Curiously, the hawthorn turns out
to be a balanced gentle tonic that is effective in strengthening the
cardiovascular system for the aging.
Recall that ninety percent of all men, by the age of sixty have the
disease and the same numbers apply to women by the age of perhaps seventy. It is noteworthy that the benefit is clearly
significant in clinical trials and clearly it is indicated as something that
needs to become a daily fixture in one’s daily tea service.
I think that I will be adding
this to my daily effusion that presently uses fresh ginger and cinnamon sticks
and sometimes fenugreek seeds. The trick
is to start the habit of preparing an effusion with a pot of boiling water
after you are tired of tea itself on a given day. Once you are into brewing an effusion, you
will be looking for ingredients to throw into it.
And if you can get your hands on
fresh berries in decent quantity, do not fail to produce some hawthorn jelly
(blend with apples to produce enough fluid.).
Crataegus oxyacanthoides (Thuill.)
Available to buy from the Purple Sage Web Shop as a
tincture or capsule
Related species: Crataegus monogyna (Jacq.)
Synonyms and Common names: Crataegus oxyacanthoides Thuill.),
Mayflower, May tree, Quickset, Whitethorn, Maybush, Mayblossom, Haw, Halves,
Hagthorn, Ladies' Meat, Bread and Cheese tree
French = Aubepine, German = Hagedorn, Spanish = Espina blanca, Italian
= Marruca bianco
Order: Rosaceae
Description: Crataegus is a deciduous shrubby tree with smooth thorny
shoots and three-lobed stipulate leaves. Small white or pink five-petalled
flowers with short triangular sepals are arranged in corymbs and on long
stalks, each with prominent stamens around the nectary and carpels. The berry
is red with white mealy flesh and a large stone. Crataegus grows in hedgerows
and copses throughout Britain
and all temperate regions of the northern hemisphere.
Parts used: Flowering tops, dried ripe fruits, leaves
Collection: The flowering tops are harvested in late spring and early
summer, the berries in September and October.
Constituents: Fruit: saponins, glycosides, flavonoids, cardioactive
glycosides, ascorbic acid, condensed tannins. Flowers: cardiotonic amines
Actions: Cardiotonic, coronary and peripheral vasodilator, has a
bradycardiac effect on the myocardium, vascular tonic, hypotensive, reputed to
dissolve deposits in thickened and sclerotic arteries, relaxant, diuretic,
astringent
Indications: Cardiac failure or earlier myocardial weakness,
hypertension, arteriosclerosis, Buerger's disease, paroxysmal tachycardia.
Specifically indicated in hypertension with myocardial weakness, angina
pectoris.
Therapeutics and Pharmacology: Crataegus is one of the tonics for
the heart and circulation, acting upon the heart by either stimulating or
depressing its activity depending upon the need. The precise mode of action
which results in the dilating of the coronary blood supply and the tendency to
slow down or stabilise the contractility of the heart muscle is not yet fully
understood, but it is safe to use as a long-term treatment for a weak or
failing heart, and has a beneficial effect on cardiac arrhythmias, especially
extrasystoles and paroxysmal tachycardia. Crataegus is also a useful diuretic. A
clinical study of 80 patients in Japan showed statistically
significant improvement in cardiac function, oedema and dyspnoea in those treated
with a preparation made from the fruits and leaves. Other clinical
observations included a reduction in elevated blood levels of pyruvic and
lactic acid, normalisation of prolonged systole and prevention of ECG changes
due to hypoxia. As a tonic for the circulatory system Crataegus finds its
primary use in the treatment of hypertension, atherosclerosis and angina
pectoris. It is also applicable to peripheral circulatory conditions, such as
intermittent claudication and Raynaud's disease.
The flavonoids in Crataegus are vasodilatory, as is the condensed
tannin phlobaphene. These dilate the peripheral blood vessels and have a
specific action on the coronary circulation. The cyanogenic glycosides are
sedative and increase the parasympathetic (vagal) tone of the heart, thus
slowing it down. Trimethylamine stimulates the pulse rate slightly, and has a
peripheral vasoconstrictor effect. The combination of these actions helps to
explain the paradoxical effect of exerting a sympathetic action on the coronary
circulation and a parasympathetic action on the myocardium. The sedative
effects of the cyanogenic glycosides combine with the vasodilatory effects to
lower high blood pressure, but the cardiotonic activity actually helps to raise
low blood pressure. Crataegus does not contain digitalis-like substances, but
is a gentle remedy requiring extended use. It is of benefit in the treatment
of middle-aged patients showing the first signs of coronary artery disease, and
also in older patients with 'senile' heart. It should also be used in the
follow-up therapy of myocardial infarction.
Both the flowers and the berries are astringent and a decoction of
these will help ease sore throats.
Combinations: Combined with Ginkgo, Crataegus
can enhance poor memory by improving the cerebral circulation and thereby
increasing the amount of oxygen to the brain.
Caution: Should only be used under qualified supervision. Crataegus may
increase the effect of other cardioactive drugs taken simultaneously.
Preparation and Dosage: (thrice daily)
Regulatory Status P
Fruit: Dried fruits: 0.3-1g or by infusion
Liquid Extract: 1:1 in 25% alcohol, 0.5-1ml
Tincture: 1:5 in 45% alcohol, 1-2ml
Additional Comments: The botanical name of hawthorn is derived from the
Greek kratos meaning hardness (of the wood), oxus (sharp),
and acantha (a thorn). The German name of hagedorn means
hedgethorn; haw is also an old word for hedge.
Hawthorn was traditionally used in Europe
for kidney and bladder stones and as a diuretic. In China , the berries
of Crataegus pinnatifida, known as shan zha, are mainly taken
for symptoms of 'food stagnation', which can include abdominal bloating,
indigestion, flatulence and diarrhoea. They are believed to 'move' the blood,
and are used to relieve stagnation in dysmenorrhoea and after childbirth.
Ayurvedic medicine recommends hawthorn for heart and circulatory complaints.
Hawthorn flowers are reputed to have magical properties, and are
believed to bring about a death in the family if they are taken into the home.
This may have something to do with the trimethlamine present in the flowers -
this substance is one of the first products formed when body tissue starts to
decay. Until recently, corpses were kept in the house prior to burial,
and people would have been familiar with the odour of death and decay.
Hawthorn is said to have been the source of Christ's crown of thorns. During
the First World War, the young leaves were used as a substitute for tea and
tobacco, and the seeds were ground in place of coffee. The Hawthorn is the
badge of the Ogilvie clan.
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