BOOKMARK
this page in Internet Explorer!
The Benefits of Hawthorn Berries
Botanical Name: Crataegus oxyacanthoides
The genus name, Crataegus, refers to the plant's hard wood and sharp thorns. Hawthorn can be termed either a small tree or a large shrub because it can reach 30 feet in height. Many people commonly call the plant haw.
Hawthorn berries provide us with one of the best tonic
remedies for the heart and circulatory system. Hawthorn
exerts a normalizing action upon the heart by either stimulating
or depressing its activity, depending upon its condition and
specific needs.
Regular use of hawthorn can strengthen heart muscles and has
traditionally been used in preventing arteriosclerosis, assisting
conditions such as heart valve defects, an enlarged heart, angina
pectoris and difficult breathing due to ineffective heart action
and lack of oxygen in the blood.
Hawthorn is the best known of the cardiac tonics and possibly
the most valuable remedy for the cardiovascular system found
in the plant kingdom. Following a four year study commissioned
by the German Federal Ministry of Health, hawthorn has
gained full recognition as a heart remedy. Hawthorn's
monograph concludes that it gently increases the strength and
normalizes the rhythm of the heartbeat, and it increases coronary
and myocardial circulation through the dilation of the coronary
artery.
Hawthorn can dilate vessels to the heart, thus improving blood
flow to this vital organ. By dilating these vessels,
hawthorn decreases vessel resistance, which helps to
lower blood pressure. By improving oxygen utilization the heart
functions more efficient, especially in individuals suffering
from heart conditions.
As an antioxidant,
hawthorn is claimed to maintain the healthy collagen matrices
of arterial walls so that the vessels retain their elasticity.
Hawthorn berries have been effectively used in the prevention
and/or treatment of
High blood pressure
Atherosclerosis
Heart arrhythmia
Enlarged heart
Angina
Congestive heart failure
Mitral valve prolapse
High cholesterol
Degeneration of collagen
Inflammation
Lowered immunity
Decreasing fat deposit levels
Circulatory disorders
Increasing intracellular vitamin C levels
weakened heart muscle
Anthocyanins and proanthocyanadins
are powerful herbal antioxidants that inhibit the increase
in vascular permeability associated with angiogenesis. These
compounds do this by protecting the collagen that strengthens
the vascular walls, which makes them less susceptible to plaque
buildup. Anthocyanins comprise the red, blue, and violet pigments
found in red cabbage, rhubarb, plums, grapes, and berries. Among
the richest sources of anthocyanins is bilberry extract. Proanthocyanadins,
a related group of compounds, are abundantly found in hawthorn
berries, pycnogenol (pine bark) and grapeseed extract.
Some of the more important ingredients within hawthorn berries
include a mixture of pigment chemicals known as flavonoids.
These compounds give the hawthorn berry its distinctive reddish
blue color. Flavonoids scavenge free radicals and lessen
the damaging effects of inflammation. Flavonoids also
seem to have the ability to reduce cholesterol in the bloodstream.
Proanthocyanidins, another large group of chemicals,
seem to be largely responsible for its beneficial actions on
the heart. These chemicals relax the smooth muscles
in blood vessels so they won't suddenly constrict and
shut off blood flow, which can happen when emotional and physical
stress taxes the heart muscle.
"Hawthorn has an extraordinary effect on the heart itself. In some cases, it improves the hearts mechanical pumping action and increases the force of its contractions", says Eran Ben-Arye, M.D., a researcher at the national medicine research unit at Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem.
Hawthorn also acts as a vasodilator, meaning that it
opens blood vessels and increases blood flow. This
is especially important in the coronary blood vessels that supply
the heart with oxygen. Hawthorn berries also possess chemical
properties that help calm inflammation and protect cells from
premature aging.
Hawthorn berries can be used over the long-term,
as no accumulation or habituation occurs, which makes it one
of the safest heart tonics in the entire herbal kingdom.
Hawthorn berry also contains many naturally occurring nutrients,
including: amino acids, calcium,
choline, chromium, essential fatty acids, iron,
magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, silicon,
zinc, vitamins
B1, B2,B3
and vitamin
C.
Hawthorn Berry is present in
daily
Cardiovascular Support
How to complete an
Herbal Cleansing and Detoxification Program
|
 |
Super Antioxidant
Greens
Supplements your diet with
natural antioxidants, essential amino acids, vitamins
and minerals.*
Helps protect your body from free radical damage and boosts
your immune response.* |
$24.95
US/Cdn
|
|
Bookmark this at Del.icio.us
