Hawthorn: uses, precautions and interactions

What is it

The hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha – the wild species – or Crataegus monogyna – the common species) is a common shrub, with small dimensions, which grows wild in the temperate zones of the northern hemisphere (Europe, Asia, America).

In Italy it is widespread throughout the territory (including islands), especially in the undergrowth, on the edge of wooded areas and in wooded pastures, as it has a preference for more humid earth and cool environments.

In addition to the plains, it can also be found in the mountains, up to altitudes of 1,200 or, in areas with a warmer climate, 1,500 meters, always in a humid and shady environment, mostly in the areas surrounding the woods. It is possible to cultivate it, although not with the same results as the wild one, even in your own garden, implementing appropriate precautions and choosing suitable soils.

For centuries, hawthorn has been used to delimit fields; Throughout history, however, its numerous beneficial properties have also been identified, known to popular wisdom all over the world. Belonging to the Rosaceae family, its name derives from the Greek kràtaigos, a term that recalls the concept of “strength”. It features thorns, and forms ornamental hedges for its beautiful white flowers in spring and red berries that ripen in winter.

Typically, it is not a very tall tree: on average it reaches 3-5 meters both in nature and in crops. The color of its branches varies from reddish-brown to gray, and its leaves have a rather variable shape. The flowers, hermaphroditic, sprout between April and May to leave room towards the end of summer to the fruits, with a strong red color, which will remain available throughout the cold season after the flowering period, from September until the end of winter.

The activity

Hawthorn is a source of antioxidants (among which oligomeric procyanidins and quercertin), sterols and other compounds interesting for health.

Flavonoids and proanthocyanidols are obtained from dried flowers and leaves. The former are powerful antioxidants and “scavengers” of free radicals, useful in the prevention of cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases.

Together with proanthocyanidols, a family of polyphenols that belongs to the class of flavonoids, they have cardioprotective, sedative and antiradical functions, and can be taken as needed by patients suffering from pathological conditions of the heart or cardiovascular system.

Cardioprotective action: flavonoids induce dilation of abdominal blood vessels and, above all, of coronary blood vessels that carry blood to the heart, with a consequent reduction in blood pressure. Useful in cases of mild or moderate arterial hypertension, especially if of nervous origin. Hawthorn also significantly decreases the frequency of heartbeats, proving useful in angina and in all disorders due to hyperexcitability of the heart. Clinical studies have shown that the titrated dry extract of hawthorn can reduce, in heart failure, heart rate, ankle swelling and blood pressure with reduction of symptoms of suffering without the appearance of side effects.

Sedative action: the tannins and flavonoids contained in hawthorn act at the level of the central nervous system, being useful especially in very nervous patients, in which it reduces emotionality, state of tension and improves sleep.

Anti-radical action: hawthorn is able to trap free radicals by reducing the accumulation of cholesterol in the wall of blood vessels that tends to settle after being oxidized. In this way, it hinders atherosclerosis.

Why is it used

Hawthorn has long found space in feeding. It is said that its fruits, generally harvested during the autumn, were used by the monks of Central Italy to prepare infusions and syrups; This use continues today, alongside the preparation of jams and liqueurs.

Even flowers, leaves and bark of the plant can be introduced into the daily diet, but, more than to delight the palate, their use serves to take care of health. In particular, hawthorn is useful in case of tachycardia and nervousness and hyperexcitability that have repercussions on the heart.

In the case, for example, of heart failure – a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to the other organs – hawthorn seems to be able to significantly improve the functionality of the heart muscle, so much so that it also increases the possibility of practicing physical activity despite the problem with which it lives.

In addition, some studies indicate that hawthorn can help in case of angina pectoris (a condition caused by a reduction in blood flow to the heart characterized by the appearance of chest pains) and, if necessary, keep high blood pressure under control.

The intake of hawthorn is also suggested to protect health from the increased risks of heart and arteries typical of menopause. The proposals for the use of hawthorn, however, also go beyond the protection of cardiovascular well-being and its cardiotonic functions.

There are also those who take it in case of problems with the digestive system (for example, against stomach pains or diarrhea), to increase urine production (because hyperoside, one of the flavonoids of hawthorn, is attributed a diuretic effect), intestinal infections, menstrual disorders, insomnia or problems concerning not so much the health of the body as the psychological and psychiatric sphere.

Hawthorn seems to be an effective sedative that can help you sleep better; In addition, it can help combat anxiety, anguish and mental agitation.

Finally, hawthorn is also applied to the skin to treat itching, ulcers, sores, boils and chilblains, and its intake is recommended for men who lose their hair due to stress and who at the same time suffer from palpitations.

In addition to hawthorn, the other medicinal plants with relaxing action and sedative properties and characteristics are:

Read also the response of our herbal medicine expert, to a user, on the topic Hawthorn in anxiety with panic attacks.

How to use hawthorn

In the past both berries and hawthorn leaves and flowers were used for medicinal purposes. The most modern preparations are limited, however, to using flowers and leaves, richer in flavonoids than the fruit.

The beneficial properties of hawthorn can be exploited by preparing a cup of tea or herbal teas by infusing a few tablespoons of dried leaves, flowers or berries in water.

A hawthorn herbal tea, in addition to being one of the most classic ways to enjoy the benefits of this product, is also very easy to prepare in the kitchen. In the form of herbal tea or infusion, this small thorny shrub offers leaves and flowers with a delicate but intense flavor, perfect for the winter period, perhaps to sip to relax during the Christmas holidays, at the end of lunch or dinner.

Other ingredients, such as chamomile, can also be added to the preparation of the infusion, but this method of preparation does not allow to quantify the benefits that can be obtained.

The market of natural remedies instead offers products (from essential oil to mother tincture, passing through liquid extracts and capsules, sometimes also containing other natural remedies, such as valerian or passionflower, easily available in herbal medicine) in which the hawthorn content is carefully standardized, and always selected only from the flowering ends or leaves.

In general, hawthorn is used in the form of nebulized dry extract and titrated in vitexin (minimum 0.7% according to the Italian Pharmacopoeia) whose dose is 500-1,000 milligrams per day to be taken between meals for at least 6 weeks.

Alternatively, it is available and easily available in the form of drops to be diluted in water, or in tablets with different dosages of hawthorn extract. As usual, hawthorn products can be found for sale, at a reasonable price, in all herbalists and shops specializing in plant products or organic farming.

According to the Pharmacopoeia French X, however, the minimum rises to 1.5% and the daily dose varies from 9 to 13 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, divided into two or three administrations (always between meals).

Side effects of hawthorn

Like all herbs, medicinal plants and other natural remedies, hawthorn also contains active ingredients that can trigger side effects or interact with other herbal medicines, supplements or drugs, the combination of which can cause some adverse events.

Side effects are rare and mainly concern stomach disorders (e.g. nausea) especially in patients suffering from gastritis and peptic ulcer. These disorders, however, cease by discontinuing the intake of hawthorn.

In addition, the intake of this herb, instead of bringing an improvement in well-being, can trigger headaches, migraines, dizziness, dizziness and palpitations in people predisposed or suffering from certain diseases.

Precautions

From an analysis of clinical studies in the literature it is possible to conclude that at least as long as it is taken at doses between 160 mg and 1.8 g per day for a period of 3-24 weeks, hawthorn is a safe remedy. This means that, as is normal for almost any type of natural remedy, it is possible to take it every day, especially if as an herbal tea or in any case in the form of a food product, as long as it is not exaggerated compared to the recommended amounts.

However, hawthorn should be used with caution if the heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute (bradycardia) and in conduction disorders of the electrical stimulus in the heart.

It should not be used during pregnancy and lactation and should not be given to children without first consulting their paediatrician.

It is good to remember that heart disease is a serious problem that should not be approached lightly by simply relying on DIY. For this reason, although hawthorn products can be purchased without a prescription, it is best to rely on the advice of an expert to know what is the best way to deal with the heart disorders you suffer from.

In addition, it is advisable to report to the doctor any unexpected effects or discomfort with which you may have to deal following the intake of hawthorn. In particular, it is important to seek medical attention if the number of angina attacks increases or the pain intensifies or if fatigue increases while walking or exercising.

It should be remembered, in fact, that the use of food supplements, even if based on common herbs or spices, should never be undertaken without first consulting your family doctor. In fact, it would always be good to resort to supplements only in case of a real problem or in any case of an actual deficiency of certain nutrients.

Interactions

Hawthorn interferes with the action of digoxin – an active ingredient used in case of arrhythmias and to promote the regularity of blood pressure – and therefore enhances the effects of digitalis (Digitalis purpurea, a biennial herbaceous plant) on the heart, and amplifies the action of beta-blocking drugs used to dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure.

In addition, it can increase the effectiveness of calcium channel blockers, another class of drugs (also known as calcium channel blockers) that can dilate blood vessels and that are why they are used in the treatment of angina and high blood pressure.

Finally, it seems that hawthorn berry extracts reduce the effectiveness of phenylephrine (active ingredient with a vasoconstrictor effect commonly used in nasal decongestants), and it is not possible to exclude a priori the possibility that its action is added to that of drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (5-phosphodiesterase inhibitors) increasing the risk of low blood pressure, or with nitrates (which increase blood flow to the heart) leading to dizziness or a strange feeling of light-headedness.