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Hawthorn
(Crataegus oxycantha)
DESCRIPTION
Used in England during the Agricultural Revolution to enclose
open fields along fences, the hawthorn shrub produces small
berries that have been found to possess medicinal properties.
Safer than digitalis, it works to increase cardiovascular
health by dilating the blood vessels, and by increasing heart
muscle metabolism. Because hawthorn does not appear to contain
any active ingredients, it is not considered a drug.
HERBAL USES
The Romans used hawthorn
as a heart drug during the first century A.D. During the Middle
Ages, hawthorn was used to treat dropsy, which is known to
us today as congestive heart failure. It was also used to
treat other ailments of the heart and Sore Throats.
SUGGESTED INTAKES
Part of the plant used:
BERRY.
Standardised extract containing
about 2 to 3% flavonoids or 18 to 20% procyanidins.
100 to 300 mg 3 times daily.
Signs of improvement may
take several weeks or months to appear.
SUPPLEMENTAL USES
Heart health:
Hawthorn may be effective for maintaining the overall health
of the heart. Benefits may include improved blood supply to
the heart and lowered blood pressure. Hawthorn may also help
improve conditions of Angina and Atherosclerosis. However,
significant scientific evidence has not yet been established
(1,2).
Congestive heart
failure:
Significant well-designed research has been conducted on the
use of hawthorn for congestive heart failure (3,4). Widely
used in Europe, hawthorn is a safe and effective treatment
for the early stages of congestive heart failure. It is considered
much safer than the more potent herb foxglove. Like foxglove,
hawthorn works by improving the pumping ability of the heart.
The advantage of hawthorn is that unlike other herbs with
similar action (i.e. digitalis), hawthorn does not increase
risk of developing arrthymias. This is because hawthorn increases
the refractory period, the period following a heartbeat when
another beat cannot occur (5,6,7). The resulting effect is
stabilisation of the heart. Digitalis tends to decrease the
refractory period. Another advantage of hawthorn is its large
range of safe dosing (8). Digitalis and other similar herbs
have small differences between the safe and toxic doSage s.
Hawthorn has been shown to be as effective as low doses of
the drug captopril, although it is unknown whether hawthorn
possesses the same long-term benefits (9).
Benign heart palpitations:
It is extremely important that heart palpitations be evaluated
thoroughly to ensure that they are not signs of a more serious
illness. When occasional episodes of thumping and racing heartbeat
are the only apparent symptoms, the heart palpitations may
be benign. In this case, hawthorn is commonly used to relieve
discomfort, although little scientific support exists. Signs
of improvement make take one to two months to appear.
SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS
Hawthorn appears to be quite
safe. Studies in which rats and mice were given extremely
high doses did not reveal any sign of toxicity (10). Side
effects are rare, generally limited to mild stomach upset
and allergic reactions.
It is strongly advised that
patients seek professional guidance for the treatment of congestive
heart failure, whether seeking conventional or alternative
treatment. Individuals with very low blood pressure should
also exercise caution.
Safety in young children,
nursing or pregnant women, and patients with severe liver
or kidney disease has not been determined.
INTERACTIONS AND CONTRA-INDICATIONS
Users should exercise extreme
caution before using hawthorn berry in combination with other
cardiac drugs.
REFERENCES
1.
Ammon HTP, et al. Crataegus, toxicology, and pharmacology.
Planta Med 43: 105-120, 209-239, 313-322, 1981.
2. Schulz V, et al. Rational phytotherapy. New York: Springer-Verlag,
1998: 97.
3. Tauchert M, et al. Crataegi folium cum flore bei herzinsuffizienz.
As cited in Loew D, Tietbrock N (eds.). Phytopharmaka in Forschung
und klinischer Anwendung. Darmstadt: Steinkopff Verlag, 1995:
37-44.
4. Schulz V, et al. Rational phytotherapy. New York: Springer-Verlag,
1998: 90-98.
5. Popping S, et al. Effect of a hawthorn extract on contraction
and energy turnover of isolated rat cardiomyocytes. Arzneimittelforschung
Drug Res 45: 1157-1161, 1995.
6. Joseph G. Pharmacologic action profile of crataegus extract
in comparison to epinephrine, amirinone, milrinone and digoxin
in the isolated perfused guinea pig heart. Arzneimittelforschung
45(12): 1261-1265, 1995.
7. Schulz V, et al. Rational phytotherapy. New York: Springer-Verlag,
1998: 91-94.
8. Schulz V, et al. Rational phytotherapy. New York: Springer-Verlag,
1998: 91-95.
9. Tauchert M, et al. Weissdorn Extrakt als pflanzliches Cardiacum
(Vorwort). Neubewertung der therapeutischen Wirksamkeit. Munch
Med Wschr 136(Suppl. 1): 3-5, 1994.
10. Schulz V, et al. Rational phytotherapy. New York: Springer-Verlag,
1998: 95.
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