Hawthorn

Type: Nourishing tonic

Properties: cardio-tonic, antispasmodic, vasodilator, calmative, nervine

Part Used: Hawthorn is so generous that all her parts are medicinal: flowers, leaves, and
berries (haws).

Preparation and Dose: I take a dropperful of one-year-old dried berry tincture once a day; my sweetheart (from a family of men who have died of heart attacks) takes up to four dropperfuls a day.

* Tincture of the fresh or dried berries, 1-4 dropperfuls, 1-3 times a day
* Infusion of dried leaves and flowers, 1-4 cups a day
* Infusion of dried berries, 1-4 cups a day
* Fresh berry jam, a teaspoonful a day

Cautions: None. Hawthorn in any form may be taken without restraint and without fear of side effects.

Hawthorn for the aging heart! Hawthorn teaches older heart cells how to function optimally.
Hawthorn shows the aging heart how to make the most of the energy available to it.

Hawthorn is the guardian of the heart. It protects the elderly heart. It eases the stressed heart.
It speeds recovery from heart attack, bypass surgery, and stent placement. It wards off heart
weakness following pneumonia or diphtheria.

Hawthorn contains the original message for the cells of the heart. Like a game of “telephone,”
the message of what to do and how to do it is passed from cell to cell as heart cells replicate,
and it inevitably degrades. Hawthorn restores the original message to the heart cells, so they
become more efficient, more effective, and more capable, especially under stress.

As a cardio-tonic, hawthorn is ideal for those who want to keep their heart healthy, as well as
those who have heart problems. Regular use helps prevent coronary artery disease and reduces
angina pains in those with narrowed coronary arteries. Patients with reduced cardiac output
show marked improvement in heart function when using hawthorn, and those with normal
cardiac output feel stronger and more centered.

Hawthorn moderates blood pressure, lowering the high and raising the low. It is indicated when
there is a feeling of oppression or congestion in the chest.

The Commission E of Germany lists these confirmed effects of hawthorn:
* eliminates mild bradyarrhythmia
* relieves feelings of pressure and tightness in the chest
* counters cardiac insufficiency
* supports the aging heart
* positive inotropic, positive chronotropic, positive dromotropic, negative bathmotropic.

Herbalists and researchers agree that hawthorn
* dilates the coronary arteries
* increases the strength of the heartbeat
* stabilizes the rate of the heartbeat
* decreases rapid heartbeat
* normalizes blood pressure
* improves the overall health of the heart
* increases the rate of blood flow through the heart
* increases coronary and myocardial circulation

Hawthorn works well with linden, garlic, and passionflower. The effects of hawthorn on the heart and cardiovascular system are gentle, pervasive, insistent, cumulative, and sustainable.
There is no toxicity, no habituation, and no lessening of effect over time.