Hawthorn flowers and roots: medicinal properties and use in folk medicine. Hawthorn plant (Crataegus) and its cultivation in open ground

But for many, the beneficial properties of hawthorn are of decisive importance: the fruits of this shrub are a real storehouse of vitamins, in addition, they have a pleasant taste, which is why they are often used in cooking.

What does hawthorn look like: description of species

Many types of hawthorn are common in temperate, less often in subtropical zones of the Northern Hemisphere. These are deciduous, multi-stemmed shrubs or low trees with a dense crown of various configurations. Most species have thorns - modified shoots. The shape of the leaves varies depending on the species - from whole, lobed to dissected. When they bloom they are light green, adults are shiny, dark green, and in the fall they are purplish red and yellow.

Flowers are collected in inflorescences. The petals are white, pink or red, very beautiful, but not fragrant. The fruits are of different sizes and colors, resembling small ones with mealy pulp. They are sweet, with a slight sourness and 1-5 seeds inside.

Below you can see a photo and description of the hawthorn species that are most common in the middle zone.

Prickly hawthorn, or common hawthorn. It grows wild in Western Europe, Scandinavia, and the Baltic states. A tree up to 3 m in height with a spherical crown and thorns 0.5-1.5 cm. Shoots are brown-red, leaves are dark green, split, berries are brown-red, medium size.

The species is distinguished by its resistance to both heat and cold, and longevity. Some specimens of this hawthorn live up to 400 years.

Hawthorn is blood red. The tree is 2-4 m high, with a wide crown, 1.5-2 m in diameter. Very winter hardy. Shrubs of this type of hawthorn look like common hawthorn, but are distinguished by greater brightness of colors - the leaves are shiny, dark green, the flowers are pure white, the berries are bright red.

Hawthorn pinnately cut. The crown is wide, the leaves are bright green, shiny, serrated along the edge, prickly, thorns 1-3 cm. The flowers are white, the fruits are large, bright, dark red, very tasty. The species is winter-hardy and drought-resistant.

Green meat hawthorn. A plant with a dense crown and gray bark. The branches are reddish, the thorns are short, up to 1.5 cm. The leaves are ovate, with a wedge-shaped base, serrated along the edge and shallowly incised, densely colored below.

As you can see in the photo, this hawthorn shrub has dense inflorescences, fibrous below, white flowers, black, spherical fruits, up to 1 cm in diameter, with green pulp:

Hawthorn fan-shaped. Tree up to 3 m, but can also be a shrub. It differs from other species in its ascending olive-brown branches and numerous crooked thorns up to 10 cm in length. The fruits are light red with yellow pulp, 3-5 seeds, very tasty.

Hawthorn roundifolia. Tree or shrub. Very prickly, spines straight and curved, up to 7 cm long, shiny, brown. The fruits are spherical, red with dark dots, up to 12 mm in length, with yellow flesh, tasty.

Look at the photo to see what the fan-shaped and round-leaved hawthorn species look like:

Hawthorn propagation: seed stratification, planting and care

Beginning summer residents are concerned about the issue of propagation, planting and care of hawthorn in their garden plot. The biological characteristics of these plants are not very specific. All of them are very durable, winter-hardy, heat-resistant, drought-resistant and hardy.

When growing and caring for hawthorn, there are no special soil requirements, but the fruits have a special taste and abundance only on fertile soils. It reacts positively to liming in acidic soils and grows very well on alkaline chernozems.

When the hawthorn “comes into force,” that is, after 10-15 years of life, it can grow with virtually no watering or fertilizer. The only thing is that hawthorn requires light and open growing areas. Slow growth also implies a relatively small need for fertilizers. But at a young age, growth can be enhanced with the help of nitrogen fertilizers, which are given in the spring in the amount of 25-30 g per plant.

Hawthorns, except for garden forms, are propagated by seeds. Seeds ripen differently in different species. Thus, in the common (prickly) seed, seed ripening occurs in August - September; for the pinnately incised - in October; for round-leaved - in September.

When growing hawthorn from seeds, it should be taken into account that even fresh planting material has difficult germination, as a result of which the seeds require long-term stratification. Stratified, i.e. mixed with wet sand, immediately after collection. If the seeds are stale, they are pre-soaked in water for 3-4 days. The timing of stratification of hawthorn seeds varies among different species. And the seeds of blood-red hawthorn can be sown in the fall and without stratification. Other species, including common, require 10-24 months for stratification.

The seedlings of common hawthorn are very unfriendly, and full germination can be expected only after a year.

Since seed stratification extends over long periods, there is a certain regime. Namely, the seeds are laid in a thin layer - up to 5-10 cm, no more, they should be stored in the basement, where the temperature is at least +6 ᵒC, the sand must be watered periodically to prevent the seeds from drying out.

Stratified seeds are sown in the ground along with sand to a depth of 2-3 cm, and covered with a layer of peat (2-1.5 cm) on top. Seedlings that appear in the spring must be pruned when their third leaf forms. After planting, when caring for hawthorn, it is necessary to provide the seedlings with protection from weeds, a loose substrate and systematic watering. Don't forget that seedlings grow very slowly.

Reducing the stratification time can be achieved by collecting immature seeds and sharply periodically changing the storage temperature (from +5°C to +20°C). Or by sowing them in the fall with the pericarp, which will rot over the winter, and the seeds will sprout in the spring.

What are the benefits of hawthorn: medicinal properties and use of fruits

The use of hawthorn is recommended both in cooking and in folk medicine. The sour-sweet fruits are eaten raw, made into jam, preserves, compote, dried in large quantities and added to flour when ground, and used as a tea substitute.

Another way to use hawthorn fruit is to make a tasty and healthy filling for homemade pies. To do this, dried berries are ground into flour and mixed with honey.

Hawthorn berries, as well as flowers and leaves, are very valuable in nutritional and healing terms.

The medicinal properties of hawthorn have a positive effect on heart diseases, strengthens heart contractions and has a calming effect on the central nervous system, helping to stop attacks of pain due to angina pectoris.

As a cardiotonic and blood circulation regulating agent, hawthorn is recommended for insufficient blood circulation in older people, especially with diseases of the menopause, atherosclerosis and cardiac neuroses.

What else is hawthorn useful for, and what ailments is it used for? The fruits of this plant help lower cholesterol in the blood and improve the functional activity of the heart muscle; it is used for insomnia, as well as for high blood pressure.

The medicine is an alcoholic tincture of hawthorn.

The preparative form can also be a liquid extract of hawthorn. The extract must be stored in a dark glass container, well sealed.

Of all the species, common hawthorn is the most effective for lowering blood pressure. There are even contraindications - do not use it at low blood pressure.

Blood red hawthorn is good for treating arrhythmia and hypertension. It is an excellent diuretic that relieves cardiac edema.

The fruits of green meat hawthorn are used in medicine as a diuretic and for dental caries.

Hawthorn affects the function of the thyroid gland, which ultimately affects the favorable course of menopause and atherosclerosis. And although hawthorn preparations do not cause side effects, they must be used under the supervision of a doctor, like any potent drug.

At the very beginning of summer, hawthorn blooms, delighting us with the delicate aroma and delicate beauty of white inflorescences. There are legends about the healing properties of this plant. The most common use of all parts of hawthorn is the prevention and treatment of the heart and blood vessels. Medicinal raw materials obtained from hawthorn have powerful cardiotonic properties. The color of hawthorn is no exception, the collection of which takes only 10-12 days a year.

How to prepare hawthorn flowers

The bush fades quite quickly, sometimes in hot weather literally within a few days, so if you want to stock up on valuable medicinal raw materials yourself, then do not miss the moment when the buds on the inflorescences begin to bloom. Flowers are collected at the very beginning of flowering.

Using scissors or a knife, individual flowers and entire corymbose inflorescences are cut off. The length of the peduncle is about 3.5 cm. To prevent rotting of the raw material and its subsequent darkening, flowers are harvested only in dry weather. It is advisable to carry out drying immediately after collection, using an oven or electric dryer at a temperature not exceeding 40°C.

If it is not possible to dry the raw material using electrical appliances, it is laid out on canvas or paper in a thin layer and placed in a well-ventilated dry room, for example, in the attic. The smell of dried hawthorn flowers is subtle, with spicy notes, and the taste is bitter-sweet. Dried inflorescences are stored in tin or glass jars or cardboard boxes for no more than 1 year. Harvested flowers are used to prepare healing teas, medicinal mixtures or tinctures.

Composition of hawthorn flowers

The raw materials contain a high concentration of antioxidants, carotenoids, phytoncides, flavonoids, tannins, essential oils, polysaccharides, as well as quercetin, choline, chlorogenic and caffeic acid. Macro- and microelements in hawthorn flowers are represented by: potassium, fluorine, calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron, copper, boron, chromium, cobalt, phosphorus, sulfur, zinc, iodine.

Beneficial properties of hawthorn flowers

Medicinal raw materials have antiarrhythmic, anticholesterol, and hematopoietic effects, and the hypotensive qualities of the flowers are stronger than those of the plant’s fruits. The use of hawthorn extracts significantly improves cerebral and coronary blood circulation, relieves increased excitability of the nervous system, and normalizes blood clotting.

In folk and traditional medicine, infusion and tincture of hawthorn flowers are prescribed for the following diseases:

hypertension;
chronic heart failure;
tachycardia;
angina pectoris;
dizziness;
dyspnea;
atherosclerosis;
vegetative-vascular dystonia;
thyrotoxicosis;
sleep disorders;
menopausal disorders (as an adjuvant);
pneumonia;
acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections;
rheumatism;
asthenoneurotic conditions.

Recipe for tincture of fresh hawthorn flowers

Experienced traditional medicine doctors recommend preparing a healing elixir in alcohol from freshly picked flowers, since it is believed that they contain the maximum amount of biologically active compounds, which are partially destroyed during drying and storage.

Hawthorn flowers are placed (loosely) in a glass jar and filled to the top with medical alcohol diluted 1:1 with distilled water (can be replaced with vodka). Place a tightly sealed container in a dark place for two weeks. The strained tincture is taken 30-40 drops three times a day after meals, diluting them in half a glass of drinking water.

Recipe for infusion of dried hawthorn flowers

Two tablespoons of dried flowers are steamed with 0.6 liters of boiling water and infused for a quarter of an hour. It is recommended to consume 100 ml of strained infusion 3 times a day before each meal for arterial hypertension, shortness of breath, and cardiac dysfunction. The infusion works especially well for older people, since the drink not only normalizes blood pressure, but also improves overall well-being and condition of the body.

Medicinal mixture with hawthorn flowers for menopause

The infusion helps relieve anxiety and nervous disorders during the period of hormonal changes (male and female menopause). Mix chamomile, cucumber, marigold and hawthorn flower in equal proportions, brew a tablespoon of the mixture with a glass of boiling water, leave for 15 minutes, take 1 glass instead of tea 2 times a day. To enhance the therapeutic effect, it is recommended to sweeten the drink with bee honey.

Flower collection for heart weakness

Mix 75 grams of hawthorn color, 30 grams of horsetail and 45 grams of bird's-eye knotweed grass. Pour a tablespoon of the mixture into 0.25 liters of boiling water and leave covered for about 30 minutes. The filtered infusion is drunk in small portions throughout the day.

Hawthorn root: harvesting and use

The roots of the shrub are harvested in late autumn, when the plant is in a dormant period. The washed hawthorn roots are cut into small pieces and dried in an electric dryer at a temperature of about 60°C. Store the root in paper or canvas bags in a well-ventilated, dry and shaded place for up to two years.

For medicinal purposes, a decoction is prepared from dry raw materials, which is most useful for elderly people with problems with the heart muscle, as a general tonic. The drug helps with heart failure (grades I-II).

How to take a decoction of hawthorn root?

15 grams of dried hawthorn root is poured into 250 ml of boiling water and simmered in a water bath for about a quarter of an hour, and then left under the lid until cooled. The filtered drink is taken three times a day, 15-20 ml.

Contraindications to the use of extracts from all parts of hawthorn

Although the medicinal plant is not toxic, medications based on it should be used with caution during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The powerful hypotensive properties of hawthorn color can harm people suffering from hypotension. The plant is contraindicated in cases of reduced blood clotting and bradycardia. In some cases, individual intolerance is possible.

And again our “plants-healers” section is expanding. The hero of our conversation today - Prickly hawthorn (common) from the Rosaceae family and its medicinal properties with contraindications.

Hawthorn - photo, description, where and how it grows

The Latin name for hawthorn is Crataegus oxyacantha.

Crataegus (Greek for "strong"). This is the name given to hawthorn for its strong wood and vitality.

Our people nicknamed this elegant deciduous berry hawthorn, boyarka, lady for its bright berries and lush flowering.

Hawthorn comes in the form of a large bush or low (less than 10 m) tree. It has light brown branches with large (1-2 cm long) spines. Thanks to these thorns, for some peoples it served as a talisman against evil spirits.

In addition to the prickly hawthorn, which is widespread almost everywhere in Russia, the blood-red hawthorn grows in Siberia, the monopistillate hawthorn grows in the European part, there are Altai and Daurian varieties.

In Russian folklore there were songs and riddles about him: "The tree is curly, and the claws are wolf".

Hawthorn leaves are bright green, three-lobed with serrated tips, obovate in shape and short petioles. The inflorescences look like a simple umbrella-shaped shield of 6-10 flowers. Hawthorn flowers are white or pinkish, up to 15 mm in diameter, similar to apple flowers, but smaller.

For the ancient Greeks, the blooming hawthorn symbolized hope, spring, chastity and was dedicated to the god of marriages, Hymen.

Hawthorn berries are almost spherical, about 12 mm in diameter, dark red with two to three seeds and sweetish pulp. It blooms at the end of May - the first half of June, ripens at the end of August.

Honey plant. Hawthorn honey is especially applicable in cardiological and neurological practice. The plant lives for a long time. There is a known specimen that has lived for about 400 years.

Distributed in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere - Northern. America and Eurasia.

Hawthorn composition and calorie content

Hawthorn contains a rich set of biologically active substances (BAS), thanks to which hawthorn-based drugs improve blood circulation, stimulate the heart, increasing its ability to effectively use incoming oxygen and helping the enzyme systems of myocardiocytes.

There are flavonoids, polyphenols, organic acids, pectin, essential and tannins, vitamins C, A, E, K, trace elements potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium, copper, manganese, zinc.

You won’t gain much from boyarka berries; their calorie content is only 52 kcal per 100 grams of fruit.

Medicinal properties of hawthorn

Antioxidant;
antitumor;
vasodilators;
tonic;
small diuretics;
choleretic;
hepatoprotective;
lactogonic;
painkillers;
anti-sclerotic;
anti-inflammatory;
antimicrobial;
regenerative;
hypotensive;
cleansing;
sedatives;
normalizing blood glucose and metabolic processes.

Beneficial properties of hawthorn

Only the lazy have not heard about the benefits of hawthorn for the heart, but in general the beneficial properties of this medicinal plant are more diverse.

The use of hawthorn for medicinal purposes has been known since the time of Pedanius Dioscorides, a Greek scientist and healer who lived in the 1st century AD. e. This great healer considered it a panacea, a cure for all diseases. Not only fruits, but also flowers and leaves are suitable as medicinal raw materials.

Preparations based on hawthorn help:

for diseases of the cardiovascular system,

with menopausal syndrome,

with nervous exhaustion due to nervous or physical stress.

The flavonoids already noted above strengthen blood vessels, increasing their elasticity, reducing the permeability of the capillary network.

They have antioxidant and antitumor effects and are used to prevent cerebrovascular accidents. Memory and cognitive processes improve, headaches and dizziness decrease.

Long-term use of hawthorn is harmless; moreover, its therapeutic effect is manifested to a greater extent with long-term use. The most important quality of this medicinal plant is its ability to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, helping to prevent and treat hypertension.

One of the most beneficial properties of hawthorn is its vasodilating property, which improves nutrition and accelerates metabolism in the tissues of the heart, brain and kidneys.

At the same time we receive diuretic effect.

Taking hawthorn also helps regulate cardiac activity in cases of atrial fibrillation.

Hawthorn preparations play a significant role in post-infarction rehabilitation.

At the same time, its general calming effect, normalization of sleep and anti-stress support for the body are very useful in case of overwork. Plus, the immune system is strengthened.

It is also interesting that it is able to increase the body’s sensitivity to the action of other glycosides, which is why it is very good to use it as part of preparations.

What other benefits are there from hawthorn - fruits, flowers?

To this we can add that preparations based on hawthorn reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, normalize blood clotting, improve digestion, and are used for diarrhea and severe flatulence.

An infusion of hawthorn flowers helps normalize metabolic processes and is widely used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the liver, gall bladder, and intestines.

Hawthorn is useful for men - it prevents the appearance of adenoma and the development of prostatitis.

And for nursing women, the infusion will cause a rush of milk.

The condition is alleviated with regular use of the drug in patients with sore joints and diabetes mellitus.

There is an effect even from gargling with a decoction for acute tonsillitis.

There are many ready-made pharmaceutical forms of hawthorn. For example, fruit extract is included in "Cardiovalena", used for cardiosclerosis, rheumatic heart defects, (vegetative-vascular dystonia), angina pectoris, .

But, I must say, tea from its flowers works just as well!

The use of hawthorn in traditional medicine recipes

The fruits and flowers of this medicinal plant are most often used in folk treatment; infusions, steams, and hawthorn tincture are prepared; in the pharmacological industry, an extract is extracted from hawthorn.

1. Infusion of hawthorn flowers.

2-3 table. spoons of prepared raw materials are immersed in a bowl with 3 glasses of cold boiled water, allowed to brew for about an hour and taken 1-2 tablespoons. spoon three times a day. Dried flowers or fruits of hawthorn can be brewed instead of tea (good together with leaves or fruits of strawberries, as well as black currants or rose hips).

2. Hawthorn decoction (napar).

1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of well-chopped fruits or flowers into 1 glass of boiling water, and after cooling, drink 150 ml 3 times a day for heart disease, dizziness or migraines, insomnia, and hypertension.

You can also prepare the following collection: the color of hawthorn and plus the greens of motherwort and cudweed (4: 1: 4: 4, respectively). To make a decoction, pour 1 spoon of this mixture into a glass of boiling water. You can take it in the same way as a decoction of hawthorn itself.

3. Alcohol tincture of hawthorn - application

To prepare it, freshly squeezed juice from flowers is poured with 90% alcohol in double quantity. Let it brew for 15 days. And take 3 times a day, 40 drops, with a small amount of water.

An excellent remedy for hypertension and heart pathologies.

I remind you: The tincture should not be used in case of severe hypotension, because hawthorn.

There is a pharmaceutical tincture of hawthorn, but it is made from crushed fruits and 70% alcohol. The effectiveness of the product is slightly lower for hypertension than that of hawthorn flower tincture.

There is evidence that hawthorn stabilizes blood pressure more than specifically reduces it, which determines its use in some cases for hypotension as part of preparations.

But, in this case, consultation with a doctor is mandatory so as not to harm your health and not aggravate an already painful condition.

4. Calming collection.

Equal amounts of crushed raw materials of hawthorn, motherwort, gray jaundice, horsetail and mix thoroughly. Then 2 tbsp. spoons of the mixture pour 500 ml of boiling water, leave for half an hour and drink half a glass three times a day, preferably before meals.

5. Collection for problems of peripheral vessels.

For varicose veins and atherosclerosis of the lower extremities, a collection consisting of hawthorn, oregano, motherwort, and St. John's wort is recommended. The mixture is prepared in a ratio of 3:3:4:4.

Brew a tablespoon of the mixture with a glass of boiling water in the evening, drink half a glass twice a day an hour before meals.

6.Hawthorn tea.

Pour a couple of spoons of dried hawthorn flowers into a glass of boiling water, let it brew for half an hour, strain and drink a cup 2-3 times a day for a couple of weeks. The overall tone and performance improves.

Another, more classic version of hawthorn tea is to pour 20-25 berries with a liter of boiling water overnight, leave in a thermos, drink in equal portions throughout the day tomorrow.

Ready-made pharmaceutical form available "Hawthorn extract". You can find out how best to use it from the instructions for the drug, but you can do it in the same way as an infusion.

7. Hawthorn buds- an indispensable remedy for coronary heart disease, hypertension, dizziness and tinnitus.
Take 100 g of hawthorn buds, chop, mix with 30 g of honey, add 1 g of vanilla and cinnamon, pour in 700 ml of cognac, shake and leave for 12 hours in a dark, warm place. Strain and drink 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals. The course of treatment is 2-3 months.
By the way, this drink prevents the development of atherosclerosis.

So, the beneficial properties of hawthorn are in demand not only in cardiology, but also in neurology and therapy.

Hawthorn contraindications - possible harm

Hypotension, especially with very low blood pressure numbers.

If the use of hawthorn is very indicated for heart diseases, then you should prefer an infusion of flowers rather than berries, it has a milder effect.

Do not use infusions and decoctions on an empty stomach; colic may occur in the intestines.

Excessive and very long-term use of the preparations of the described plant can lead to the opposite result - the work of the heart muscle will become difficult (this only confirms the truth that many substances “in small doses are medicine, and in large doses they are poison”).

In this case, you can consume no more than 150 grams per day. hawthorn fruit.

In rare cases, individual intolerance occurs.

It is not recommended to indulge in hawthorn treatment during pregnancy and lactation.

Harvesting and storing flowers and fruits for the winter

Flowers and leaves are harvested in dry weather during the initial flowering period and dried. It is important to be on time, because hawthorn blooms in mid-May for a very short time - 2-3 days.

The berries are picked at the moment of full ripening (mid-September - early October) and also dried. Ready-to-eat fruits must be crushed well before use in order to more fully extract the active substances.

Flower raw materials do not retain their healing properties for the next year and therefore Every year it needs to be harvested anew. But the fruits can be used and stored for up to 2 years.

Various forest and field plants are traditionally used to prepare medicinal potions. But they must be used with caution even by those who have extensive experience in herbal medicine. For example, special attention should be paid to the medicinal properties and contraindications of hawthorn. Extracts of the raw materials of this shrub are popular, but due to the large number of biologically active components, the result of use may be the opposite of what was expected.

You can brew leaves, blossoming flowers, and bark. It is extremely beneficial to take them from plants whose stems careful gardeners have not forgotten to cross so that they develop better and bloom more luxuriantly. However, blood-red, orange, and black “apples” bring the most benefit. They accumulate the maximum amount of microelements, vitamins, organic acids (including rare ones), flavonoids, protein components, essential and fatty oils, and antioxidants. The listed components, taken orally with liquid, are quickly absorbed and included in the work of many organs and systems. The results of their combined impact are:

successful healing of wounds and inflammations;
harmonization of sleep, restoration of psychological balance;
improvement of the general condition of the heart, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract;
disappearance of external signs of aging.

In order for the effect of drugs on health to be as favorable as possible, it is necessary to use environmentally friendly raw materials of excellent quality. You cannot pick berries and leaves in smoky, littered areas (forests, groves of the Moscow region), or buy them from unscrupulous sellers in dubious pharmacies, in city markets, or by hand.

Useful and healing properties

The use of hawthorn both for medicinal purposes and for the prevention of diseases is not limited to the preparation of aqueous and alcoholic solutions, teas, fruit drinks, and compotes. If you have experience, you can make jellies, jams, sauces, pie fillings, even face masks. The choice of remedy depends on the purpose of using the plant, the characteristics of a particular person’s body, individual indications and circumstances. Tinctures are most often used in everyday life because they:

easy to buy or make from any above or underground part of the bush;
It is not prohibited to use internally or externally (in consultation with a doctor);
can be stored for a long time under normal conditions, as preparations for the winter.

There are many recipes for infusions and liqueurs, but they are all similar in key points. You need to use alcohol no weaker than 40% or vodka. Keep the raw material poured in the required volume in the dark for at least 3 weeks with constant shaking, then filter.

Heart diseases

This is not the only thing that hawthorn helps to cure, however, drugs based on it are mainly used in the prevention or treatment of angina pectoris and coronary artery disease. Use is carried out regularly, for a long time, with strict adherence to dosage standards. The best medical effect is manifested when a person additionally tries to eat right, not overexert himself mentally, lead a healthy lifestyle, and follow the individual instructions of a specialist.

The easiest way is to prepare an infusion. You should take 1 full tablespoon of crushed “apples” (you can have them with flowers - they will strengthen the heart muscle), add 1 glass of boiling water, leave for an hour under the lid. Take half a cup several times a day. You can make a collection by adding raw materials of chamomile, motherwort, lemon balm, mint, and rose to the tea leaves. Herbal mixtures are considered even more useful than monocomponents individually: a kind of complementarity occurs, crossing the beneficial properties and characteristics of plants.

It’s good if you have access to fresh boyarkas, garden or collected in the forest at the first frost (when the astringents in the composition have partially disintegrated, but there are still a lot of vitamins and other useful components). They can be crushed and, adding warm water, squeeze the juice through cheesecloth. It is recommended to drink it 1 tbsp. l. before meals.

Hypertension

Alcohol tincture is a unique remedy that allows you to successfully normalize high blood pressure. It relaxes the walls of blood vessels, due to which tinnitus and headaches disappear. You can even avoid the development of the disease at its initial stage without the need to drink tablets or suspensions. The course of administration is 20 drops before meals, diluted with water. Herbal preparations are somewhat weaker, but quite effective - for example, from the fruits of hawthorn together with motherwort (1:1, tsp). It is necessary to mix the raw materials, brew 300 ml of boiling water for an hour, strain, then drink 100-300 drops before each meal. This simultaneously reduces blood pressure and calms you psychologically.

Contraindications regarding drugs for men and women are the same. Hypotonic patients are prohibited from taking them (occasionally the use of non-concentrated herbal remedies based on shrub flowers is allowed). Others need to carefully coordinate dosages with their doctor. If a course of treatment with any pharmaceutical drug is started, the infusion or vodka tincture can enhance the effect of the medication and cause more harm than good.

Atherosclerosis and vascular problems

A decoction of dried hawthorn flowers painlessly relieves such ailments. For 1 glass you need to take the same volume of boiling water, place it in a container placed in a water bath, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then leave for an hour under the lid, strain, add boiled fresh water to the original volume and drink half a cup three times a day for 2-3 weeks, 20 minutes before meals. Many unpleasant symptoms disappear: nausea, fainting, frequent heart rhythm disturbances.

Neuroses, nervous agitation, dizziness

Any available berries from which infusions are prepared are suitable. Dried fruits (1 tablespoon) should be brewed with 1 glass of water, kept covered for a while, then drunk a third of a cup 20 minutes before each meal for 3 weeks. Juicy, large and small - chop on a grater or crush with a hoe with seeds, scooping 2 tbsp. l. mush. Then pour 1 cup of boiling water and simmer over low heat until the volume is reduced by half. The course of administration is the same, in portions of 40 drops.

Thyroid diseases

Accompanied by disorders of thinking, sleep, chronic weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness. You can mitigate the symptoms if you take hawthorn and St. John's wort flowers (1:1, 1 tbsp each) and brew 200 ml of boiling water for 2 hours in a thermos, where you then increase the volume with drinking water to 1 liter. Take half a cup 3 to 4 times a day. Standard course – 3-4 weeks.

Bags under the eyes, swelling on the face

Easy to remove using double infusion: 1 tsp. dry hawthorn leaves per 100 ml of boiling water. Leave for half an hour, strain, and divide in half. Heat one part slightly, add 2 tbsp to the other. l. ice water and dip cotton pads into both in turn, covering the eyes or swollen areas for 1 minute. Finish with a cold application.

For men

The shrub can help in the fight against prostate diseases, indirectly increasing sexual activity. It is necessary to draw up a collection, the action of which is aimed at harmonizing the blood supply to the gland and removing tumors. To the hawthorn flowers and peppermint herb, add medicinal speedwell, fireweed, bird knotweed (1:1:2:3:3), brew 1 tbsp. l. mix 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes. Regularly take a third of a cup an hour before meals.

For women

For breastfeeding mothers, expectant mothers, as well as those who cannot tolerate menstruation, hawthorn of any variety (classic, hybrid, crossed with rosehip) is rarely prescribed. It is allowed to take only highly diluted aqueous phytosolutions, which help to quickly get rid of insomnia, tidy up the nerves, and relieve excessive excitability. You can make homemade green or black tea by adding two or three berries to the tea leaves, or a smoothie that you drink before bed. You need to take 1 tbsp. l. concentrated infusion from the raw materials of the bush, twice as much kefir or curdled milk, half a teaspoon of honey, a whole banana. Mix everything thoroughly and beat with a mixer (blender) until foam appears.

If you need to alleviate the psychological state of menopausal neurosis, a decoction of 14 tbsp should help. spoons of dry collection: marsh cudweed, hawthorn flowers, blackberry leaves, motherwort, fragrant moraine (1.5:2:2.5:4:4). 1 tbsp. l. Brew the mixture with 1 cup of boiling water, keep warm for 15 minutes, drink immediately. Repeat three times a day for 2-3 weeks in a row.

Products based on shrub raw materials are used externally to make anti-aging masks. Upon contact with them, the skin is exposed to ursolic acid (one of the rare plant components) and begins to intensively produce collagen. Simultaneously:

the elasticity of the fibers increases, the pores narrow;
blood flow is stimulated, cell nutrition is improved;
acne and pimples disappear.

To achieve this, you need to apply masks to your face once a week for 10-20 minutes. The universal remedy includes boyar pulp, sour cream, and honey. When treating oily skin, add to 1 tsp. fruit juice 1 tbsp. l. curdled milk and three times the volume of low-fat cottage cheese, dry - 4 mashed green grapes, problematic - milk and fresh yeast.

For children

According to popular reviews, for severe stomach upsets in preschool children, you can make an infusion from a peeled piece of hawthorn root, thoroughly washed with hot water. The approximate size is half a little finger. It needs to be brewed with 200 ml of boiling water and left covered until it cools slightly. Then give the sick child the same drink as regular tea.

Contraindications for use

Hawthorn fruits, with their universal medicinal properties, are non-toxic and harmless when taken for a long time, but only for an adult who follows the dosage. This is a maximum of 150 g of fully ripened berries per day. A larger amount can cause a sharp drop in blood pressure, increased heart rate, and loss of concentration. Also, products based on shrubs of any variety should not be taken on an empty stomach, but should be washed down with heated water. Otherwise, side effects will appear - nausea, vomiting, vascular and intestinal spasms.

Permission to take herbal remedies must be given by an experienced medical specialist - therapist, pediatrician. Hawthorn is contraindicated for children under 12 years of age, allergy sufferers, and those prescribed antiarrhythmic medications. Patients with diabetes and people whose work requires maximum concentration on the assigned tasks should be careful with it. Tinctures containing alcohol should not be used by pregnant or lactating women.

Hawthorn fruits and flowers provide enormous health benefits. Their properties are used to prevent and treat diseases of the heart and blood vessels, normalize blood pressure and digestion, overcome fatigue, insomnia, and eliminate the consequences of nervous strain. Berries of wild varieties were already used in Ancient China and Asia. In the 16th century, cultivated plant species were developed. At first, hawthorn turned out to be useful in eliminating loose stools during dysentery. Then they began to use it to improve the functioning of the heart and the condition of blood vessels.

Composition of medicinal plant

The exact chemical composition that explains the beneficial properties of hawthorn is still unknown. It is believed that the therapeutic effect is achieved by flavonoids, plant polyphenols. In addition to giving the fruits a particular color, they help eliminate the fragility of the walls of blood vessels and neutralize free radicals in the body.

quercitrin maintains elasticity, reduces capillary permeability, has antitumor and antioxidant effects;
Quercetin is a wonderful means of preventing and treating cerebrovascular disorders and cardiovascular diseases. Sufficient intake of quercetin reduces the risk of cataract formation.
hyperoside increases the utilization of glucose, increases the use of oxygen, and enriches the heart with potassium ions. As a result, the contractility of the myocardium, the middle layer of the heart muscle, and the amount of cardiac output increases.
Vitexin dilates blood vessels, enhances metabolic processes in the heart muscle.

Hawthorn flowers and fruits also provide benefits due to the properties of the acids they contain:

Ursolova has a wound-healing and anti-inflammatory effect;
oleanolic acid tones and enhances blood supply to the heart and brain;
chlorogenic has an anti-sclerotic effect, is useful for normalizing kidney and liver function, and has a choleretic effect.
Coffee beans have strong antibacterial properties and also promote the secretion of bile.

The amount of tannins after freezing decreases, the berries become sweeter and not so tart.

Medicinal properties of hawthorn

Taking the fruits and flowers of the plant in the form of infusion, tincture, or decoction benefits the entire body, having a complex effect on various organs and systems.

Heart. Providing a vasodilator effect, hawthorn benefits by toning the heart muscle and ensuring sufficient oxygen supply. The frequency decreases, a rhythm is established, and the strength of heart contractions increases. As a result, the excitability of the heart decreases, its fatigue is relieved, and coronary blood flow and cerebral circulation improve.

Hawthorn in one or another dosage form is useful in reducing the manifestations of mild forms of atrial fibrillation and tachycardia.

Vessels. The plant normalizes blood clotting indicators, blood levels, and prevents the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. It is used in case of vascular spasm.

Nervous system. Providing a sedative (calming, but without the onset of drowsiness) effect, the beneficial plant reduces the excitability of the nervous system, helps eliminate insomnia, and helps normalize sleep.

Digestive system. Taking infusions and tinctures helps with gastritis in any form, flatulence, and in case of difficult digestion in children. Used to eliminate loose stools.

Flowers and fruits of the plant help cope with headaches, dizziness, and shortness of breath. The antioxidant effect it provides prevents the formation of tumors of various natures, increases blood pressure, and helps to quickly restore strength after infectious diseases.

Nursing mothers use the beneficial property of hawthorn to stimulate milk production.

The use of the plant in cosmetics helps restore the natural moisture of the skin, tones, relieves swelling, and eliminates the manifestations of age-related changes.

Pharmacy products

As a rule, flowers and fruits of common hawthorn, prickly hawthorn, blood-red and other small-fruited species are used to prepare medicinal products that have a number of useful properties. They are better studied and contain a significant amount of compounds that normalize heart function.

Hawthorn fruits are available in various dosage forms: herbal raw materials, powder, lozenges, tincture, extract. Their benefits are in eliminating arrhythmia; they are also used to calm the central nervous system, lower cholesterol levels, normalize blood clotting, increase milk production, and eliminate digestive disorders in infants.

Flowers, compared to fruits, have a better ability to lower blood pressure.

Hawthorn tincture is prepared from crushed dry fruits in 70% alcohol.

Cardiovalen, drops for oral administration due to the adonizide, valerian tincture, and hawthorn extract included in the composition, are useful in increasing the force of heart contractions and have a sedative effect.

Valemidin, alcohol drops to eliminate spasm of smooth muscles of blood vessels and internal organs, also have a sedative effect.

Phytorelax, produced in tablet form, contains valerian rhizome and hawthorn flower extract. It is beneficial due to its sedative properties, helping to cope with insomnia and increased nervous excitability.

Cedarvit in the form of an elixir, a non-dosed liquid dosage form, tones, increases the body's resistance to harmful influences, and helps to quickly cope with fatigue. The composition includes flowers and fruits of hawthorn, birch buds, pine nuts, honey, chokeberry berries.

Amrita, an elixir in the form of a mixture of alcohol-water extracts of plant materials: rose hips, elecampane, cardamom, juniper, thyme, licorice and hawthorn. Its benefits and healing properties are manifested by its tonic and restorative effects.

Demidov syrup has a choleretic effect, eliminates spasm of smooth muscles, reduces the formation of gases during flatulence, and stimulates peristalsis. Contains hawthorn fruits, calamus, birch buds, oregano.

How to brew hawthorn at home. Juice, tea, infusions, tincture

During the season, it is useful to drink diluted juice from fresh fruits. It improves blood circulation and normalizes the functioning of the digestive system.

Hawthorn tea recipe. In the evening, put 20-30 berries in a thermos, you can add rose hips, and brew 1 liter of boiling water. In the morning, healthy tea is ready. It is better to brew the fruits whole, as this way they retain more benefits.

An infusion can be prepared from dried hawthorn fruits and flowers, which have many beneficial properties.

The simplest recipe for preparing hawthorn infusion at home is to brew whole berries with boiling water and leave them in a thermos overnight at the rate of a couple of handfuls of fruit per 1 liter of boiling water. Take a third of a glass an hour before meals 3-4 times a day. Its properties are useful for arrhythmia, angina pectoris, and for eliminating nervous excitement.

If you chop the berries, you can get the infusion faster. Brew 1 tsp. chopped berries with a glass of boiling water. After half an hour, the home remedy is ready. Take 1/3 glass an hour before meals.

Hawthorn tincture is prepared from crushed dried fruits or flowers. They are infused with vodka for two weeks at the rate of 2 glasses of vodka per 4 tablespoons. vegetable raw materials. The finished tincture is filtered. Take 25-30 drops with water an hour before meals.

The flower tincture has more medicinal and beneficial properties for getting rid of hypertension and angina.

Use of hawthorn for heart diseases

The plant is widely used to treat heart diseases. As a rule, they manifest themselves with various symptoms. Sometimes fatigue increases, weakness is felt even in the absence of physical activity, and night rest does not restore strength. Impaired cerebral circulation causes fainting and loss of consciousness. Swelling may suddenly form, shortness of breath and a feeling of tightness in the chest, especially when lying down. If these symptoms appear, you should definitely consult a doctor.

Heart failure

If, for one reason or another, the heart muscle loses the ability to contract strongly enough, other organs begin to experience oxygen starvation. To normalize blood circulation, it is necessary to take hawthorn, which has the beneficial property of preventing fatigue of the heart muscle and having a tonic and contraction-enhancing effect.

Tea balm with hawthorn. Add 2 tbsp to 100g of black tea. rose hips, 1 tsp. hawthorn berries, 1 tsp. motherwort, 1 tsp. , 1 tsp valerian, 1 tsp. flowers Brew and drink like regular tea.

Hawthorn juice. Wash a glass of fresh or thawed fruit after freezing, chop it, add a little water, heat it to +30C. Place the raw material in cheesecloth and squeeze out the juice with a spoon. Take 1 tbsp. an hour before meals. The remaining cake is suitable for brewing and can be used to prepare an infusion.

Hawthorn infusion. Brew 1 tsp. crushed fruits with a glass of boiling water, leave for half an hour, strain. Take half a glass in the morning and at night.

When preparing the infusion, you can take 2 parts each of hawthorn and motherwort flowers, add 1 part each peppermint and hop cones. Brew 1 tsp. mixture with a glass of boiling water, leave for half an hour, strain. Drink a glass during the day. Mint dilates blood vessels, hops soothes.

Coronary heart disease (CHD), angina pectoris and myocardial infarction

If the myocardium, the middle layer of the heart muscle, does not receive enough oxygen, muscle spasm occurs, accompanied by heaviness in the chest and squeezing. As a rule, coronary heart disease develops as a result of disruption of the coronary arteries, through which the myocardium is supplied with oxygenated blood. A common cause is atherosclerosis, the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels and the formation of atheromatous plaques.

The chronic form of the disease is called angina pectoris or angina pectoris, it manifests itself in attacks relieved by nitroglycerin. The acute form of IHD is called myocardial infarction.

To prevent coronary artery disease, it is useful to take courses of infusion of hawthorn fruits and flowers, which has the beneficial property of lowering cholesterol levels, normalizing blood pressure and heart rate. For taste, you can prepare an infusion with rose hips.
To prevent angina pectoris and myocardial infarction, it is worth preparing an infusion of hawthorn and motherwort. Mix 1 tsp. crushed berries or flowers with motherwort herb, brew in a glass of boiling water, leave for an hour, strain. Take 1/3 cup one hour before meals.
Taking 1 part each of hawthorn and motherwort fruits, add 2 parts each of valerian and feinnel fruits, which have a beneficial property of having a calming effect. Brew 1 tsp. collect a glass of boiling water, simmer in a water bath for 15 minutes. When the infusion has cooled, strain. Take 1/3 cup 2 hours after meals.
An infusion for angina pectoris can be prepared from berries alone. Brew hawthorn at the rate of 1 tbsp. fruits for 1 glass of boiling water, leave overnight in a thermos. In the morning, drain the infusion by squeezing the berries through a thin cloth. Take a glass one hour before meals.

After a myocardial infarction, it is recommended to take 1/2 cup of hawthorn juice and 1 tsp 2 times a day. vegetable oil. Some time later, take a weak infusion of berries instead of tea.

Does hawthorn increase or decrease blood pressure?

The medicinal plant benefits from its ability to normalize high or low blood pressure, so it is used in recipes for hypertension and hypotension.

Recipes for high blood pressure

In case of hypertension, the risk of stroke and heart attack increases. High blood pressure readings can also indicate kidney disease.

The beneficial property of hawthorn to reduce blood pressure is used in the recipe of a well-known folk remedy. Mix 1 tsp. crushed fruits, as well as motherwort, dried cucumber, add some dried chamomile flowers. Brew a glass of boiling water. After an hour, strain the infusion. Take 1 tbsp. an hour before meals.

Another remedy is prepared from hawthorn flowers. Dried vegetable raw materials at the rate of 1 tbsp. per glass is brewed in the evening, left overnight in a sealed container. Take 1 glass an hour before meals for a month.

Preparing flowers and fruits for the winter

The beneficial properties of hawthorn flowers in the treatment of a number of diseases are more effective than those of the fruits. Therefore, they are also prepared for the winter.

The main enemy when harvesting flowers is high humidity. Dry weather is required, which is complicated by a short flowering period, often lasting only 2-3 days.

Fully opened flowers are harvested. They are carefully cut off along with a small part of the stem. It is better to do this in the morning, when the dew has completely dried. The harvested crop is scattered in a thin layer in a dry, shaded and well-ventilated place.

Dried flowers are stored for up to a year in fabric bags, paper bags, or wooden boxes with paper at the bottom.

In order to preserve the beneficial properties of hawthorn fruits as much as possible, they also try to pick them in dry weather in September-October. After sorting and washing, the berries are dried at temperatures up to +50C. As a result, they darken and wrinkle, acquiring a sweet, astringent taste. They are stored similarly to flowers, but for up to two years.

When preparing hawthorn berries for the winter, they can be stored in the freezer. The sorted and washed fruits are lightly dried on a towel and then placed in plastic containers with a lid.

Contraindications and possible harm

Any plant is beneficial only if it is used correctly, which is especially important in the case of cardiovascular diseases. Before using the beneficial properties of hawthorn yourself, you should consult a doctor, especially in case of severe cardiac or kidney disorders.

Taking for an excessively long time may cause depression of heart rate.
Eating fruits in excessive quantities can cause mild poisoning.
If you are treated on an empty stomach, spasm of the intestines or blood vessels may occur, and vomiting may occur. In this situation, it is worth taking infusions and tinctures two hours after meals, reducing the concentration or dose of the folk remedy.
When treating with hawthorn, you should not immediately drink cold water, otherwise intestinal colic and paroxysmal pain may occur.
In some cases, in order to more effectively use the beneficial properties of hawthorn in the treatment of heart diseases, hypotensive patients should use infusions of the plant’s flowers rather than its fruits.

Modified: 02/18/2019