The benefits of hawthorn for a healthy heart
Dear Reader,
Ask any herbalist what's good for the heart
and you'll probably get a one-word answer:
hawthorn.
For instance – noted herbalist Christopher
Hobbs writes that he has a special affection
for hawthorn because it helped his father
strengthen his heart after a heart attack
more than two decades ago.
Hobbs writes: "The extract of hawthorn can
increase blood flow to the heart muscle
itself, helping to counteract one of the
most common modern causes of death in
industrial countries – heart attack due to
lack of blood flow to the heart."
Sudden failure
A team of German and US researchers recently
tested a hawthorn extract in a trial that
included more than 1,440 patients with
congestive heart failure.
Writing in the European Journal of Heart
Failure, the researchers note that hawthorn
preparations have been used for centuries in
Europe, but their use as a complementary
treatment, as an "add-on" with drug
treatment, has never been studied.
Subjects received either 900 mg of hawthorn
per day, or a placebo, for two years.
Researchers found that the average time to
first cardiac event was statistically the
same: an average of 620 days for hawthorn,
against 606 days for placebo. There was also
no statistical difference in mortality rates
between the two groups.
But one measure stood out. The researchers
write that hawthorn extract "can potentially
reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac
death, at least in patients with less
compromised left ventricular function."
The left ventricle is the lower chamber of
the heart that pumps blood to the rest of
the body. This function is typically
impaired in heart failure patients.
Improvements all around
In a previous study, more than 200 patients
with chronic congestive heart failure (CHF)
were divided into three groups to receive
either 900 mg or 1,800 mg of hawthorn
extract daily, or placebo.
After 16 weeks, maximum exercise tolerance
increased significantly in the high-dose
group compared to the other two groups, and
heart failure symptoms improved in both of
the extract groups, but not the placebo
group. In an 18-month follow up assessment,
patients who were taking the extract had a
20 per cent reduced risk of CHF-related
death compared to placebo
That study was very likely included in a
2008 meta-analysis of 14 clinical trials in
which hawthorn was tested on hundreds of
patients. Researchers found that adding
hawthorn as a complementary treatment along
with conventional CHF treatments,
significantly improved exercise tolerance,
maximal workload, fatigue, and
pressure-heart rate product (an index of
cardiac oxygen consumption).
Adverse side effects were described as
"infrequent, mild, and transient."
Talk to your doctor before adding hawthorn
to your daily regimen. CHF patients might
want to consult with an experienced
herbalist or natural health practitioner to
make sure they receive a potent, high-
quality hawthorn extract.
Here's another drug for the "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?" file.
In recent years, scientists have been unravelling the functions of the amygdala – a small but complex area of the brain that's deeply involved with psychiatric and behavioural functions.
And the amygdala is the target of a drug called muscimol, which is designed to relieve stress.
In a recent trial, researchers subjected rats to stressful conditions, and then gave them a small dose of muscimol. One of the researchers said that stress effects were completely eliminated, and added, "It was as if the experience had never happened. Inactivation of the amygdala took the stress away."
Crataegus, commonly called hawthorn, is a well-known herb in traditional Chinese medicine and is an herb remedy in cultures throughout much of the world where there is a temperate climate supporting growth of the trees, especially in Europe. The species used in China, Crataegus pinnatifida, differs from that which is relied upon as a source of the Western herb, obtained mainly from Crataegus monogyna and Crataegus oxycantha. Western herbalists primarily use hawthorn for treatment of heart disease; this application has been adopted by Chinese herbalists as well. In ancient times, the Chinese herbalists mainly used crataegus (shanzha) to improve digestion; for the past thirty years, Western applications of crataegus have been verified by Chinese researchers and added to its list of applications in Chinese medicine. Numerous Chinese formulations now incorporate the herb for strengthening heart function, lowering blood lipids, and dilating blood vessels to promote blood circulation.
CRATAEGUS FOR CARDIAC DISEASE
In Western herbalism, crataegus fruit, leaf, and flower have all had a long history of use for treating cardiac weakness, and this has become a focus on modern research efforts (2). Controlled clinical trials are in the early stages, but evidence to date indicates that crataegus is an aid to persons with chronic heart failure. It appears to improve the left ventricular function and, as a result, improve exercise capacity and tolerance (3). In addition, crataegus provides many of the benefits attributed to Chinese herbs that are "blood vitalizers:" reducing blood lipids, improving blood circulation, and alleviating hypertension (via vasodilation). These effects may be attributed primarily to the flavonoids of crataegus.
Crataegus for blocked arteries in
Homepathic
A proven thing for blocked arteries is
Crataegus Q or the saturated juice of
hawthorne berries. Those who can not find
Crataegus Q can make it at home.
On all Chinese or Korean stores dried
Hawthorne berries are available
inexpensively. I bought 2 pounds of berries
for just $1.99.
I suggest following way to make Crataegus Q
Soak the berries in lukewarm water for half
hour so that all preservatives, if any -
dissolve off in the water.
Drain off the water and put wet berries in
water + any cheap liquor, vodka or whiskey
etc. (Half water half liquor) By each day
liquor will contain more juice from the
berries.
Take two spoonfuls of that liquid twice a
day. When liquid is almost finished and you
feel there is still juice in the berries you
can add more water + liquor. Or you can make
new batch.
