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Hawthorn is a useful plant. In folk medicine, not only fruits are used, but also leaves, sepals, flowers. Hawthorn flowers, medicinal properties and contraindications of these drugs have been known in folk medicine for a long time. The shrub grows on a large territory of Our Country, it is an affordable remedy for the treatment of neurosis, insomnia, if properly collected, stored, brewed.
Useful properties and contraindications of hawthorn flowers
The composition of hawthorn flowers contains flavonoids, polyphenols. These substances determine the beneficial properties, the therapeutic effect that infusions from flowers have on the human body:
- have an anti-cancer effect;
- reduce pressure;
- saturate the cells with oxygen, activate the brain;
- reduce the risk of cataracts;
- normalize the work of the liver, kidneys;
- have a choleretic property;
- have a low calorie content, do not add excess weight;
- destroy “bad” cholesterol.
The blood-red hawthorn flowers have medicinal properties, contain iron, magnesium, potassium, and other useful microelements.
The infusion of flowers has a number of contraindications that should be considered before taking teas:
- during pregnancy, you can take it only after consulting a doctor;
- chronic hypotension (you can faint from too low pressure);
- should not be taken on an empty stomach as side effects may occur.
Experts do not recommend taking the herb during breastfeeding. The plant does not contain toxic substances, but the baby may have digestive problems.
Treatment with hawthorn flowers
The therapeutic effect of flowers, leaves, fruits of hawthorn has been known for a long time. The plant has a wound healing effect, anti-inflammatory effect. If you regularly drink tea or an infusion of these flowers during a cold, then the recovery is much faster, the temperature drops, the disease recedes.
Caffeic acid in the plant is a natural antibiotic. The tool helps to normalize sleep, reduces the excitability of the nervous system, strengthens the heart, blood vessels relieves stress, adds vitality.
It’s a pressure reliever. Hypertensive patients should drink this tea regularly.
How to brew hawthorn flowers
For proper brewing, you need to take dried flowers that are harvested in season and dried naturally. Boiling water, which is used for brewing, should not be only from the fire. The optimum temperature is 70–80 °C. It is better to use porcelain or enameled dishes for brewing. So all useful properties are preserved. It is not recommended to use plastic and aluminum utensils.
The best option for brewing is a thermos. Many housewives use additional ingredients to enhance the healing properties.
Infusion of hawthorn flowers
Hawthorn flowers have a variety of uses. The infusion is an effective, popular remedy for heart, neurotic ailments. There are several recipes for infusion.
- water recipe. Take a glass of boiling water on a spoonful of dried raw materials. Place the container in a water bath, simmer for 15 minutes. Cool, strain, divide into 3 parts, drink during the day. The recipe will help to cope with insomnia, lower blood pressure, relieve neurosis, and settle arrhythmia.
- Tincture on alcohol. Take a liter of vodka, 150 g of fresh raw materials. Pour the flowers with vodka, put in a dark, cool place for 2 weeks. Strain, drink 20 drops 3 times a day. Dilute the drops in half a glass of water. Take strictly after meals. It will help with atherosclerosis, neuroses, high blood pressure. The course of treatment is no more than a month, after which a break is necessary.
- Brew 30 g of dried inflorescences. It is necessary to take 1 measuring cup of boiling water per 30 grams of raw materials, insist for 50 minutes. Take 20 ml.
Infusion of flowers and hawthorn berries
Hawthorn flowers and their medicinal properties complement the use of the plant’s berries. Useful properties for the body from the regular use of infusion:
- relieves headaches, rheumatic pains;
- normalizes the thyroid gland;
- normalizes the level of glucose in the blood;
- reduces pressure;
- eliminates the effects of radiation;
- relieves attacks of dizziness due to the supply of oxygen to the brain.
There are several prescription medicines:
- 1 large spoon of flowers, 2 tablespoons of hawthorn berries pour a glass of vodka. Infuse for a week, drain, squeeze. Use 30 drops for atherosclerosis 3 times a day, before meals.
- In 1 liter of boiling water, brew flowers, hawthorn berries, cudweed, rose hips, motherwort herb in equal proportions. 2 hours insist in a dark place. Strain and take half a glass three times a day. Helps hypertension.
- Flower tea. 2 teaspoons of raw materials pour 250 ml of boiling water, brew for 20 minutes. Drink like tea with honey. Useful for colds in the midst of the cold season.
If there is an individual intolerance, then you should not brew, take preparations from hawthorn or fruits. In the presence of chronic pathologies, it is better to consult a doctor.
How to drink hawthorn flowers
The use of water infusion as a traditional medicine is allowed from the age of 12. If alcohol tincture – a specialist consultation is required. Infusions are contraindicated for persons prone to alcohol addiction.
Experts in traditional medicine do not recommend using hawthorn flowers if there is work that requires attention and concentration. The flowers of the plant can cause drowsiness, absent-mindedness.
It is recommended to take the medicine only after meals. There will be no exacerbation of gastritis, ulcers and gastric pathologies.
Medicinal properties and contraindications of hawthorn leaves
Along with flowers, hawthorn leaves are used in folk medicine. The leaves have medicinal properties, thanks to useful, valuable trace elements in the composition. It is important to collect the leaves correctly, away from roads, enterprises, so that they do not absorb a mixture of heavy, hazardous metals.
Leaves are recommended to be collected from mid-May to early July. During this period, they have the most complete therapeutic composition.
Hawthorn leaves in terms of useful properties and contraindications completely coincide with the flowers and fruits of the plant. They help with neurosis, atherosclerosis, angina pectoris, coronary heart disease.
Contraindications for use are the same: breastfeeding, low blood pressure, work that requires attention, pregnancy, individual intolerance.
The use of hawthorn leaves in folk medicine
In folk medicine, hawthorn leaves are used for:
- diabetes mellitus;
- atherosclerosis;
- hypertension;
- diseases of the nervous system.
For a healing effect, it is important to properly collect and prepare them. Then the health benefits of hawthorn leaves will be maximum.
Infusion of hawthorn leaves
The most popular infusion recipes, which use not only hawthorn leaves, but also berries with flowers. For example, with diabetes, the following recipe is popular:
Take a large spoonful of flowers, 2 tablespoons of hawthorn leaves. Pour half a liter of boiling water and cook over low heat for 7 minutes. Infuse for several hours, take 6 teaspoons on an empty stomach. Normalizes blood sugar levels, relieves false appetite. There are contraindications for diabetics, so it is important to consult your doctor first.
For insomnia, neurosis, a decoction is used, prepared from equal portions of hawthorn flowers and leaves. The mixture is boiled in water for a couple of minutes. Drink as a simple tea with the addition of lemon, natural honey. Excellent prevention of cardiovascular diseases, especially in the elderly. Leaves and flowers remove harmful cholesterol from the body, destroy cholesterol plaques, and prevent narrowing of large vessels.
Leaves insist on vodka less often, such infusions are taken as a sedative along with drops of valerian. It will help with insomnia, relieve anxiety, put the nerves in order. You can’t drive after these drops.
Restrictions and contraindications for admission
Hawthorn flowers in the photo are very beautiful. But in folk medicine there are restrictions on the use of plants in the form of infusions, folk medicines. This is low blood pressure, bradycardia, pressure surges. It is not recommended to take infusions, decoctions of berries for patients with a slow heartbeat, pulmonary edema. Varicose veins are another categorical contraindication for the use of infusions of leaves, shrub fruits as a means of traditional medicine.
Leaves, flowers, fruits of the bush thicken the blood – consult a doctor for thrombophlebitis.
Hawthorn leaves have useful properties, but only young raw materials, bright green in color, need to be collected. The therapeutic indications of young leaves in folk medicine allow the use of raw materials, harvesting it for future use. The healing properties of dried raw materials are shown in the treatment of diabetes, nervous disorders, hypertension, liver problems, constant anxiety. Neurologists recommend infusions as an effective sedative.
An overdose of medicinal tincture harms the nervous system, leads to a state of drowsiness and leads to dizziness.
Conclusion
Hawthorn flowers, whose medicinal properties and contraindications have been known for a long time, are not without reason considered a popular remedy in folk medicine. They can become a lifesaver for chronic hypertensive patients, elderly people with diabetes. In this case, it is important to properly collect and prepare healing infusions in accordance with proven traditional medicine recipes. There are contraindications, so it does not hurt to consult a doctor. Herbal treatment is contraindicated for allergy sufferers, pregnant and lactating women, leaves, shrub fruits harm hypotension.
