Hawthorn

Weak, irritable heart with breathlessness on exertion and a sense of cardiac fatigue, especially in the elderly

Palpitations with anxiety and a tight, oppressed feeling in the chest, worse with stress

Overview. Hawthorn is a thorny shrub or small tree of the rose family native to Europe and widely naturalized, long valued for its flowering tops, leaves, and berries. It rose to prominence in eclectic and later European phytotherapy as the leading cardiovascular tonic of Western herbal medicine, used to support a failing or overworked heart. Modern use favors standardized leaf and flower extracts, though the traditional berry preparations described by nineteenth century eclectic physicians remain in use for gentler, longer term support.

Clinical Notes. Strengthens cardiac muscle, valves and circulatory insufficiency For hypertension it dilates coronary vessels, increasing functional capacity of heart Maintains healthy arteries, veins and heart by strenthening and protecting connective tissue found in the heart and endothelial lining of blood vessels --> gives structures resiliency against injury, disease and normal wear and tear of aging Impoves circulation to extremeties by lowering the resistance to blood flow in peripheral blood vessels Reduces cardiac plaque formation (mechanism unknown) Increases tensile binding strength of connective tissue in general and protects against oxidative damage Increases coronary blood flow, mild ACE inhibition, positive...

Clinical Notes. Hawthorn is the herb I reach for first when a patient needs steady, cumulative cardiovascular support rather than a rapid effect: it takes four to eight weeks of consistent dosing to show its full benefit, and patients should be told this plainly so they do not abandon it too soon.

Action and Therapy. The bark, fruit and leaves of several species of the genus Crataegus have in the past been used as astringents and tonics. Though a well-known wild shrub of thickets and commonly cultivated hedge and ornamental plant, the English hawthorn seems to have largely escaped the exact investigators of medicinal plants until a quite recent date.