Hawthorn: Good for the Heart

Hawthorn, or Crataegus laevigata, is a shrub that can be found growing all over the United States and in temperate portions of Europe and Asia. Hawthorn is easy to grow and cultivate if you have a free spot in your lawn or community garden. Hawthorn berries, leaves and flowers are all used medicinally.

Hawthorn is best known for its ability to regulate high blood pressure and lend a supportive hand to the cardiovascular system as a whole.

Hawthorn is a mainstay of any high blood pressure program. It has a regulatory effect on blood pressure, restoring both high and low blood pressure to healthy, normal ranges. 

Here are just a few ways that Hawthorn helps the heart:

• Strengthens the heart, pericardium and cardiovascular system
  • Hawthorn strengthens the heart muscle itself. One Hawthorn user described the sensation of Hawthorn as “a supportive hug” for the heart and pericardium. Hawthorn is one of the best-known tonics for the heart, and it has been used as part of a long-term treatment for preventing heart failure and the effects of hypertension.
• Regulates the heartbeat
  • Hawthorn helps the heart muscle develop a strong, steady, regular beat. It can be used for treating heart palpitations and other irregularities.
• Regulates blood pressure – raising if necessary, lowering if necessary
  • Hawthorn helps move the heart to its normal function by either depressing or stimulating its action. If you have low blood pressure, Hawthorn helps to raise it to normal levels. If you have high blood pressure, Hawthorn helps to lower it. It helps the cardiovascular system move toward stable, normal patterns.
• Is a mild calming sedative
  • One of the reasons Hawthorn is such an effective herb for high blood pressure is that it also calms us down. Stress is a major factor in high blood pressure. Hawthorn’s nervine action soothes the heart and takes the pressure off of daily stress, helping us to feel more grounded and relaxed.
• Supports the circulatory system
  • By toning and strengthening the heart and pericardium, Hawthorn supports our entire circulatory system and helps increase healthy blood flow throughout the body. Hawthorn leaves and flowers are especially helpful for strengthening the veins and capillaries in the circulatory system, and they have been used in the treatment of arteriosclerosis, chest pain, and angina pectoris.

Whether or not you’re familiar with the statistics on high blood pressure (1 in 3 Americans suffers, and another 1 in 3 Americans is pre-hypertense), you are probably all too aware of the levels of stress in your life. Hawthorn provides the support, stability, and strength to face the stressors in our lives.

Hawthorn berries, leaves, and flowers are the star ingredients in our Heart Soother Tea and our High Blood Pressure Tea, which continues to be our best-selling tea for decades.