The fruit, leaves and flowers of hawthorn are used as a natural remedy to lower cholesterol, protect against atherosclerosis, dilate coronary blood vessels and to fight hypertension. Hawthorn has not been approved in the United States for the prevention or treatment of any disease. High blood pressure can lead to heart attack and stroke; it should be monitored by a healthcare professional. Do not use hawthorn as a substitute for regular medical care.
History
The use of hawthorn dates back to Dioscorides, a Greek physician who wrote about its properties during the age of the Roman Empire. The plant gained acceptance as an herbal medicine in Europe and America only toward the end of the 19th century. Drugs.com reports that hawthorn flowers, leaves, and fruits have been used in the treatment of high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, hardening of the arteries and chest pain. Preparations containing hawthorn remain popular in Europe and are gaining acceptance in the United States.
Botany
Hawthorn grows as a thorny bush or small tree. Its shiny leaves are divided into three to five lobes. The flowers are perfumed, grow in bunches and bloom in May. After blossoming, the plant sprouts round red or dark fruits containing one to three seeds. Hawthorn is high in heart-healthy antioxidant flavonoids and vitamin C. The berries are eaten as a food in Asia and Mexico.
Time Frame
If you are hypertensive, it may take consistent use of hawthorn to lower blood pressure. Researchers led by S. Asgary, of Sedegheh Tahereh Hospital in Iran, investigated the effects of a local variety of hawthorn in 92 men and women with mild primary hypertension. In a randomized, double-blind clinical trial, subjects were given either placebo or hawthorn extract three times daily for four months. Blood pressure was measured each month and compared to controls. It took 90 days for a significant drop in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure to become apparent in the the hawthorn-treated group. The findings were published in "Drugs Under Experimental and Clinical Research" in 2004.
Considerations
Research supports the use of hawthorn for the treatment of high blood pressure in conjunction with prescribed medications. A.F. Walker and colleagues at the University of Reading in England randomized 79 patients with type 2 diabetes into two groups who received either hawthorn extract or a placebo for 16 weeks. Of these subjects, 71 percent were taking medication for hypertension. The results, published in the June 2006 "British Journal of General Practice," found lower average diastolic blood pressures in the hawthorn group when compared to controls. In this study, no difference was seen in systolic blood pressure between the two groups.
Warning
People with erratic blood pressure should not use hawthorn. Do not use hawthorn if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, except under the advice of a healthcare professional. High doses of hawthorn may cause sedation or low blood pressure.
