A Long History of Heart Healing
By Dr. Mercola
A dense bush bearing tiny red berries, hawthorn bushes are common in wooded areas and fence rows across the U.S. and throughout the world. Many parts of the hawthorn (with the botanical name Crataegus), including its berries and flowers, have been used by traditional healers for centuries.
Resembling tiny sweet cherries, hawthorn berry “haws” have been used to make wine, jelly and flavored brandy for years, but not many people are aware of the impressive ways it remedies heart problems and many other physical ailments as well.
Increasingly, modern studies are pointing to the hawthorn plant as a valuable therapy for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states is the most prevalent cause of death in the U.S. In fact, more than 2.6 million people died of it in 2015.1 Pharmacognosy Review reported:
Combining Hawthorn With Supplements for Greater Effect
Hawthorn is sometimes combined with other herbs for heightened effectiveness, according to Herbal Supplement Resource:
- Using hawthorn supplements with Coenzyme Q10 may curb early stages of heart disease.
- Hawthorn can be combined with ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) to improve blood circulation so more oxygen is transported to your brain.
- Used with garlic (Allium sativum) and arnica (Arnica montana) Hawthorn may remedy angina and low blood circulation.
- An herbal tea of hawthorn is said to calm your nerves and induce sleep, especially when used with lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and St. Johns wort.
Recommended dosages of hawthorn are typically 160 to 900 milligrams two or three times a day. You can also use it as an herbal tea from 4 to 5 grams of the dried berries or 1 to 2 grams of the dried leaves and flowers. Liquid extracts are also available, with recommended dosages of 20 to 30 drops in a small glass of water.
As a side note, the effectiveness of hawthorn supplements may be lowered by asthma medications, Viagra, Clonidine (a blood-pressure-lowering drug) and other herbs for your heart.
The People’s Pharmacy reports that pregnant women should not take hawthorn.19 Additionally, hawthorn may increase the effects of heart medications such as digitoxin, so it should not be used with herbs containing cardiac glycosides like foxglove and lily of the valley.20
Sources and References
- Herbal Supplement Resource 2016
- Natural Health 365 2016
- University of Maryland Medical Center January 2, 2015
- Doctor Murray
- Livestrong May 11, 2015
- Christopher Hobbs 1998
- Dr. Weil February 12, 2014
- Herb Wisdom 2016
- The Epoch Times January 28, 2016
- 1 CDC October 7, 2016
- 2, 10 Pharmacogn Rev. 2010 January-June; 4 (7):32-41
- 3 The Epoch Times January 28, 2016
- 4 Herb Wisdom 2016
- 5 American Botanical Council 2016
- 6 The British Homeopathic Review, Vol. 45 London, 1901
- 7 Christopher Hobbs 1998
- 8, 11 Herbal Supplement Resource 2016
- 9 Eur J Heart Fail. 2009 October; 11(10):990-999
- 12, 18 University of Maryland Medical Center January 2, 2015
- 13 Doctor Murray
- 14 Dr. Weil February 12, 2014
- 15 Herbs2000 2002-2016
- 16 NCCIH April 27, 2016
- 17 Nutrients. 2016 May;8(5):283
- 19 The People’s Pharmacy October 18, 2005
- 20 Livestrong May 11, 2015
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