Botanical Name – Crataegus oxyacantha, C. monogyna, C. laevigata

Family: Rosaceae

Energetics: cool, dry, tonifying

Taste: sweet, sour, astringent

Parts used: berries, leaves, flowers

Affinities: cardiovascular system

Actions: cardiac tonic, circulatory relaxant, hypotensive, cardiac trophorestorative, diuretic, nervine, digestive, vulnerary

Preparations: tea, tincture, food, honey infusion

Cautions: Generally regarded as safe for all ages. Because hawthorn is so effective as a heart tonic, it can sometimes interfere with prescription heart medication such as beta–blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, digoxin. Just pay extra attention to how you are feeling and adjust as necessary.

Therapeutic Uses:

• Hawthorn helps the heart work more efficiently, increasing the amount of blood flow while decreasing the frequency of beats.
• As a cardiac tonic, hawthorn helps repair a damaged heart (emotionally and physically). The increased blood flow brings nutrients and oxygen and hauls off dead and damaged cells, metabolic waste, and just any natural detritus.
• Hawthorn is a trophorestorative for the heart which means it helps repair the heart and restore it to optimum health.
• This herb helps to restore homeostasis to blood flow meaning it can decrease blood pressure if that’s what you need, or it can increase blood pressure when it’s low.
• Hawthorn can help lower the bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol.
• For emotional health, hawthorn is soothing to matters of the heart. When you feel like your emotional heart needs protection, hawthorn to the rescue. It will also help with feelings of restless anxiety or when you are feeling emotionally fragile.

**This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or disease. It is for educational purposes only.