Today I would like to discuss the use of Crataegus monogyna, or hawthorn bush, as a natural way to control high blood pressure. Hawthorn is a member of the rose family. It is an aromatic, sweet and warming herb whose various hybrids (C. lavigata etc) are used interchangeably for medicinal purposes. Unlike many medicinal herbs that act on the heart, it is non-toxic. In China it has been used for thousands of years to treat high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, and heart pain. Hawthorn is also used to treat a number of functional heart disorders, including congestive heart failure, angina, coronary artery disease, and arrhythmia (irregular heart beat).
Description: Hawthorn is a deciduous, thorny shrub or tree native to northern Europe. It is typically found growing in pastures and along hedges. Although usually relatively small in habit, some specimens have been found which reached up to thirty-five feet in height. Hawthorn produces small, white flowers in May followed by red berries in September. The leaves are dark green and have five to seven lobes.
Growing Conditions: Hawthorn trees do best in moist soils in part to full shade. They may be pruned in winter and are hardy in the United States from Zones 4-7.
Propagation: Hawthorn can be started by seed separated from ripe berries, planted in a seedbed or cold frame in the autumn. However, germination can take up to eighteen months, and cultivars do not always come true from seed. Consequently, this herb is usually propagated by stem cuttings taken in the spring.
Parts Used: Berries, leaves and flowers.
Harvest: Flowering sprigs with leaves are harvested in late spring and dried.
Preparation and Use: Commission E recommends 600-900 mg (.02-.03 oz) of hawthorn extract daily, taken orally. Alternatively, you can take one to two teaspoons of dried herb steeped in eight ounces of hot water for fifteen minutes as a tea drunk three times a day. (Note: the benefits of hawthorn can take up to six weeks to take effect.)
Research: Clinical studies have shown that the hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) provides a number of positive effects to the heart, including dilation of major coronary blood vessels which leads to lower blood pressure. For example, a 2002 study of hypertensive subjects given 500 mg of hawthorn extract daily [1][i] found a significant decrease in resting diastolic blood pressure as well as reduced anxiety among study participants who received hawthorn extract. Another study in 2006 [2] demonstrated that type 2 diabetics given a daily 1200 mg hawthorn extract for 16 weeks showed significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure as compared to those who received a placebo. This herb has been extensively studied in Germany, where other clinical studies have demonstrated that it also increases the strength of heart muscle contractions, increases the amount of blood pumped, and fosters a stable, steady heartbeat.[3]
[1] “Promising hypotensive effect of hawthorn extract: a randomized double-blind pilot study of mild, essential hypertension” Phytother Res 2002; 16:48-54 Walker A.F. et al.
[2] “Hypotensive effects of hawthorn for patients with diabetes taking prescription drugs: a randomized controlled trial” Br J. Gen Pract 2006; 56:437-443 Walker A. F., et al.
[3] Blumenthal, M., et al., The Complete Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines (1998).
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