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Hawthorn: medicinal and beneficial properties. Video
Hawthorn is a medicinal plant known since ancient times. It has long been used for heart ailments, in the presence of kidney stones, gout, etc. German herbalist G. Madaus contributed to the wide dissemination of information about hawthorn as an effective remedy for heart problems.
Hawthorn: healing and beneficial properties
Flowers, fruits and their composition
Hawthorn fruits and flowers are used as medicinal raw materials. The fruits are harvested when ripe, while completely tearing off the entire flap, after which unripe fruits, stalks and leaves are removed. The berries are dried in a dryer or oven. Flowers are harvested at the beginning of flowering, in May, always in dry weather, and then dried in a well-ventilated area.
There are a lot of types of hawthorn, only in the CIS there are more than 50 of them. In Russia, the main species used for medicinal purposes is blood-red hawthorn.
The chemical composition of fruits and flowers is not the same, but both are beneficial for the cardiovascular system. For functional disorders of the heart, flowers are more effective due to the high percentage of essential oil, tannins and flavonoids in them. The flowers also contain trace elements useful for the functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular system, such as magnesium and potassium.
The fruits are notable for their high fructose content, and dried with sorbitol, therefore, in Central Asia, they are added crushed into tortillas dough. The berries contain malic acid, triterpenic acids, pectin, tannins and dyes.
Pharmacological properties
According to research, hawthorn has the following properties:
– has a stimulating effect on the heart, while reducing the excitability of the heart muscle; – in high concentration, it expands the vessels of internal organs and peripheral vessels; – lowers blood pressure; – increases blood circulation in the vessels of the brain and heart, due to the content of ursolic and oleic acids.
Preparations with hawthorn tones up the work of the heart and enhances its contractions, can have a sedative and antispasmodic effect
Indications for taking drugs with hawthorn extract, its flowers and fruits are arrhythmia, tachycardia, prevention of cholesterol plaques and vascular occlusion. This is especially true for the elderly, women in menopause, as well as those who suffer from atherosclerosis and cardioneuroses.
Healing infusion of hawthorn is easy to prepare yourself. The recipe is as follows: 1 tablespoon of dried flowers (or fruits) pour 200 ml of boiling water, insist until cooling and drink 2/3 cup 1-2 times a day.
In general, side effects are uncommon for hawthorn, but a decrease in blood pressure may occur. Therefore, if you are already prone to hypotension, take a little of this remedy and monitor your condition.
It is also not recommended to take hawthorn with bradycardia (slow heartbeat). In this case, accidental overdose of the drug is dangerous, because can lead to depression of the central nervous system and slow heart rate.
During pregnancy, it is permissible to drink tea from the fruits in a low concentration to calm the nerves and sound sleep. But it is not recommended for pregnant women to take alcohol tincture without special instructions from a doctor.