Hawthorn Berry treats indigestion, intestinal infections, anxiety, angina, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, helps control blood pressure, immunity, psoriasis and eczema, erectile dysfunction and congestive heart failure.
Hawthorn also commonly known as mayflower, mayblossom, Hawthorne is a plant/berry that has for centuries enjoyed the status of being a herb that strengthens the human heart both physically and emotionally. If old historical accounts are to be believed Hawthorne was prescribed earliest in ancient Greek during the first century AD. The leaves, berries and flowers of Hawthorn are used to make medicinal supplements and are highly employed for culinary purposes as well. Chiefly used for the disease of heart and blood vessels such as Congestive heart failure(CHF), Chest pain and Irregular heartbeat. Hawthorn is also used to effectively treat many intestinal infections such as tapeworm etc. It has been recognized as a beneficial and trustable remedy for various heart problems by many a prominent physicians and herbalists who have rigorously dealt in medicine throughout medical history.
11 Amazing Health Benefits of Hawthorn Berry
Hawthorn berry is believed to help treat the following health issues:
Indigestion
A number of organic compounds found in Hawthorn collectively interact with the abdominal cavity consisting stomach, small and large intestine and assist in the process of good digestion. In addition to that, the fiber in Hawthorn assists in coping well with constipation, bloating, cramping and other such problems that ensue as a result of digestive issues.
Intestinal infections
Extensive usage of Hawthorn during periods of indigestion prompted people to check its effect for treating intestinal infections, turns out Hawthorn is not just helpful with minor digestive problems such as constipation but also useful in treating and eliminating intestinal infections such as tapeworms.
Anxiety
Traditionally Hawthorn berries were used in a number of medicines prescribed for psychological conditions including depression, anxiety and stress, which are more or less related. A study was conducted which resulted in the evaluation of Hawthorn as highly effective in reducing various forms of hypertension. It is claimed that Hawthorn may have an impact on hormonal levels, thus it helps during hormonal imbalance that results in mental states of anxiety, stress etc.
Angina
Hawthorn is considered highly effective in fighting angina, a disease caused by reduction of blood flow to the heart. Certain researches done over the many years of Hawthorns usage suggests that Hawthorn dilates coronary blood vessels and thereby facilitates a better blood flow towards the heart. Another benefit to the heart is its innate ability to strengthen the heart muscles and help rid the body of unwanted salt and water.
High cholesterol
Research shows that Hawthorn might help in lowering of LDL, also commonly called bad cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. A study that was conducted over a period of eight weeks tested certain patients with abnormal amount of lipids in the blood by treating them with Hawthorn fruit. The result was, Hawthorn berries simultaneously increased the amount of HDL (good) cholesterol and decreased the amount of LDL.
Atherosclerosis
Studies have been conducted to highlight the effect Hawthorn has on reducing blood fats including LDL(cholesterol). It is thus believed that Hawthorn can assist in prevention of a disease atherosclerosis that result due to accumulation/deposition of fat in your arteries.
Helps control blood pressure
According to studies, the berries of Hawthorn may also play a assistive role in controlling high blood pressure. Participants of the study were assigned a daily dosage of supplement of either the Hawthorn extract or placebo. After a few months, the researchers found out that it resulted reduction in the resting state diastolic blood pressure in the participants who were tested for the supplement of the Hawthorn extract.
Immunity
While the antioxidants present in the Hawthorn berry help combat and eliminate many dangerous toxins from the body, the vitamin C in Hawthorn berries boost the activity of your white blood cells that in turn play a huge part in safeguarding your body and strengthening your immunity.
Psoriasis and Eczema
Due to the myriad organic compounds that are constituents of Hawthorn berry, it also has few not very widely known anti-inflammatory properties. Hawthorn berry solution can be applied to the skin which is supposed to reduce itching, rashes etc. It can help with conditions of the skin such as eczema and psoriasis as well.
Erectile dysfunction
The unusual belief of Hawthorn berries effectiveness in treating erectile dysfunction comes from the fact that it stimulates and facilitates a better and easy blood flow in the pelvic region and opens up blood vessels.
Congestive heart failure
The condition when your heart fails to pump enough blood to the other organs of the body is called heart failure. Extensive use of Hawthorn supplements to treat people with heart failure has shown astonishing positive results. Numerous studies have been published that suggest that Hawthorn berries remarkably improve the functioning of the heart. As a matter of utter surprise Hawthorn has shown not negative side effects and been proven highly effective particularly for stage 1 and stage 2 heart failure. Though heart failure without a shadow of doubt remains a huge health problem which should never be dealt with by a layman on his own, consultation with a doctor is really critical to determining the use of Hawthorn for any heart patient.
Side effects due to consumption of Hawthorn Berry
Although Hawthorn is essentially considered safe for medical usage as talked about, it might sometimes incite certain negative/side effects in our body such as nausea, upset stomach, fatigue, agitation, excessive sweating and sedation. Nonetheless all its side effects range from mild to moderate and consumption can be sought after proper consultation with a medical professional.
Hawthorn can also interact with specific medications like blood pressure tablets etc. and result in various adverse outcomes. Thus, a thorough clinical check up is suggested before recommending or consuming Hawthorn supplements.