High blood cholesterol can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. One approach to keeping cholesterol low is to take a prescription statin drug such as simvastatin. Hawthorn is a traditional remedy for cardiovascular ailments. Consuming hawthorn supplements along with simvastatin may further improve your cardiovascular health. Discuss adding hawthorn to simvastatin with your doctor to determine if this is appropriate for you.
Simvastatin
When your blood level of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is too high, excess LDL may form arterial deposits called plaque. Plaque can interfere with blood flow, narrowing the coronary arteries that supply your heart. Simvastatin is one of a class of drugs called statins that help lower LDL levels. The drug suppresses an enzyme in the liver that makes cholesterol. When you take simvastatin, less cholesterol is made and released into your blood, lowering your LDL level. Over time, this may decrease plaque deposits in your arteries.
Hawthorn
The leaves, flowers and berries of the hawthorn shrub, or Crataegus species, have been part of traditional herbal medicine for thousands of years. The plant grows worldwide and produces small red or black berries after flowering. Hawthorn is especially recommended by practitioners for heart problems and circulatory disorders. The plant contains several natural compounds that are members of a class called flavonoids that are potent antioxidants.
Properties.
The antioxidant compounds in hawthorn help remove potentially damaging free radicals from your body. These molecules are made as byproducts of metabolism or they are produced by environmental toxins. Free radicals may damage cell membranes or DNA, potentially contributing to ailments that include heart disease. The antioxidant flavonoids in hawthorn also relax the smooth muscle in your coronary arteries, increasing blood flow to your heart and helping counteract the effect of plaque buildup in these important arteries.
Recommendations
Since simvastatin and hawthorn act through different mechanisms to benefit your heart, taking hawthorn along with simvastatin may be beneficial. Hawthorn is generally available as a supplement in most health food stores. Choose preparations standardized to 2 to 3 percent flavonoids; the usual dose is 160 to 900 mg daily. Hawthorn is generally considered safe, with only mild side effects that may include headache or nausea. Do not consume hawthorn if you are pregnant of breastfeeding. Hawthorn may interact with some medications, especially heart medicines. Discuss the use of hawthorn with your doctor before consuming it.
