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Hawthorn: The Safe Heart Tonic that Improves Blood Supply to the Heart

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http://www.smart-publications.com/articles/060928-hawthorn.php

 

Hawthorn: The Safe Heart Tonic that Improves Blood Supply to the Heart

 

 

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

contraindications. Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha, C. monogyna) is one

of these herbs, and has been prescribed by European doctors for years

to treat various heart conditions including hypertension and

hypotension, 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.3

 

Hawthorn 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 19th century.4,5

Chemical composition

Hawthorn'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.6

How does hawthorn support cardiovascular health?

 

* Appears to improve the metabolism of the heart, thereby

increasing strength and promoting regular contractions of the heart,

helping to normalize arrhythmias 8

 

* Has a relaxing effect 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 damage 12,13

 

* Improves blood flow, oxygen and nutrients to the heart by

dilating blood vessels7,8, and helps alleviate the pain associated

with angina

 

Lowers blood pressure

Hawthorn 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 reduces sodium retention

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

weeks to lower blood pressure.

Helps prevent and treat atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis remains a major cause of death in the United States.

The good new is the proanthocyanidins in hawthorn help reduce

cholesterol levels and 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.15

Shows promise in the treatment of congestive heart failure

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the

National Institutes of Health, almost 5 million Americans have

congestive heart failure(CHF), 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, reduced

circulation, and reduced urine output during the day and increased

urine output at night. 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 circulation in 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. " 17

 

A 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 measured on an ergometer bicycle. 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.18

 

A 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. " 19

 

When patients taking hawthorn extract were compared to patients taking

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

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

effects.20

Produces a relaxing effect inside the arterial wall

Nitric 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 an endothelium-dependent nitric

oxide-mediated relaxation in isolated rat aorta, which is good news

for individuals with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.22

Conclusion

Though 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. In fact, in Eat

Right for Your Type (Putnam Pub. Group, 1997), Peter D'Adamo writes,

" If I had my way, extracts of hawthorn would be used to fortify

breakfast cereals, just as vitamins are. "

 

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.

References:

 

1. Ammon HPT, Handel M. Crataegus: toxicology and pharmacology.

Planta Medica 1981;43:318-22.

Abstract

 

2. Petkov V. Plants with hypotensive, antiatheromatous and coronary

dilating action. A J Chin Med, 1979;7:197-236.

Abstract

 

3. British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (BHP), British Herbal Medicine

Association. Exeter, U.K. 1996. pp. 98-101.

 

4. Anschutz, E.P. New, Old and Forgotten Remedies. Boericke and

Tafel. Philadelphia, PA, 1900.

 

5. Hobbs, C. and S. Foster. " Hawthorne-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 with hypotensive, antiatheromatuous and

coronarodilating action. Am Chin Med, 1979;7,197-236.

Abstract

 

9. Uchida S, et al. Inhibitory effects of condensed tannins on

angiotensin converting enzyme. Jpn J Pharmacol, 1987; 42,

242-245.

Abstract

 

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

Abstract

 

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 compoistion of normal and hypercholesterolemic rabbit

aortas. Biochem Pharm 33, 3491-3497, 1984.

Abstract

 

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.

 

18. Degenring FH, Suter A, Weber M, Saller R. A randomised double

blind placebo controlled clinical trial of a standardised extract of

fresh Crataegus berries (Crataegisan) in the treatment of patients

with congestive heart failure NYHA II. Phytomedicine. 2003;10(5):363-9.

Abstract

 

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.

Abstract

 

20. Tauchert, M., M. Ploch, W.D. Hubner. 1994. " Effectiveness of

hawthorne 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. (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.

Abstract

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