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5 Hawthorn Berries Benefits, Reviews, Side Effects And Dosage
Hawthorn Berries Benefits, Reviews, Side Effects And Dosage 
Hawthorn is a large family of herbs used extensively in food preparations across the world, especially in making jams & jellies. However, not all herbs belonging to this genus have medicinal properties. This article covers more about the Hawthorn herb that offers health related benefits to the humans.
What Is Hawthorn?
The scientific name of Hawthorn is Crataegus. However, Hawthorn is not a single herb but a large family of shrubs and trees that belong to the Rosaceae family. Hawthorn plants are found in different parts of the world and the term Hawthorn is applied for the entire genus. Predominantly, the herb is found in temperate regions such as North America, Europe and Asia.

Originally, Crataegus Monogyna also known as the ‘common hawthorn’ found in Europe was known as the real hawthorn. However, today there is no such hawthorn herb which is known as the real hawthorn. As a plant, hawthorn is a thorny shrub that can reach up to a height of 5 feet and can be mostly seen inside forests & hillsides. The herb blooms only in the month of May with red, white and pink colored clustered flowers. The entire family of Hawthorn produces two kinds of berries – red and black. For medicinal preparations the leaves, berries and flowers of the herb are used.

Many species from the Hawthorn family are used in the culinary industry. For example, Crataegus pinnatifida (the Chinese Hawthorn) is used to make snacks, flakes, jams, jellies and are also used in drinks. The berries of Crataegus Mexicana from Mexico can be eaten raw and are also used in jams. In the USA, three species of Hawthorn known together as Mayhaws are combined to make jellies. The berries of Crataegus azarolus found in Iran can be eaten raw and are also used in jams.
The following species of Hawthorn are used for their medicinal values – Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus cuneata and Crataegus pinnatifida. Crataegus laevigata is used in traditional medicine for treating heart related ailments. Crataegus pinnatifida (Chinese Hawthorn) and Crataegus cuneata (Japanese Hawthorn) are used in medicinal preparations for the digestion process.

Crataegus laevigata is mostly found in western and central parts of Europe especially in UK, Spain, Hungary and the Czech Republic. It is also known by the following other names – C. levigata, midland hawthorn, Mayflower and the English Hawthorn. The herb was discovered and extensively used during the 1st century to treat heart related ailments. During the 1800s, the herb was used in the American continent by physicians to treat circulatory problems.

How Does It Work?

The berries of this herb contain the following –tannins, oligomeric proanthocyanidins, flavones-C, phenolic acids, triterpene acids and flavonoids such as rutin, quercetin and vitexin. The herb also contains Vitamin B-complex, Vitamin C and carotene. The Hawthorn supplements available in the market usually contain flavonoids and oligomeric proanthocyanidins.

Health Benefits Of Hawthorn

Hawthorn offers a wide range of effects on the human body such as – anti-oxidant, cardiac tonic, anti-inflammatory, digestant, anti-spasmodic, hyper & hypo tensive, cellular proliferator, vasodilator etc. The following are the health benefits of this herb:

For The Human Heart

 Human Heart

Hawthorn was and still is popular for its herbal properties & benefits related to the human heart. The herb is known as a cardiotonic.A number of clinical studies have been conducted using Hawthorn to test its ability to treat heart failure. All these studies have concluded that the herb was able to significantly reduce heart failure and enhance the endurance levels in patients. Some of the symptoms of heart failure such as shortness of breath and fatigue were significantly reduced in many patients after using this herb.

It was also found that patients who used Hawthorn along with their prescribed drug could reduce the dosage level of the allopathic medication. Yet another clinical study that used 900 mg of the herbal extract daily on patients for a period of two months found that Hawthorn is more effective than captropil which is a prescribed drug for heart failure.

Apart from heart failure, Hawthorn extracts can also be used in treating Angina or chest pain. In a clinical study that used 180 mg of the herbal extract daily on 60 patients of angina, it was found that there was a significant improvement in blood flow to the heart. Also, it was found that subjects were able to exercise more without suffering any chest pain.

Yet another benefit of this herb is in reducing cholesterol levels as Hawthorn helps in dissolving lipid deposits in the body. The herb is also used in treating irregular heart beat and hardening of the arteries.

High Blood Pressure
Another related benefit of using Hawthorn extract is in the treatment of high blood pressure. In a sixteen-week clinical study conducted with 1200 mg of the herb, it was found that Hawthorn could significantly reduce the blood pressure levels. Since the herb helps in the functioning of the human heart, many say that it can be used in treating hypertension and hypotension.

Other Benefits

Skin Sores
Apart from the above given benefits, Hawthorn extracts can also be used in the following conditions – skin boils and skin sores, insomnia, varicose & spider veins, hemorrhoids etc.

Dosage Level

As mentioned above, a handful of clinical studies safely used the following daily dosage levels of hawthorn extract – 900 mg to treat heart failure, 180 mg for angina and 1200 mg for high blood pressure. Generally, it is said that a dosage level between 160 mg to 1800 mg per day for a period of 3 to 24 weeks is safe.

Side Effects, Overdose & Other Considerations

Headache
Hawthorn is considered a safe and non toxic herb. Rare side effects of Hawthorn include the following – headache, nausea, drowsiness, sweating, agitation/anxiety and palpitation. Any dose above 1800 mg is considered an overdose and should be avoided.

Since the herb is used in treating serious health conditions related to the heart, it must always be taken with the consent of a medical practitioner. The herb should be avoided in pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and those prone to allergic reactions.

Review

Chest Pain, (Angina)
Hawthorn as an herbal supplement is available both in standardized and non-standardized concentrations. In the market one can find dried extracts of Hawthorn flowers, leaves and berries. The herb has been used since ages to treat chest pain, heart failure and high blood pressure. However, it must be noted that Hawthorn for its medicinal values has not been reviewed by the US FDA.

Drug Interactions
Hawthorn may interact with the following – Digoxin, Beta-blockers, Calcium channel blockers, Phenylephrine, Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and Nitrates.

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