Hawthorn: The Safe Heart Tonic

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Hawthorn: The Safe Heart Tonic

 

Long before most herbs are promoted in the United States, they are approved as

medicines by the German government and are reviewed by Commission E, a group of

experts and authorities responsible for the creation of monographs similar to

the official summaries used to regulate drugs in the United States. Commission E

monographs describe each herb, its applications, the appropriate dosage and the

contraindications. Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) is one of these herbs, and

has been prescribed by European doctors for years to treat various heart

conditions including hypertension, elevated cholesterol levels, angina,

congestive heart failure, and atherosclerosis1,2., and to improve breathing

capacity, physical performance, and general heart function.Although there are

about 280 known species of hawthorn, the plant from which medicinal extracts is

obtained is a spiny shrub native to the northern wooded temperate zones of

eastern North America and Europe.3Hawthorn was initially documented

by the first century Greek herbalist Dioscorides and later by the Swiss

physician Paracelsus. According to Christian legend, the Crown of Thorns was

believed to be made of hawthorn. Because of this, the herb was thought to

possess miraculous healing properties. In ancient Greece, hawthorn was a symbol

of hope and happiness, while in Rome, it was considered a potent charm. Hawthorn

berries are edible and the herb has an excellent safety record with plenty of

clinical evidence to support its cardiovascular benefits. Clinical use of the

herb for cardiovascular disease and heart ailments, however, didn't begin in

Europe until the nineteenth century.4,5Chemical compositionHawthorn's health

benefits are due to the active flavonoid compounds found in its leaves, berries

and blossoms, particularly anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins. These

flavonoids are powerful antioxidants and are responsible for the red-to-blue

colors found in hawthorn berries and also blackberries, cherries,

blueberries, grapes, and flowers.6How does hawthorn support cardiovascular

health?• Improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients to the heart by

dilating blood vessels7,8, and helps alleviate the pain associated with angina •

Appears to improve the metabolism of the heart, thereby increasing strength and

promoting normal contractions, helping to normalize arrhythmias 8 • Has a

relaxing effect on the cardiovascular system that helps regulate blood pressure

and treat hypertension 9• Can be useful in the recovery period after a heart

attack by strengthening the heart muscle, and improving blood flow and oxygen to

the heart, and in treating congestive heart failure 10,11• Helps prevent free

radical damage12,13Lowers blood pressureHawthorn is thought to lower blood

pressure and strengthen heart-muscle function by relaxing and dilating blood

vessels, producing a mild diuretic effect, and acting as both a natural calcium

channel blocker and an ACE inhibitor.8,9,14 ACE, short for

angiotensin converting enzyme, refers to an enzyme that increases sodium

retention and blood pressure. Be patient though. Hawthorn can take two to four

weeks to lower blood pressure. Helps prevent and treat

atherosclerosisAtherosclerosis remains a major cause of death in the United

States. The good new is the proanthocyanidins in hawthorn help reduce

cholesterol levels and even decrease the size of existing atherosclerotic

plaques15, probably due to their ability to stabilize collagen, the most

abundant protein in the body. Cholesterol is deposited within the artery when

the collagen matrix of the artery is weakened, and scientists believe that

atherosclerotic plaques will not form if the collagen matrix remains strong.

Studies in which laboratory animals were fed proanthocyanidin extracts showed a

decrease in serum cholesterol levels and the reversal of atherosclerotic

lesions.15Shows promise in the treatment of congestive heart failureAccording to

the National Heart, Lung, and

Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, almost 5 million

Americans have congestive heart failure, a progressive and lethal disease if

left untreated. Half of the patients diagnosed with CHF die within five years,

and there are an estimated 400,000 new cases each year. Even with existing

therapies, the mortality rate remains high, and the quality of life is

significantly impaired.What is CHF?The condition is caused by and/or exacerbated

by hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart attack, and excessive alcohol

consumption. Patients with CHF are unable to pump blood out of their heart

efficiently, because of weak and dilated heart chambers. As a result, congestion

may occur in the lungs or the circulatory system, giving rise to a variety of

symptoms including edema, poor circulation, fatigue, and muscle weakness. In

order to compensate for insufficient circulation, the heart increases the number

of contractions. This results in an enlargement of the muscle itself,

a progressive thickening of the heart muscle fibers and enlarged chamber

volume. The increased tissue mass increases the heart's need for oxygen16,

which is why people with CHF have difficulty breathing.CHF is a difficult

condition to treat. Hawthorn, however, has been shown to increase survival time

and improve quality of life, by actually improving function of the heart itself.

Hawthorn has shown promise in both uncontrolled and controlled clinical trials

in the treatment of New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II

congestive heart failure—defined as " fatigue or shortness of breath during heavy

exertion and possibly during normal activities. " 17A very recent double-blind

study of 143 patients shows the efficacy and safety of a standardized extract of

hawthorn berries in patients with cardiac failure. For eight weeks, the patients

had their work output on an ergometer bicycle measured. The group taking

hawthorn extract three times a day showed less fatigue and

shortness of breath than the group taking the placebo. The researchers

concluded that patients taking hawthorn over a period of time could expect

improvement in their heart failure condition.18A similar study of 136 patients

showed an improvement in shortness of breath, ankle edema, and restricted

physical performance. Patients also reported a " better sense of mental well

being. " 19When patients taking hawthorn extract were compared to patients taking

the prescription ACE inhibitor Captopril in a double-blind study, hawthorn was

shown to produce similar benefits to the drug without any serious side

effects.20Produces a relaxing effect inside the arterial wallNitric oxide is

produced by endothelial cells that line your blood vessels. It is responsible

for causing all of the capillaries and little blood vessels to relax and go to

their biggest open position rather than half-closed or tightly-closed position,

as you would find in someone with high blood pressure. In other words,

nitric oxide production is essential to allow the unobstructed flow of blood

throughout your vessels.But if the endothelial cells are damaged from free

radicals, inflammation or contain heavy metals, nitric oxide production is

impaired. Endothelial dysfunction, as it is called, has been linked to

hypertension, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, diabetes, blood clots,

infection, and heart failure.21 A study in which hawthorn extract was given to

rats, indicates that its procyanidins produce a nitric oxide-mediated relaxation

of blood vessels, which is good news for individuals with high blood pressure

and cardiovascular disease.22ConclusionThough heart disease continues to plaque

our nation as the #1 killer, hawthorn is an exceptional, safe herb for

strengthening the heart muscle, and benefiting a number of heart ailments.

Combined with a healthy diet, exercise, stress-reduction techniques, and other

nutritional supplements, including an excellent vitamin/mineral supplement,

CoQ10,

and cardio-support nutrients such as taurine, folic acid, and red wine

polyphenols, hawthorn may be just what you need to create a heart wellness

program that will protect your heart and arteries … and give you peace of

mind.References1. Ammon HPT, Handel M. Crataegus: toxicology and pharmacology.

Planta Medica 1981;43:318-22. 2. Petkov V. Plants with hypotensive,

antiatheromatous and coronary dilating action. A J Chin Med, 1979;7:197-236.3.

British Herbal Pharmacopeia (BHP), British Herbal Medicine Association. Exeter,

U.K. 1996. pp. 98-1014. Anschutz, E.P. New, Old and Forgotten Remedies. Boericke

and Tafel. Philadelphia, PA, 1900.5. Hobbs, C. and S. Foster. " Hawthorn-a

literature review. " Herbalgram,1990;22:19-33.6. Murray, Michael T., N.D. The

Healing Power of Herbs. Prima Health. Rocklin, CA. 1995; pp. 203-204.7. Tyler,

V.E. Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicines. Pharmaceutical

Products Press: New York. 1994.8. Petkov V: Plants and hypotensive,

antiatheromatous

and coronarodilatating action.Am Chin Med, 1979;7,197-236,9. Uchida S, et al.

Inhibitory effects of condensed tannins on angiotensin converting enzyme. Jpn J

Pharmacol,1987; 42, 242-245.10. Brown, D.J. Herbal Prescriptions for Better

Health. Prima Publishing: Rocklin, CA.1996.11. Newall, C.A.; L.A. Anderson and

J.D. Phillipson. Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Health-care Professionals. The

Pharmaceutical Press: London.1996.12. Kuhnau J: The flavonoids: A class of

semi-essential food components: Their role in human nutrition. World Rev Nutr

Diet, 1976; 24, 117-191, 13. Middleton E: The flavonoids. Trends Pharm Sci

5,335-338, 1984.14. Ammon HPT, Handel M. Crataegus: toxicology and pharmacology.

Planta Medica 1981;43:318-22. 15. Wegrowski J, Roer AM, Moczar M: The effect of

procyanidolic oligomers on the composition of normal and hypercholesterolemic

rabbit aortas. Biochem Pharm 33, 3491-3497, 1984.16. Horner, R., Eaton, J.

Hawthorn. Hawthorn, Nutraceuticals World, April 2002.17. New

York Heart Association (NYHA). 1994. Revisions to Classification of functional

Capacity and Objective Assessment of Patients with Diseases of the Heart. New

York Heart Association.18. Degenring FH, Suter A, Weber M, Saller R. A

randomised double blind placebo controlled clinical trial of a standardized

extract of fresh Crataegus berries (Crataegisan) in the treatment of patients

with congestive heart failure NYHA II. Phytomedicine. 2003;10(5):363-9.19.

Weikl, A., et al. 1996. Crataegus special extract WS 1442. Assessment of

objective effectiveness in patients with heart failure. Forschr Med

114(24)291-296.20. Tauchert, M., M. Ploch, W.D. Hubner. 1994. Effectiveness of

hawthorn extract LI 132 compared with the ACE inhibitor Captopril: Multicenter

double blind study with 132 NYHA Stage II. Muench Med Wochenschr 136

suppl:S27-S33.21. Harrison, D.G. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of

endothelial cell dysfunction. (1997) J. Clin. Invest. 100:2153.22. Kim SH, Kang

KW, Kim KW, Kim ND.

Procyanidins in crataegus extract evoke endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in

rat aorta. Life Sci. 2000;67(2):121-31.

 

 

 

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