese restaurants in Beijing serve the dish, especially those that specialize in southern cuisine. It’s also very easy to cook at home.

It is said that shanzha with pork is good for food stagnation, bloating and nausea. It’s also considered helpful for patients who are dealing with high blood pressure, fatty blood or indigestion. The dish is only made with hawthorn berries and pork because popular tradition prohibits eating hawthorns with seafood or lemon flavors.

Hawthorn berry dumplings are not a normal dish in Chinese cuisine. People who hear of it for the first time often feel uncomfortable with the idea of stuffing dumplings with hawthorns. However, the dish is gaining popularity among young diners – especially those trying to lose weight. Hawthorn berry dumplings are considered a healthy, low-calorie alternative to more traditional fillings.

Photo Gallery of Hawthorn

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  Fruits of the Hawthorn tree

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  Hawthorn in the meadow

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