CRATAEGUS MONOGYNA AND HYPERTENSION

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).

[i] 

ALLIUM SATIVUM – A NATURAL BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICINE

I want to start by talking about herbal medicines for hypertension, or high blood pressure.  According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), (1) over 33% of all U.S. adults over the age of 20 have high blood pressure.  Of those affected, 71% report using hypertension drugs, but only 48% believe their condition is under control.

There are a number of herbs which can be effective treatments for high blood pressure.  Allium sativum, or garlic, is one of the most effective and among the easiest to use.  Much of the following information is extracted from my book “The Blood Pressure Garden”, available at http://www.bloodpressuregarden.com.

Research:  Numerous scientific studies over the past 25 years have documented the capacity of garlic to reduce high blood pressure.  For example, a pilot study in 1993 at the Clinical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana (2) found that patients with severe hypertension could reduce their blood pressure readings for up to 5 hours after taking a garlic preparation.  A 1996 study done at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island (3) found that a daily garlic extract could reduce systolic blood pressure by 5.5%.  In 2006, the Journal of Nutrition published a review of epidemiologic studies (4) which examined the effects of garlic on cardiovascular disease.  This review found that not only did garlic reduce blood pressure in test subjects, but that it also provided a host of other health benefits, including reduced platelet aggregation (blood cell clotting), reduced cholesterol, and improved antioxidant status.  More recently, a 2008 review of clinical studies relating to the effect of garlic on blood pressure published in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders (5) found that hypertensive subjects reduced their average blood pressure readings by an average of 8.4+/-2.8 mm HG for systolic and 7.3+/-1.5 mm HG for diastolic blood pressure, respectively, after taking a garlic preparation.

Background:  Garlic is part of a large genus of over 700 species of strong smelling perennials, which include onions, scallions, leeks and shallots.  Of all these different species, garlic is the most pungent variety and has the most therapeutic value.   Used by the ancient Babylonians, Chinese, Greeks and Romans, this herb is surrounded by many legends, the most famous of which is its ability to ward off vampires.

Description:  Allium sativum is a strong smelling, perennial herb with a rounded bulb containing five to ten cloves, or bulblets.  These are encased in a papery white or mauve colored covering, with narrow, flat, green leaves up to twenty four inches long.  The plant bears small white flowers in July or August, which signal that the bulbs are fully grown and ready for harvest.

Growing Conditions:  Hardy and adaptable, garlic does best in loose, dry,  well-drained soils in sunny locations, and is hardy from Zones 4-9.  It is virtually invulnerable to pests, and makes an excellent co-planting herb which can protect other crops in the garden.  In addition, the small, complex flowers, which are borne in the summertime, attract beneficial insects.

Part Used:  Bulbs

Preparation and Use:  Remove the papery external covering from the outside of a garlic bulb and separate the individual cloves.  Chop up one fresh clove (4 grams) daily (6) and use as seasoning,.

Footnotes:

(1)  Centers for Disease Control, National Health and Nutrition Examinations Survey (NHANES) 2005-2008

(2) “Can garlic lower blood pressure? A pilot study” McMahon F.G., et al, Pharmacotherapy 1993 Jul/Aug: 13(4):406-7

(3) “A double-blind crossover study in moderately hypercholesterolemic men that compared the effect of aged garlic extract and placebo administration on blood lipids” Steiner M, et al, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1996 Dec: 64(6):866-70.

(4) “Garlic and Cardiovascular Disease: A Critical Review” Rahman, K. et al, Journal of Nutrition, March 2007 vol 136 no. 3 7365-7405.

(5) “Effect of garlic on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis” Ried, K., et al, BMC Cardiovascular Disorder 2008 8:13.

(6)  Physician’s Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition, p. 353.