Hawthorne -- Michael T. Murray, N.D.

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Hawthorne -- Michael T. Murray, N.D.

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Jan 11, 2005 19:22 PST

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Key uses of Hawthorn:

Angina -Atherosclerosis

Congestive heart failure, High Blood pressure

 

History and Folk use

Hawthorn flowers and berries have been used primarily as heart

tonics and mild diuretics in organic and functional heart disorders

including congestive heart failure, angina, and high blood pressure.

 

Pharmacology

 

The pharmacology of hawthorn centers on its flavonoid components,

The proanthocyanidins in hawthorn are largely responsible for its

cardiovascular activities.

 

Synergism with Vitamin C

 

Hawthorn flavonoids have very strong " vitamin P " activity. Included

in their effects are ability to increase intercellular vitamin C

levels, stabilize vitamin C (by protecting it from destruction or

oxidation), and decrease capillary permeability and fragility.

 

 

Collagen-stabilizing action

 

Hawthorns flavonoid components possess significant collagen-

stabilizing action. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body

and is responsible for maintaining the " integrity " of ground substance,

tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.

 

Collagen is destroyed during 'inflammatory' processes that occur in

rheumatoid arthritis, periodontal disease, and other inflammatory

conditions involving bones, joints, cartilage and other connective

tissue.

 

Anthocyanidins, proanthocyanidins, and other flavonoids are

remarkable in their ability to prevent collagen destruction.

 

They affect collagen metabolism in many ways, including:

 

The unique ability to cross-link collagen fibers, resulting in

reinforcement of the natural cross-linking of collagen that forms

the collagen matrix of connective tissue

(ground substance, cartilage, tendons,etc.

 

The prevention of " free radical " damage, due to potent and free

radicals scavenging action.

The inhibition of enzymatic cleavage by enzymes secreted by white

blood cells during inflammation.

 

The prevention of the release and synthesis of " compounds " that

promote inflammation, such as 'prostaglandins' 'serine proteases',

'histamine', and 'leukotrines'.

 

Cardiovascular effects

 

Hawthorn extracts are clinically effective in reducing blood

pressure, angina attacks, and serum cholesterol levels and in

preventing the " deposition " of cholesterol in arterial walls.

 

The beneficial pharmacological effects of hawthorn in the treatment

of these conditions appear to be a result of the following actions:

 

Improvement of the blood supply to the heart by " dilating " the

coronary vessels.

 

Improvement of the metabolic processes in the heart, which results

in an increase in the force of contraction of the heart muscle and

'elimination' of rhythm disturbances.

 

Inhibition of " angiotensin-converting enzyme "

 

Hawthorns ability to dilate coronary blood vessels,the vessels

supplying the heart with vital oxygen and nutrients, has been

repeatedly demonstrated in experimental studies.

 

This effect appears to be due to relaxation of the smooth muscle

components of the vessel.

Various flavonoid components in hawthorn have been shown to " inhibit "

constriction of vessels by a variety of substances.

 

When blood vessels constrict, blood pressure goes up.

In addition, procyanidins have been shown to inhibit

angiotensin-converting enzyme.

This enzyme is responsible for converting angiotensin l to

angiotensin II, which is potent constrictor of blood vessels.

 

Recently, several " proanthocyanidins " have demonstrated a specific

'inhibition' of angiotensin-converting enzyme similar to that of

captopril.

 

Captropril is a synthetic angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor

widely used in the treatment of high blood pressure.

 

The proanthocyanidins that appear to have the highest activity are

found in relatively high concentrations in Hawthorne berries,

flowers and their extracts.

 

Improvement in " energy production " within the heart has been

demonstrated in humans and animals to whom Hawthorne extracts have

been administered.

 

The improvement is a result not only of increased " blood and oxygen

supply " to the myocardium (muscle of the heart), but also a result of

flavonoid-enzyme interactions.

 

In particular, hawthorn extracts and various flavonoid components in

hawthorn have been shown to " inhibit " several key enzymes within the

myocardium (e.g.- cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase).

 

The net result is an increase in the force of contraction. This is

particularly beneficial in cases of congestive heart failure

(discussed below).

 

A recent study has shed additional light on how Hawthorne extracts

enhance heart function.

A hawthorn extract standardized for " proanthocyanidin " content (3.3

percent) was studied utilizing an experimental model to determine the

effects of a substance on heart function during 'ischemia'.

 

Although it's effectiveness in this model was less than that of

beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers, two classes of drugs

often used in treating angina, there are two distinctions to be made

 

(1) the " mechanism " by which the drugs work in this model is by

improving coronary blood flow and actually reducing the hearts need for

oxygen by reducing its mechanical function.

 

In contrast Hawthorne actually " improves " the " mechanical function " of

the heart without increasing coronary blood flow.

 

Evidence that Hawthorne improves energy metabolism and the

'utilization' of oxygen by the heart was demonstrated by a decrease in

accumulated lactic acid.

 

Without oxygen, the heart muscle will shift to the breakdown of

sugar

for energy, but this can only go so far without oxygen. As a result,

pyruvic acid is shunted to lactic acid.

 

Recovery of heart function in inversely related to the level of

lactic acid in the heart.

The beneficial effects of hawthorn in

angina appears to be related more to its ability to improve " oxygen

utilization " , as

noted by the reduction in heart tissue lactic acid levels, rather

than to its ability to dilate coronary vessels.

 

Atherosclerosis

 

Hawthorn extract, like other extracts containing proanthocyanidins

(see chapter 18-Grape seed extract), although in a supplement form,

should be thought of as a necessary " food " in the prevention and

treatment of atherosclerosis.

 

Increasing the intake of " flavonoid compounds " by taking hawthorn

berry has numerous health-promoting effects, including reducing

cholesterol levels and decreasing the size of existing " atherosclerotic

plaques " .

 

This again is a result of " collagen stabilization " .

 

A decrease in the " integrity " of the collagen matrix of the artery

results in " cholesterol " being " deposited " within the artery.

 

Many researchers feel that if the collagen matrix remains strong,

the atherosclerotic plaque will never develop.

 

Hawthorn flavonoids, by increasing the " integrity " of collagen

structures, may offer significant protection against

atherosclerosis.

 

In addition, feeding " proanthocyanidin extracts " to animals has

resulted in the " reversal " of atherosclerotic lesions, as well as

" decreases " in serum cholesterol levels.

 

Flavonoids contained in hawthorn extracts appear to offer

significant prevention, as well as potential reversing effects, in

the treatment of

atherosclerotic processes, which are still the major causes of

death in the United States.

 

High Blood Pressure

 

Hawthorne exerts a mild blood-pressure-lowering effect that has been

demonstrated in many experimental and clinical studies.

 

Its action in lowering blood pressure in unique, in that it does so

through a number of diverse " pharmacological " effects. Specifically,

it " dilates' the coronary vessels, inhibits " angiotensin-converting

enzyme " , increases the " functional capacity " of the heart, and

possesses mild " diuretic activity " .

 

Hawthorne's effects generally require prolonged administration, and

in many instances take up to 2 weeks before adequate tissue

concentrations are achieved.

 

Dosage

The dosage depends on the type of preparation and source of

material. Standardized extracts similar to those used in Europe and

Asia as prescription medications, are available commercially in the

U.S. and are the preferred forms to use for clinical purposes.

The doses listed below for the various forms of hawthorn are for use

three times a day.

 

Hawthorne berries or flowers (dried): 3-5 grams or as an infusion

Hawthorne tincture (1.5): 4-5 milliliters (alcohol may elicit

pressor response in some individuals)

 

Hawthorne fluid extract (1:1): 1-2 milliliters

Hawthorne freeze-dried berries: 1-1.5 grams

Hawthorne flower extract

(standardized to contain 1.8 percent vitexin-4

rhamnoside or 20 percent procyanidins: 100-250 milligrams

---

Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha)- The fruit and blossoms are used

medicinally.

 

Hawthorn leaves, berries, and blossoms contain many biological

active flavonoid components, particularly " anthocyanidins " and

" proanthocyanidains " .

 

These flavonoids are responsible for the red-to-blue colors not only

of Hawthorne berries but also of blackberries, cherries and

blueberries, grapes and many flowers as well.

 

These compounds are highly concentrated in hawthorn berry and flower

extracts.

 

High-performance liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography

demonstrated that extracts of the flowers are particularly rich in

" flavonoids " (quercetin, quercetin-3-galactoisde, vitexin,

vitexin-4'-rhamnoside, etc.) and proanthocyanidins.

 

In addition to flavonoids, hawthorn extracts also contain

" cardiotonic amines " .

 

(e.g.,phenylethylamine, 0-methoxyphenylethylamine, tyramine, and

isobutylamine), choline and acetylcholine, purine derivatives (e.g.

adenosine, adenine, guanine, and caffeic acid, amygdalin , pectins,

and triterpene acids urolic, oleanolic, and crataegolic acids.

 

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From the Rodale book,

Dr. Duke's Essential Herbs: Hawthorn

---

LATIN NAME: Crataegus monogyna

FAMILY NAME: Rosaceae

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/54/9.cfm

 

My genes require that I put certain herbs at the top of my herbal hit

parade. I take celery seed to prevent the gout that plagues all the Duke

boys, myself included. I take echinacea and garlic as a precaution

against colon cancer, which killed my father and two uncles.

But there's no history of heart disease in my family tree, so it may

seem odd that I rank hawthorn high in the pantheon of Duke's Dozen.

 

My wife Peggy, on the other hand, does have a genetic predisposition to

heart disease, since both of her parents suffered heart problems. At

first glance, hawthorn probably belongs more in her medicine chest than

mine.

 

But after mulling it over, I decided to add hawthorn to my list of

essential herbs. You see, my genes alone don't tell the whole story.

 

Unlike my parents, I smoked like a chimney--three packs a day for

nearly 30 years. Even though I kicked the habit way back in 1971, I'm

sure the smoking took its toll on my lungs and heart. Good genes or not,

a heart attack may be on the horizon.

 

Add to that the stress of day-to-day living. Even though I'm retired,

I'm probably under more stress now than in all the years I worked as a

botanist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I'm always under the

pressure of writing deadlines (this book was no exception), and I give

over 200 lectures a year. Racing to the airport, then to the hotel, then

to the lecture hall, and then back again to the airport sure takes a

toll on the ticker.

 

My trips to the Amazon aren't stress-free, either. Heat,frustration,

overexertion, and local political problems all combine to create

conditions ripe for a coronary. Add to that my penchant for adventure,

like the time I ignored my shaman's advice and waded through knee-deep

waters in a flooded black lagoon. Electric eels, stingrays, and

anacondas lurked below the surface. Just sharing the same space with an

anaconda is enough to bring on heart failure.

 

But whenever I visit my doctor, he doesn't seem concerned. My

electrocardiograms (EKGs) have never raised so much as an eyebrow, let

alone an alarm.

 

Still, an ounce of hawthorn is worth a pound of cure. It's loaded with

heart-smart oligomeric procyanidins (OPCs) and bioflavonoids, which can

help keep your heart rhythm regular and prevent a variety of heart

problems. I take hawthorn anytime my stress levels are elevated.

 

And I'd take it religiously if I had a mild heart condition.

---

DR. DUKE'S NOTES

Hawthorn is often grown as an ornamental hedge in England.

What Hawthorn Is and What It Can Do

 

Hawthorn in a deciduous flowering shrub with small thorns, stocky

branches, and small, red, oval fruits that look a lot like crabapples.

You'll find it residing along roadsides, in fields, and in wooded areas

throughout Europe and in parts of North America, mainly in the Northeast

but also south beyond the Carolinas and west at least as far as

Oklahoma. The hawthorn bush can soar as high as 40 feet.

 

There are at least 200 species of hawthorn, and I don't know a trained

botanist--let alone a gardener, herbalist, chemist, pharmacist, or

physician--who can tell them apart.

 

The fruit is tart to the taste. I sampled several species last year at

the Colonial Garden in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and I've tried even

tastier fruit at the Coker Arboretum at my alma mater, the University of

North Carolina.

 

Native Americans ate many species of Crataegus. Today, though,

naturopathic physicians usually don't recommend eating the wild fruit

raw. While I consider them food plants and eat them raw and fresh--in

moderation--any time I come across one that tastes good, I can't endorse

the practice for anyone else (except for close family and friends). A

safer bet is to eat the fruit dried or cooked. The fruit can also be

brewed into a heady wine, and its young leaves and white flowers steeped

to make a tea.

 

Interestingly, hawthorn contains many of the same compounds as common

teas, including black, green, and oolong teas, promoted these days for a

variety of health benefits. But the standardized capsule is what I

recommend for heart health.

 

DR. DUKE'S NOTES

In northern China, vendors sell crataegus fruits on sticks. They're

coated with a sweet sugar syrup, like our candy apples. I've eaten one.

It was good. Probably oversweetened.

 

Help for Your Heart

 

Germany's prestigious Commission E, a panel of experts roughly

equivalent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has approved

hawthorn for a number of heart problems.

 

It's widely used in Europe for treating angina, which causes chest pains

and is brought on by blockage in the arteries.

 

Varro E. Tyler, Ph.D., Sc.D., professor emeritus of pharmacognosy at

Perdue University, discusses hawthorn's heart-health benefits in his

excellent book, Herbs of Choice.

 

The OPCs in hawthorn, he explains, have " beta-blocking " activities.

 

(Beta-blockers are drugs prescribed to increase coronary blood flow and

help lower blood pressure and heart rate, stopping arrhythmias.)

 

Hawthorn also contains flavonoids, compounds that open up the coronary

arteries.

 

It appears to stabilize heart rhythm, decrease palpitations brought on

by anxiety, increase exercise tolerance, reduce blood pressure, and

lower cholesterol levels.

In their book " The Natural Pharmacy " , Skye W. Lininger and his

colleagues say that hawthorn may improve blood flow through the coronary

arteries.

 

FROM MY SCIENCE NOTEBOOK

 

Modern science validates hawthorn's centuries-old use as an effective

means of strengthening the heart and staving off cardiac problems.

Hawthorn activity is due primarily to proanthocyanidins and flavonoids,

including quercetin, hyperoside, vitexin, vitexin-rhamnoside, and rutin.

 

 

Flavonoids are a large class of pigments found in plants that protect

blood vessels, aid in circulation, stimulate bile production, and lower

cholesterol levels. Proanthocyanidins are one of 12 classes of

flavonoids.

 

Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) are one type of proanthocyanidin.

 

The cardioprotective effects of " proanthocyanidins " have been supported

by recent studies of red wine and grape seeds.

 

How Hawthorn Can Help

 

Hawthorn can be used to treat a variety of health problems and,

according to European clinical experience, is safe to use over extended

periods of time.

 

Here are some of the conditions for which it's shown to be effective:

 

Good Heart Health

 

Hawthorn seems to be helpful for a variety of cardiac problems.

 

Angina pectoris.

 

Caused by a deficient blood supply to the heart, symptoms of angina

include tightness, pressure, or burning in the chest, and pain that may

radiate to the left shoulder, down the left arm, and to the back or jaw.

Exercise can exacerbate the problem, since it puts extra pressure on the

arteries as they try to deliver more oxygen-rich blood to the muscles.

Similarly, stress, fear, and anger all get the heart pumping faster, and

they too can bring on angina.

 

The nutrients magnesium and niacin, found in fruits and vegetables

including hawthorn, have been long recommended for treating angina.

 

People deficient in these nutrients can get them from hawthorn and other

supplements. Research supports the use of hawthorn for treating angina.

 

In their book, Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Health-care Professionals,

authors Carol Newall, Linda Anderson, and J. David Phillipson report

that German researchers gave 60 angina patients 60 milligrams of

hawthorn three times daily, with positive results.

 

Arrhythmia.

 

Cardiac arrhythmia is an irregular beating of the heart. If the heart

races more than 100 beats per minute, the condition is called

tachycardia. A heartbeat slower than 60 beats per minute is known as

bradycardia.

 

Abnormal heart rhythm can result in atrial arrhythmia, a " pooling " of

blood if the heart can't pump it from its upper chambers, which can lead

to clotting, heart attack, or stroke.

 

Ventricular arrhythmia affects the lower chambers in the heart, leading

to ventricular fibrillation, a condition in which the heart flutters

weakly instead of pumping powerfully. A significant number of fatal

heart attacks are attributed to ventricular fibrillation.

 

Studies have shown that hawthorn extracts administered to rabbits have a

beneficial effect on arrhythmia.

 

Atherosclerosis.

 

This heart condition results when cholesterol, lipids, and calcium

deposits clog the arteries.

 

It's the most common form of arteriosclerosis, in which vessels become

diseased--they thicken, harden, and lose elasticity.

 

Arteriosclerosis is a leading cause of death in the United States, and

family history isn't the only determining factor in developing this

condition. A sedentary lifestyle, high cholesterol, obesity, cigarette

smoking, and stress all play a part.

 

While you can't change your genes, you can change your lifestyle.

 

Call a halt to bad habits, get off your duff and exercise, and eat a

heart-healthy diet full of OPC-laden fruits, including dried or cooked

hawthorn, prunes, strawberries, rosehips, peaches, crabapples, pears,

and blackberries.

 

All are members of the rose family, along with cherries, plums,

chokecherries, wineberries, cloudberries, and apricots.

 

Doctors often recommend aspirin, a blood thinner, to prevent a second

heart attack. Hawthorn has blood-thinning properties as well--in fact,

it reportedly contains at least seven known " blood thinners " .

 

Cardiovascular insufficiency.

 

This is a broad term for the inadequate performance of the heart and

blood vessels. People who have it report reduced performance in

cardiovascular activities, shortness of breath, and swelling of the

ankles.

 

In one German study, researchers treated 136 patients with

cardiovascular insufficiency and found that their condition improved,

with minimal risk.

 

Dyspnea.

Breathing difficulty and chest pain can be caused by circulation

disturbances or blood that lacks sufficient oxygen.

 

According to Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and

Preparations, clinical trials in Japan showed that 80 patients given

hawthorn fruits and leaves showed improvement in dyspnea, edema, and

cardiac function.

 

Edema.

 

Edema causes bloating, swelling, and inflammation among patients with

heart problems, which is one reason why diuretics are often prescribed

for heart patients.

 

Hawthorn is blessed with at least nine " anti-edemics " .

 

In Herbal Medicinals: A Clinician's Guide, Miller and Murray share an

interesting case study of a 62-year-old man with congestive heart

failure. An herbalist recommended that he take hawthorn, which

reportedly lessened his edema and improved his physical endurance.

 

High blood pressure.

 

Hawthorn contains at least three " antihypertensives " , which help keep

blood pressure from rising.

Lucinda G. Miller, Pharm.D., and Wallace Murray, authors of Herbal

Medicinals: A Clinician's Guide report that hawthorn expands blood

vessels, lowering blood pressure and reducing the heart's workload.

 

High cholesterol.

 

High cholesterol can lead to serious complications including

cardiovascular disease, a major health problem in the United States

responsible for the most deaths, the largest number of hospitalizations,

and the greatest number of pharmaceutical prescriptions. The best way to

prevent heart problems, of course, is to keep your heart strong and

healthy with regular exercise and a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet.

 

I would also look to hawthorn. A study from the biochemistry department

at the University of Madras, India, shows that a tincture of hawthorn

berries can help ward off high blood cholesterol and atherosclerosis.

 

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

 

While hawthorn is best-known as a heart-helper, there is some indication

that it may be useful in treating attention-deficit hyperactivity

disorder (ADHD), a condition marked by an inability to stay focused and

attentive, and a particular problem among children.

 

David Winston, a noted East Coast herbalist, tells me that he uses

hawthorn not only for heart problems but also for ADHD.

 

While he prefers to work with a solid extract of the fruit of the

European species, Crataegus monogyna, he says he's happy with any of the

native American species that have white flowers, believing them to be

almost as effective as European hawthorns. He believes these flowers

have even more biologically active effects than the fruits.

 

His " Focus Formula " for ADHD includes oats, fresh lemon balm, dried

hawthorn fruit and flower, dried autumn ginkgo leaf, and fresh skullcap

herb.

 

The drug Ritalin is widely prescribed to treat ADHD in children--far too

widely, in my opinion. Instead, I'd try making a hawthorn sauce, just as

I'd make an applesauce, and spice it up with cinnamon. I'll bet that

kids like it better.

 

A CASE IN POINT

 

Hawthorn Successes

 

I've heard many success stories from people who've tried hawthorn. Here

are two:

 

Christopher Hobbs, author of Handmade Medicines, recently told me about

his father, Ken, a botanist and former university professor. Ken had a

massive heart attack when he was 48 years old. During his recovery, he

started taking hawthorn, and his doctor was amazed at his progress.

 

Today, Ken is 78 and still takes hawthorn faithfully. His circulation

has improved, and his heart is strong and steady.

 

And a registered nurse who's a frequent guest on my Peruvian eco-tours

told me that hawthorn changed her family's life. She has weaned her

husband off his heart medication and put him on hawthorn and linden

instead.

 

She persuaded her father to take hawthorn for cardiomyopathy. And she

recommended hawthorn as a " natural diuretic " to her younger sister, who

has insulin-dependent diabetes and suffered an allergic reaction to a

prescription diuretic.

 

 

 

How to Take It and How Much

 

Hawthorn is available in several forms: fresh, dried, liquid extracts,

tinctures, powders, and capsules. I think everyone should make the fruit

part of a healthy diet, in cooked or dried form--not raw (even though I

eat it raw). Our hungrier ancestors probably ate any ripe hawthorn berry

they encountered. If you take the dried fruit, a suggested dosage is 0.3

to 1 gram per day.

 

Standardized extracts of hawthorn, in my view, may be taken by people

with minor heart problems, but let me reiterate:

 

It's very important that you take the right kind of standardized

extract at the appropriate daily dosage, extracts containing 1.8 percent

vitexin-4-rhamnosides or 10 percent OPCs in dosages of 120 to 240

milligrams three times per day.

 

Useful Combinations

 

Naturopaths and nutritionists often recommend other heart-wise herbs,

vitamins, and nutrients along with hawthorn.

 

Angelica.

 

Calcium deposits in the arteries can lead to heart complications.

Angelica can help. This natural calcium antagonist reportedly contains

at least 15 calcium-blocking compounds. Two have been shown to have

better calcium-fighting functions that Verapamil, an angina medication.

 

This kind of data prompted me to cook up a concoction called " Angelade. "

 

 

The primary ingredient is juiced angelica, along with other foods that

contain calcium blockers including carrot, celery, fennel, parsley, and

parsnip (for the recipe, see page 75).

 

Animal musk.

My good friends Albert Leung, Ph.D., and nationally known herbalist

Steven Foster, authors of several useful books including my favorite,

Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients, report that clinical trials

of musk in China showed improvement in about 74 percent of heart

patients--a track record as good or better than the prescription

medication nitroglycerin. To clarify: This is animal musk, not the

vegetable musks from the mallow family. As an herbalist, I don't work

with musk myself.

 

Celery juice.

 

Tip back a cold glass of celery juice. In one study of rats fed a

high-fat diet for eight weeks, those given a celery juice supplement

showed lowered total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides, a fatty

substance in the blood that is also an important factor in the

development of heart disease. Clinical trials in the United States

showed that the equivalent of four stalks of celery lowered blood

pressure.

 

Pineapple enzyme.

 

California herbalist Kathi Keville, whom I greatly admire, says that

more than 400 research papers--most of them from Germany--have been

devoted to the medicinal uses of bromelain , an enzyme found in

pineapple. One such study, done in the early 1970s, showed that angina

patients who took bromelain enjoyed relief from their symptoms within 4

to 90 days, depending on the seriousness of their condition. Their heart

problems returned when they stopped taking the enzyme.

 

Walnuts.

 

Walnuts and other raw nuts high in " monounsaturated " fatty acids, such

as almonds, filberts, macademias, pistachios, pecans, and the delicious

avocado fruit, may lower cholesterol, helping to keep the heart strong.

 

Research has shown that a diet with 20 percent of calories from walnuts

lowered total cholesterol by 12 percent and low-density lipoprotein

(LDL), often called " bad cholesterol, " by 16 percent.

 

Herbal combination. Dr. Leung and Foster also suggest Canada balsam,

cassia, cinnamon, and turmeric for heart and chest pain.

 

Nutrient combination.

 

Studies support a combination of four nutrients to treat heart disease:

I-carnitine, Coenzyme Q10, magnesium, and vitamin E.

 

A suggested preventive dose is 1,000 milligrams per day of I-carnitine,

100 milligrams of CoQ10, 800 milligrams of magnesium, and 800 IU

(international units) of vitamin E. Supplements are recommended, since

it's tough to get these levels even from eating the best of my plants.

 

HERB LORE AND MORE

Hawthorn has a long history as a heart tonic in herbal folklore.

Europeans, Chinese, and Native American peoples used the herb as a

cardiac medication, brewed as a tea or taken in tincture form. The

Cherokees also used an infusion of the bark to prevent heart spasms.

 

Besides heart conditions, hawthorn tea was also taken to soothe sore

throats and as a natural diuretic for kidney disorders.

 

Native Americans often treated rheumatism with hawthorn, and its

flowers and berries were gathered for their astringent properties.

 

Today, traditional Chinese practitioners still use hawthorn as an aid in

the digestion of " fatty foods " .

 

 

 

Caution: Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects

 

Hawthorn is considered extremely safe even when used over long periods

of time.

 

For the most part (with the exception noted below), there are no known

interactions with prescription heart medications or other types of

drugs. Still, it bears repeating that you should consult your doctor

before using hawthorn, and keep the following effects in mind.

 

 

Pregnancy alert. I always caution that all medicines, both herbal and

pharmaceutical, be avoided unless approved by your obstetrician. Having

said that, I wouldn't discourage my own pregnant daughter from using

hawthorn in food form--cautiously--if she had a heart condition. I'd

also suggest other members of the rose family, including apples and

crabapples, as they're almost certainly safer than prescription drugs.

 

Pharmaceutical alert.

 

Studies suggest that in the early stages of heart disease, hawthorn is

more effective than the commonly prescribed digitalis, a drug derived

from the herb foxglove, and has fewer side effects. However, if you're

on digitalis, you should never try hawthorn or any herbal medication

without consulting your doctor. Hawthorn may make digitalis more active.

 

 

A CASE IN POINT

The Frantic Father

 

The caller sounded desperately worried. He had a question about using

hawthorn for cardiac arrhythmia, a condition in which the heart beats

irregularly, typically racing ahead or skipping a beat. Cardiac

arrhythmias can lead to potentially fatal heart attacks.

 

I expected him to tell me that he himself had been diagnosed with the

condition, which usually occurs in adults over age 50. But he explained

that the person with the problem was his little girl, only 6 years old.

 

Calcium channel-blockers--the medication customarily prescribed for this

condition--weren't working for his daughter, he told me. My first

thought was, " Oh no! He's going to ask me to prescribe an herbal

medication over the phone. " This is something I never do--and I'd

certainly never reconsider in a condition as serious as a cardiac

disorder in a child.

 

To my relief, he wasn't looking for an herbal prescription. His

daughter's doctor, he said, had already turned to the alternative

medicine chest, suggesting a regimen including hawthorn, Coenzyme Q10,

and magnesium.

 

Research has shown that all three help the heart.

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The all-new My – What will yours do?