In some European countries, hawthorn berries extract is considered a relatively safe and effective therapy for mild to moderate congestive heart failure. In congestive heart failure, the heart has a reduced ability to pump blood effectively, often due to a previous heart attack. Hawthorn berries may also be helpful in high blood pressure. Hawthorn leaves, flowers and berries are used by herbal practitioners in the UK to treat hypertension in conjunction with prescribed drugs. I have not seen enough studies yet on hawthorn to be completely convinced that hawthorn is effective for heart failure, and perhaps a couple of more rigorous trials that show good results would tip me over in the believer category.
What's in Hawthorn
berries?
Hawthorn contains flavonoids, procyanidins and other
active compounds.
Hawthorn Berries, 510 mg, 180 VCaps
-
Nature's Way
Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) berries of this European species have been used
since ancient times for well-being and as a cardiovascular tonic.
* Hawthorn berries daily value not established
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Research Update newsletter. Twice a month we email a brief abstract
of several studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics -
including hawthorn - and
their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
How does Hawthorn work?
Benefit of Hawthorn herb
Hawthorn acts as a vasodilator, increasing blood supply to the heart and
improving circulation to the extremities by decreasing arterial resistance. Hawthorn also
has positive inotropic and beta-blocking effects, along with antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory benefits.
In rodent studies, hawthorn was
effective in reducing blood sugar in diabetic rats. One human study show
hawthorn to be affective in lowering blood pressure in patients with diabetes.
What form of Hawthorn is best?
The methanol or alcohol extract of hawthorn
berries seems to be more effective. Hawthorn is sold as the plain powder and
various extract potencies including 10 percent flavones,
hawthorn berry extract 2 percent vitexin, and
hawthorn leaves extract 2 percent hyperosides.
What is the dosage of Hawthorn?
The recommended daily dose of hawthorn berries is 160-900 mg
of a native water-ethanol extract of the leaves or flowers (equivalent to 30-169
mg of epicatechin or
3.5-19.8 mg of flavonoids) administered in two or three doses.
What about Hawthorn side effects?
At therapeutic dosages, hawthorn side effects may include a mild rash, headache,
sweating, dizziness, palpitations, sleepiness, agitation, and gastrointestinal
symptoms.
Interactions with drugs
Hawthorn may interact with vasodilating
medications and may potentiate or inhibit the actions of drugs used for heart
failure, hypertension, angina, and arrhythmias.
Hawthorn for heart failure
Hawthorn leaf extract extended
the lives of patients with congestive heart failure by about four months.
These patients were already
receiving medical treatment. Results of the
2,681-patient clinical trial that tested the hawthorn extract known as WS 1442
against a placebo. Dr. Christian Holubarsh, was lead investigator
of the study that was sponsored by the Germany-based Dr. Willmar Schwabe
Group. Hawthorn leaf extract is a natural antioxidant
that has been used in parts of Europe to treat heart failure. Patients in the trial had severely impaired left ventricular
function. The primary goal
of the study was time to first cardiac event, defined as sudden cardiac
death, death due to progressive heart failure, fatal and nonfatal heart
attacks or hospitalization due to heart failure. Patients who received the
hawthorn extract had a 20 percent reduction in
cardiac-related deaths, which translated into four months of added
survival time during the first 18 months of the study.
Hawthorn and Hypertension
Hypotensive effects of hawthorn berries for patients with diabetes taking
prescription drugs: a randomised controlled trial.
Br J Gen Pract. 2006 Jun;56(527):437-43. Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human
Nutrition, School of Food Biosciences, The University of Reading, Reading, UK
To investigate the effects of hawthorn berries for hypertension in patients with
type 2 diabetes taking prescribed drugs. Patients with type 2 diabetes were randomised to daily 1200 mg hawthorn extract or placebo
for 16 weeks. Hypotensive drugs were used by 71% of the study population with a
mean intake of 4.4 hypoglycaemic and/or hypotensive drugs. Conclusion: This is
the first randomised controlled trial to demonstrate a hypotensive effect of
hawthorn in patients with diabetes taking medication.
Hawthorn as an herb for
heart rhythm disturbances
There have been reports that hawthorn herb may be helpful for arrhythmia
control.
Hawthorn Research Update
A randomised double blind placebo controlled clinical trial of a
standardized extract of fresh Crataegus berries ( hawthorn bush berries) in the treatment
of patients with congestive heart failure NYHA II.
Phytomedicine. 2003;10(5):363-9.
A placebo controlled, randomised, parallel group, multicentre trial conducted shows the
efficacy and safety of a standardised extract of fresh berries of hawthorn in patients with cardiac failure. A total of 143 patients (72 men, 71 women, mean age of 64.8) were recruited and treated with 3 times 30 drops of the hawthorn extract or placebo for 8 weeks. The primary variable for the evaluation of
efficacy was the change in exercise tolerance determined with bicycle exercise
testing, secondary variables included the blood pressure-heart rate product (BHP).
In
the hawthorn population there was a significant increase in exercise tolerance in
both groups between visit 1 and visit 3. The difference between the treatment
groups was 8.3 watts in favour of the standardised extract of fresh hawthorn. Changes in BHP at 50 watts and at comparable maximum load were in favor of
hawthorn extract but the results are not statistically significant. The
subjective assessment of cardiac symptoms at rest and at higher levels of
exertion did not change significantly and the patient and investigator overall
assessment of efficacy were similar for the two groups. Hawthorn was well
tolerated and had a high level of patient acceptability. The significant
improvement, due to the fact that dyspnoea and fatigue do not occur until a
significantly higher wattage has been reached in the bicycle exercise testing
allows the conclusion that the recruited NYHA II patients may expect an
improvement in their heart failure condition under long term therapy with the
standardised extract of fresh hawthorn berries.
Hawthorn: pharmacology and therapeutic uses.
Am J Health Syst Pharm 2002 Mar 1;59(5):417-22
Hawthorn is a fruit-bearing shrub with a long history as a
medicinal substance. Hawthorn uses have included the treatment of digestive ailments, dyspnea,
kidney stones, and cardiovascular disorders. Today, hawthorn is used primarily for various
cardiovascular conditions. The cardiovascular effects are believed to be the result of
positive inotropic activity, ability to increase the integrity of the blood vessel wall
and improve coronary blood flow, and positive effects on oxygen utilization. Flavonoids
are postulated to account for these effects. Hawthorn has shown promise in the treatment
of New York Heart Association functional class II congestive heart failure (CHF) in
both uncontrolled and controlled clinical trials. There are also suggestions of a
beneficial effect on blood lipids. Trials to establish an anti-arrhythmic effect in humans
have not been conducted. The recommended daily dose of hawthorn is 160-900 mg of a native
water-ethanol extract of the leaves or flowers (equivalent to 30-169 mg of epicatechin or
3.5-19.8 mg of flavonoids) administered in two or three doses. At therapeutic dosages,
hawthorn may cause a mild rash, headache, sweating, dizziness, palpitations, sleepiness,
agitation, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Hawthorn may interact with vasodilating
medications and may potentiate or inhibit the actions of drugs used for heart failure,
hypertension, angina, and arrhythmias. The limited data about hawthorn suggest that it may
be useful in the treatment of NYHA functional class II CHF.
Hawthorn Berries Animal Studies
Hawthorn evokes a potent
anti-hyperglycemic capacity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
J Herb Pharmcother. 2003;3(2):19-29.
The hypoglycemic effect of an aqueous extract of hawthorn leaves (Crataegus
oxyacantha) was investigated in normal and streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rats.
After a single dose or 9 daily doses, oral administration of the aqueous
hawthorn extract produced a significant and dose-dependent decrease on blood
glucose levels in STZ diabetic rats, but had no effect on blood glucose levels
in normal rats. No changes were observed in basal plasma insulin concentrations
after treatment in normal or STZ diabetic rats. In addition, the acute toxicity
study of the extract was investigated in mice. The results obtained showed that
the aqueous hawthorn extract had a high LD50 value (13.5 g/kg) in mice. We
conclude that an aqueous extract of hawthorn leaves exhibits a potent
anti-hyperglycemic activity in STZ rats, but not in normal rats, without
affecting basal plasma insulin concentrations.
Hawthorn Berries Laboratory Studies
Investigation of the pharmaceutical and
pharmacological equivalence of different Hawthorn extracts.
Phytomedicine 2003 Jan;10(1):8-16
Vierling W, Universitat Munchen, Germany
Seven Hawthorn extracts were tested in isolated guinea pig aorta rings. The effect on
noradrenaline- (10 microM) induced contraction was investigated. The extracts were
prepared using ethanol (40 to 70% v/v), methanol (40 to 70% v/v), and water as the
extraction solvents. The aqueous-alcoholic extracts displayed similar spectra of
constituents. They were characterised by similar procyanidin, flavonoid, total vitexin and
total phenols content and by similar TLC fingerprint chromatograms. The aqueous extract,
however, showed a different fingerprint and a noticeably lower concentration of
procyanidins, flavonoids and total phenols but a similar total vitexin content. All 7
extracts had a relaxant effect on the aorta precontracted by noradrenaline and led to
relaxations to 44 until 29% of the initial values. The EC50 values of the
aqueous-alcoholic extracts varied between 4.16 and 9.8 mg/l. The aqueous extract produced
a similarly strong maximal relaxation as the other extracts, but the EC50, at 22.39 mg/l,
was markedly higher. The results show that Hawthorn extracts with comparable quality
profiles were obtained by using aqueous-alcoholic extraction solvents (40 to 70% ethanol
or methanol). The hawthorn extracts exerted comparable pharmacological effects. When using water as
the extraction solvent, both, the spectrum of constituents and the pharmacological effect,
deviated remarkably. It is thus possible to obtain bioequivalent extracts with comparable
effect profiles by using 40 to 70% ethanol or methanol as the extraction solvent.
Hawthorn Berry Extract 2.0% Vitexin
Hawthorn Leaves Extract 2% Hyperosides
Hawthorn berries