21 Feb Hawthorn, a Tonic for the Heart

Hawthorn berries, leaves, and flowers have been used as food and medicine for centuries. Their use as a heart tonic, though, is relatively recent.  That story is interesting and goes like this:

A Dr. Green of Ennis in County Clare, Ireland practiced medicine in the 19th century and was known to have great success with patients with heart ailments.  This Victorian era doctor was secretive about his methods, never revealing the ingredients of his cures for “dropsy” (edema), “flux of humor” (circulation problems), heart weakness in aging, and the like.  When he died, his daughter revealed that his protocol consisted largely of administering tinctures of the ripe berries of the very common Hawthorn tree.

Hawthorn is a gentle herbal medicine.  It seems to work primarily by enhancing the heart’s ability to utilize oxygen.  It can be taken on a regular basis over a long period of time.  In separate double-blind studies, patients with either cardiac insufficiency or weakened cardiac performance showed significant improvement.  In other studies, Hawthorn exhibited the ability to  increase coronary blood flow, decrease arterial blood pressure, decrease heart rate, and improve the contractility of the heart muscle.

There is no one constituent within the plant that can do all of the above.  The whole plant extract is preferred, including  the leaf, flower and berry.  Hawthorn doesn’t work to stimulate the heart, like digitalis (a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and biennials), but works on the nutrition of heart cells and their ability to store and release energy.  Dr. Rudolf Weiss, MD, of Germany states that Hawthorn “has a long-term sustained effect on degenerative, age-related changes in the muscular tissue of the heart.”

Hawthorns are shrubby trees which grow prolifically in our area. They are in the genus Crataegus, and part of the Rose family.  They have noticeable white flowers, but care should be taken to avoid the long sharp thorns on the branches!  Extracts are available in both capsule and liquid form.

Come in and speak with one of our knowledgeable Wellness Ambassadors about Hawthorn today. We carry many options to choose from and, this month only, are featuring a special smoothie in our café that includes this wellness-promoting ingredient. Shot Through the Heart, appropriately named, is available through the end of February, so stop by and grab one to enjoy!

Written By Ralph Celebre, Registered Herbalist (AHG)