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

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, therefore they are often used in cooking.

What does hawthorn look like: description of species

Many species of hawthorn are common in the temperate, less often in the 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, depending on the species, is varied - from whole, lobed to dissected. When dissolving, they are light green, adults are shiny, dark green, and in autumn they are crimson red and yellow.

Flowers are collected in inflorescences. The petals are white, pink or red, very pretty but not fragrant. Fruits of different sizes and colors, resemble 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 types of hawthorn, the most common in the middle lane.

Hawthorn prickly, or ordinary. In the wild, it is found in Western Europe, Scandinavia, the Baltic states. A tree up to 3 m in height with a spherical crown and thorns 0.5-1.5 cm. The shoots are brown-red, the leaves are dark green, split, the berries are brown-red, of medium size.

The species is resistant to both heat and cold, and longevity. Individual specimens of this hawthorn live up to 400 years.

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

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

Hawthorn green. A plant with a dense crown, gray bark. The branches are reddish, the spikes are short, up to 1.5 cm. The leaves are ovate, with a wedge-shaped base, serrated along the edge and not deeply incised, densely colored below.

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

Fan-shaped hawthorn. Tree up to 3 m, but can also be a shrub. It differs from other species in ascending olive-brown branches and numerous crooked spines up to 10 cm long. The fruits are light red with yellow flesh, 3-5 seeds, very tasty.

Hawthorn round-leaved. Tree or shrub. Very prickly, spines straight and curved, up to 7 cm long, shiny, brown. Fruits are spherical, red with dark dots, up to 12 mm long, with yellow flesh, tasty.

Look at the photo how the types of fan-shaped and round-leaved hawthorn look:

Hawthorn propagation: seed stratification, planting and care

Beginning summer residents are concerned about the issue of reproduction, planting and care of hawthorn in the garden. 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 requirements for soils, but the fruits are distinguished by a special taste and abundance only on fertile soils. It responds positively to liming in acidic soils and grows very well in alkaline chernozems.

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

Hawthorns are propagated, except for garden forms, by seeds. Seeds ripen differently in different species. So, in an ordinary (prickly) seed ripening occurs in August - September; in pinnatifid - in October; round-leaved - in September.

When growing hawthorn from seeds, it should be taken into account that even fresh planting material is difficult to germinate, as a result of which the seeds need 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 terms of stratification of hawthorn seeds are different for different species. And in blood-red hawthorn, seeds can be sown in the fall without stratification. Other species, including the common one, require 10-24 months for stratification.

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

Since the stratification of seeds stretches over long periods, there is a certain mode of it. 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 not less than +6 ᵒС, sand should be periodically watered 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 appeared in the spring should be picked when they form a third leaflet. After planting, when caring for hawthorn, it is necessary to provide seedlings with protection from weeds, a loose substrate and systematic watering. Do not forget that seedlings grow very slowly.

Reducing the time of stratification can be achieved by collecting immature seeds, a sharp periodic change in storage temperature (from +5°C to +20 ᵒC). Or sowing them in the fall with a pericarp, which will rot during the winter, and the seeds will give friendly shoots in the spring.

What is useful hawthorn: medicinal properties and use of fruits

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

Another way to use hawthorn fruit is to make a delicious and healthy filling for homemade pies. For 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 healing properties of hawthorn have a positive effect on heart disease, enhances heart contractions and has a calming effect on the central nervous system, helps to stop pain attacks in angina pectoris.

As a cardiotonic and blood circulation regulating agent, hawthorn is recommended for insufficient blood circulation in elderly people, especially in menopausal diseases, atherosclerosis and cardiac neurosis.

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

The drug is an alcohol tincture of hawthorn.

The liquid extract of hawthorn can also be a preparative form. It is necessary to store the extract in a dark glass container, well sealed.

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

Hawthorn blood red is good in the treatment of arrhythmia, 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 should be used under the supervision of a doctor, like any potent remedy.

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

How to prepare hawthorn flowers

The shrub fades quickly enough, sometimes in hot weather in just a few days, so if you want to stock up on valuable medicinal raw materials on your own, then do not miss the moment when the buds on the inflorescences begin to bloom. Color picking is carried out at the very beginning of flowering.

With the help of scissors or a knife, individual flowers and whole corymbose inflorescences are cut. The length of the pedicel is about 3.5 cm. In order to prevent rotting of the raw material and its subsequent darkening, flowers are harvested only in dry weather. Drying is preferably carried out 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 with the help of electrical appliances, it is laid out on a 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, the taste is bittersweet. Dried inflorescences are stored in tin or glass jars or cardboard boxes for no more than 1 year. Harvested flowers are used to make healing tea, medicinal preparations 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.

Useful properties of hawthorn flowers

Medicinal raw materials have antiarrhythmic, anticholesterol, hematopoietic effects, and the hypotensive qualities of flowers are more pronounced than in the fruits of the plant. The use of extracts from the color of hawthorn significantly improves cerebral and coronary circulation, relieves the 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:

1. hypertension;
2. chronic heart failure;
3. tachycardia;
4. angina;
5. dizziness;
6. dyspnea;
7. atherosclerosis;
8. vegetative-vascular dystonia;
9. thyrotoxicosis;
10. sleep disorders;
11. menopausal disorders (as an aid);
12. pneumonia;
13. ARI and SARS;
14. rheumatism;
15. asthenoneurotic conditions.

Recipe for tincture of fresh hawthorn flowers

Experienced healers of traditional medicine recommend preparing a healing elixir for alcohol from freshly picked flowers, since it is believed that they contain the maximum amount of biologically active compounds that 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 (replacement with vodka is possible). A tightly sealed container is placed in a dark place for two weeks. Strained tincture is taken 30-40 drops three times a day after meals, diluting them in half a glass of drinking water.

Recipe for an 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 use 100 ml of strained infusion 3 times a day before each meal in case of arterial hypertension, shortness of breath, disturbances in the work of the heart. The infusion works especially well for older people, since the drink not only normalizes blood pressure, but also improves overall well-being and body condition.

Medicinal collection with hawthorn flowers for menopause

The infusion helps relieve anxiety and nervous disorders during the period of hormonal adjustment (climax male and female). Mix chamomile, cudweed, marigold and hawthorn color 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 failure

Mix 75 g of hawthorn color, 30 g of horsetail and 45 g of bird's mountain grass. Pour a tablespoon of the mixture with 0.25 liters of boiling water and insist under the lid for about 30 minutes. The filtered infusion is drunk in small portions during the day.

Hawthorn root: harvesting and application

Shrub roots are harvested in late autumn, when the plant is in a dormant period. The washed hawthorn roots are cut into small sticks 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 shady place for up to two years.

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

How to take a decoction of hawthorn root?

15 g 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 insisted under a lid until cool. The filtered drink is taken three times a day, 15-20 ml.

Contraindications to the use of extracts from all parts of the hawthorn

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

And again, our rubric "healing plants" is replenished. The hero of our today's conversation - Prickly hawthorn (common) from the Rosaceae family and its medicinal properties with contraindications.

Hawthorn - photo, description, where and how it grows

Latin name for hawthorn: Crataegus oxyacantha.

Crataegus (Greek for "strong"). So called hawthorn for strong wood and vitality.

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

Hawthorn is 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, in some nations it served as a talisman against evil spirits.

In addition to prickly hawthorn, which is distributed almost everywhere in Russia, blood-red hawthorn grows in Siberia, single-pistil - in the European part, there are Altai, Dahurian varieties.

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

Hawthorn leaves are bright green, three-lobed with serrated tips, obovate, with short petioles. Inflorescences are similar to a simple umbrella-shaped corymb of 6-10 flowers. Hawthorn flowers are white or pinkish in diameter up to 15 mm, similar to apple trees, but smaller.

Blooming hawthorn among the ancient Greeks 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. Blossoms in late May - first half of June, ripens in late August.

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

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

Hawthorn composition and calorie content

Boyarka contains a rich set of biologically active substances (BAA), thanks to which hawthorn-based medicines improve blood circulation, stimulate the heart, increasing its ability to efficiently 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 get much better from boyar berries, their calorie content is only 52 kcal per 100 g of fruit.

Healing properties of hawthorn

• Antioxidant;
• antitumor;
• vasodilators;
• tonic;
• small diuretics;
• choleretic;
• hepatoprotective;
• lactagon;
• painkillers;
• anti-sclerotic;
• anti-inflammatory;
• antimicrobial;
• regeneration;
• hypotensive;
• cleansing;
• sedatives;
• normalizing blood glucose, metabolic processes.

Useful properties of hawthorn

Only the lazy did not hear 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 remedy for all diseases. Not only fruits, but also flowers and leaves are suitable as medicinal raw materials.

Preparations based on hawthorn help:

• in diseases of the cardiovascular system,

• with climacteric 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, are used as a prevention of cerebrovascular accidents. Improves memory, cognitive processes, reduces headaches and dizziness.

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

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

At the same time, we get diuretic effect.

Reception of hawthorn helps to regulate cardiac activity even with atrial fibrillation,.

Hawthorn preparations play an important role in post-infarction rehabilitation.

At the same time, its general sedative effect, normalization of sleep and anti-stress support of the body are very useful in case of overwork. Plus, immunity 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 fees.

What else is the use of hawthorn - fruits, flowers?

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

Infusion of hawthorn flowers contributes to the normalization of metabolic processes, is widely used for diseases of the digestive tract, especially the liver and gallbladder, intestines.

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

And in lactating women, the infusion will cause a rush of milk.

The condition is alleviated with regular use of the remedy in patients with diseased joints, 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 part of "Cardiovalena" used for cardiosclerosis, rheumatic heart disease, (vegetative-vascular dystonia), angina pectoris,.

But, I must say, tea from its flowers works no worse!

The use of hawthorn in traditional medicine recipes

In this medicinal plant, fruits and flowers are most often used in folk treatment, infusions, steams, 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, let it brew for about an hour and take 1-2 tables. spoon three times a day. Dried flowers or fruits of hawthorn can be brewed instead of tea (good together with leaves or fruits of wild strawberries, as well as black currants or wild roses).

2. Decoction of hawthorn (napar).

1 st. a spoonful of well-chopped fruits or flowers is poured with 1 cup of boiling water, and after cooling, they drink 150 ml 3 times a day for heart disease, dizziness or migraine, insomnia, and also for hypertension.

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

3. Alcohol tincture of hawthorn - application

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

An excellent remedy for hypertension, cardiac pathologies.

I remind you: Tincture should not be used for severe hypotension, because hawthorn.

There is a pharmacy tincture of hawthorn, but it is made from crushed fruits and 70% alcohol. The effectiveness of the remedy is somewhat lower in hypertension than that of the tincture of hawthorn flowers.

There is evidence that hawthorn stabilizes pressure more than specifically reduces it, which leads to its use in some cases with hypotension as part of fees.

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

4. Calming collection.

Equal amounts of crushed 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.

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

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

6. Hawthorn tea.

Pour a couple of spoons of dried hawthorn flowers with a glass of boiling water, let it brew for half an hour, strain and drink 2-3 times a day in a cup for a couple of weeks. The general tone and working capacity rises.

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

There is a ready-made pharmacy form "Hawthorn Extract". How best to use it, you can find out from the annotation to the drug, but you can - similarly to the infusion.

7. Hawthorn buds- an indispensable remedy for coronary heart disease, hypertension, dizziness and tinnitus.
Take 100 g of hawthorn buds, grind, mix with 30 g of honey, add 1 g of vanilla and cinnamon, pour 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 already very indicated for heart diseases, then you should prefer an infusion of flowers rather than berries, it acts softer.

• 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 - poison").

In this case, no more than 150 grams can be consumed per day. hawthorn fruit.

• In rare cases, individual intolerance occurs.

• It is not recommended to get involved in the treatment of hawthorn during pregnancy and lactation.

Harvesting and storage of flowers and fruits for the winter

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

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

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

Various forest and field plants are traditionally used for the preparation of medicinal potions. But they must be used with caution, even for those who have rich experience in phytotherapy. For example, special attention should be paid to the medicinal properties and contraindications of hawthorn. Raw extracts of this shrub are popular, but due to the large number of biologically active components, the result of the application may be the opposite of what is expected.

Leaves, blooming flowers, bark can be brewed. It is extremely beneficial to take them from plants whose stems caring gardeners have not forgotten to cross so that they develop better and bloom more magnificently. However, blood-red, orange, black "apples" bring the most benefits. They accumulate the maximum amount of microelements, vitamins, organic acids (including rare ones), flavonoids, protein components, essential, fatty oils, antioxidants. The listed components, taken orally with a 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, inflammation;
• 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 proceed as favorably as possible, it is required to use environmentally friendly raw materials of excellent quality. You can not pick berries and leaves in smoky, littered areas (forests, groves of the Moscow region), buy from unscrupulous sellers in dubious pharmacies, in city markets, from hands.

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, compotes. If you have experience, you can make jellies, jams, sauces, pie fillings, even face masks. The choice of means depends on the purpose of using the plant, the characteristics of the body of a particular person, individual indications and circumstances. Most often, tinctures are used in everyday life, because they:

• easy to buy or make from any above- or below-ground part of the shrub;
• it is not forbidden to use internally or externally (as agreed with the doctor);
• can be stored for a long time under normal conditions, like blanks for the winter.

There are many recipes for infusions and liqueurs, but they are all similar in key points. You need to use alcohol not weaker than 40% or vodka. Keep the raw materials poured in the required volume in the dark for at least 3 weeks with constant shaking, then filter.

Heart disease

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

The easiest way to prepare an infusion. You should take 1 full tablespoon of crushed "apples" (possible with flowers - they will strengthen the heart muscle), add 1 cup of boiling water, leave for an hour under the lid. Take several servings per day for half a cup. You can collect by adding raw materials of chamomile, motherwort, lemon balm, mint, rose to the tea leaves. Phyto mixtures are considered even more useful than single components: there is a kind of complementarity, crossing of beneficial properties and characteristics of plants.

It is good if there is access to fresh boyars, garden or harvested in the forest at the first frost (when the binders in the composition have partially disintegrated, and there are still many vitamins and other useful components). They can be crushed and, adding warm water, squeeze the juice through cheesecloth. It is recommended to drink it in 1 tbsp. l. before meals.

Hypertension

Alcohol tincture is a unique tool that allows you to successfully normalize the increased 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 admission is 20 drops before meals, diluted with water. Herbal preparations are somewhat weaker, but quite effective - for example, from the fruits of hawthorn along 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 pressure and calms psychologically.

Contraindications regarding drugs for men and women are the same. It is forbidden for hypotensive patients to take them (occasionally, the use of non-concentrated phytochemicals based on shrub flowers is allowed). The rest need to carefully coordinate the dosage with the doctor. If a course of treatment is started with any pharmaceutical preparation, a decoction or vodka tincture can enhance the effect of the medication and do 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, simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then insist for an hour under the lid, strain, add boiled fresh water to the initial 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 failures.

Neurosis, nervous excitement, dizziness

Any available berries are suitable, from which infusions are prepared. Dry fruits (1 tablespoon) should be brewed with 1 glass of water, hold a little under the lid, then drink a third of a cup for 3 weeks 20 minutes before each meal. Juicy, large and small - grind on a grater or gouge with a chopper with bones, typing 2 tbsp. l. gruel. Then pour 1 cup boiling water, boil over low heat until the volume is halved. The course of admission is the same, in portions of 40 drops.

Thyroid disease

Accompanied by disorders of thinking, sleep, chronic weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness. You can alleviate the manifestations of symptoms if you take the flowers of hawthorn and St. Take 3 to 4 times a day for half a cup. The standard course is 3-4 weeks.

Bags under the eyes, swelling on the face

Easy to remove using a double infusion: 1 tsp. dry hawthorn leaves per 100 ml of boiling water. Hold for half an hour, strain, divide in half. Warm up one part a little, add 2 tbsp to the other. l. ice water and lower cotton pads into both in turn, covering the eyes or swollen areas with them for 1 minute. Finish with 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, removing tumors. To hawthorn flowers and peppermint grass, add medicinal veronica, Ivan tea, bird mountaineer (1: 1: 2: 3: 3), brew 1 tbsp. l. mixture of 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes. Regularly take a third of a cup one hour before meals.

For women

Breastfeeding, expectant mothers, as well as those who do not tolerate menstruation, hawthorn of any variety (classic, hybrid crossed with wild rose) is rarely prescribed. It is allowed to take only highly diluted aqueous phyto-solutions, which help to quickly get rid of insomnia, put nerves in order, and relieve excessive excitability. You can make homemade green or black tea by putting two or three berries in the tea, 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 yogurt, half a teaspoon of honey, a whole banana. Mix everything thoroughly and beat with a mixer (blender) until foam appears.

If you want to alleviate the psychological state in 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 st. l. brew the mixture with 1 cup boiling water, keep warm for 15 minutes, drink immediately. Repeat three times a day for 2-3 weeks in a row.

Means based on shrub raw materials are used externally, making anti-aging masks. The skin upon contact with them 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;
• stimulates blood flow, improves cell nutrition;
• disappear acne, pimples.

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

For children

According to popular reviews, in case of severe indigestion in preschoolers, an infusion can be made from a piece of hawthorn root that has been cleaned and washed with hot water. Approximate size - half a finger. It must be brewed with 200 ml of boiling water and left covered until it cools slightly. Then give the sick child to drink, as usual tea.

Contraindications for use

Hawthorn fruits, with their universal medicinal properties, are non-toxic and harmless for long-term use, but only for an adult who observes dosages. This is a maximum of 150 g of fully ripe berries per day. A larger amount can cause a sharp drop in pressure, increased heart rate, loss of concentration. Also, funds based on shrubs of any variety are not taken on an empty stomach, and they are supposed to be washed down with warm water. Otherwise, side effects will appear - nausea, vomiting, vascular, intestinal spasms.

Permission to receive herbal remedies should be given by an experienced specialist in the field of medicine - a therapist, a pediatrician. Children under 12 years of age, allergy sufferers, those who are prescribed treatment with antiarrhythmic pharmaceuticals, hawthorn is contraindicated. Patients with diabetes and people from whom work requires maximum focus on the tasks at hand should be careful with it. Tinctures containing alcohol should not be used by pregnant and lactating women.

The fruits and flowers of hawthorn bring great health benefits. Their properties are used to prevent and treat diseases of the heart, blood vessels, normalize pressure and digestion, overcome overwork, insomnia, and eliminate the effects of nervous strain. Berries of wild varieties were already used in ancient China and Asia. In the 16th century, cultivated plant species were bred. At first, hawthorn turned out to be useful in the ability to eliminate loose stools in dysentery. Then it began to be used to improve the functioning of the heart and the condition of the vessels.

The composition of the 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 of a particular color, they help eliminate the fragility of the walls of blood vessels, 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, cardiovascular diseases. Sufficient intake of quercetin reduces the risk of cataract formation.
• hyperoside increases the utilization of glucose, increases the use of oxygen, enriches the heart with potassium ions. As a result, the contractility of the myocardium, the middle layer of the heart muscle, as well as the magnitude of cardiac output, increase.
• vitexin dilates blood vessels, enhances metabolic processes in the heart muscle.

Flowers and fruits of hawthorn also benefit due to the properties of their constituent acids:

• ursolic has a wound healing and anti-inflammatory effect;
• oleanolic tones and enhances the blood supply to the heart and brain;
• chlorogenic has an anti-sclerotic effect, is useful for normalizing the function of the kidneys, liver, and has a choleretic effect.
• coffee has strong antibacterial properties, also promotes the release of bile.

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

Healing properties of hawthorn

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

Heart. Having a vasodilating effect, hawthorn benefits the ability to tone the heart muscle, ensure sufficient oxygen supply. The frequency decreases, the rhythm is established, the strength of heart contractions increases. As a result, the excitability of the heart decreases, its fatigue is removed, coronary blood flow and cerebral circulation improve.

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

Vessels. The plant normalizes blood coagulability indicators, the level, prevents the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. It is used in case of vasospasm.

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

Digestive system. Reception of infusions and tinctures helps with gastritis in any form, flatulence, in case of difficult digestion in children. It is used to eliminate loose stools.

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

Nursing mothers use the useful property of hawthorn to stimulate the formation of milk.

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

Pharmacy funds

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

Hawthorn fruits are produced in various dosage forms: herbal raw materials, powder, lozenges, tincture, extract. Their use 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 with 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, hawthorn extract, which are part of the composition, are useful in increasing the strength of heart contractions, 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 the form of tablets, contains valerian rhizome and hawthorn flower extract. Benefits due to sedative properties, helps to cope with insomnia, increased nervous excitability.

Kedrovit in the form of an elixir, not a dosed liquid dosage form, tones up, increases the body's resistance to harmful effects, and helps to quickly cope with overwork. 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 vegetable raw materials of wild rose, elecampane, cardamom, juniper, thyme, licorice and hawthorn. Its benefits and medicinal properties are manifested by a tonic and restorative effect.

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

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

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

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

From the dried fruits and flowers of hawthorn, which have a lot of useful properties, you can prepare an infusion.

The easiest recipe for making hawthorn infusion at home is to brew whole berries with boiling water and leave overnight in a thermos at the rate of a couple of handfuls of fruits 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, to eliminate nervous excitement.

If the berries are crushed, the infusion can be obtained faster. Brew 1s.l. crushed berries with a glass of boiling water. Half an hour later, the home remedy is ready. Take 1/3 cup an hour before meals.

Hawthorn tincture is prepared from crushed dried fruits or flowers. They infuse for two weeks on vodka at the rate of 2 cups of vodka per 4 tsp. vegetable raw materials. Ready tincture is filtered. It is taken 25-30 drops with water one hour before meals.

In flower tincture, there are more medicinal and useful properties for getting rid of hypertension, angina pectoris.

The use of hawthorn for heart disease

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

Heart failure

If, for one reason or another, the heart muscle loses its ability to contract strongly enough, the rest of the organs begin to experience oxygen starvation. To normalize blood circulation, it is necessary to take hawthorn, a useful property to prevent fatigue of the heart muscle, to have a tonic and intensifying effect on contractions.

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

Hawthorn juice. Wash a glass of fresh or thawed fruits after freezing, chop, add a little water, heat up to + 30C. Place the raw material in gauze and squeeze the juice with a spoon. Take 1s.l. one hour before meals. The remaining cake is suitable for brewing, you can make an infusion from it.

Hawthorn infusion. Brew 1s.l. 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 of hawthorn and motherwort flowers, add 1 part of peppermint and hop cones. Brew 1s.l. mixture with a glass of boiling water, leave for half an hour, strain. Drink a glass throughout the day. Mint dilates blood vessels, hops calms.

Ischemic heart disease (CHD), angina and myocardial infarction

If the myocardium, the middle layer of the heart muscle, does not receive enough oxygen, a muscle spasm occurs, accompanied by heaviness in the chest, squeezing. As a rule, coronary heart disease develops as a result of a malfunction 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 is manifested by seizures relieved by nitroglycerin. The acute form of coronary artery disease is called myocardial infarction.

• For the prevention of coronary artery disease, it is useful to take courses of infusion of hawthorn fruits and flowers, a useful property to lower cholesterol levels, normalize blood pressure and heart rate. For taste, you can prepare an infusion along with rose hips.
• For the prevention of angina pectoris and myocardial infarction, it is worth preparing an infusion of hawthorn and motherwort. Mix 1 tsp. crushed berries or flowers with motherwort grass, brew in a glass of boiling water, insist 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 fennel fruit, which have a beneficial property to have a calming effect. Brew 1s.l. collection with 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 of angina pectoris can be prepared from berries alone. Brew hawthorn at the rate of 1 tbsp. fruits in 1 cup 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 suffering a myocardial infarction, 2 times a day, 1/2 cup hawthorn juice and 1 tsp. 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 the ability to normalize high or low blood pressure, so it is used in recipes for hypertension and hypotension.

Recipes for high blood pressure

In the case of hypertension, the risk of stroke and heart attack increases. High blood pressure can also signal an unhealthy kidney.

The useful property of hawthorn to reduce pressure is used in the recipe of a well-known folk remedy. Mix 1 tsp. chopped fruits, as well as motherwort, cudweed, add a little dried chamomile flowers. Brew a glass of boiling water. After an hour, strain the infusion. Take 1s.l. one hour before meals.

From the flowers of hawthorn, another remedy is prepared. Dried vegetable raw materials at the rate of 1 s.l. it is brewed in a glass in the evening, the night is infused in a sealed container. It is taken 1 glass an hour before meals for a month.

Harvesting 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 fruits. Therefore, they are also harvested for the winter.

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

Fully opened flowers are harvested. They are carefully cut along with a small part of the stem. It is best 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 cloth bags, paper bags, wooden boxes, on the bottom of which paper is placed.

In order to preserve the beneficial properties of hawthorn fruits as much as possible, they are also trying to pick them in dry weather in September-October. After going through and washing, the berries are dried at a temperature of up to + 50C. As a result, they darken and wrinkle, acquire a sweet astringent taste. Stored similarly to flowers, but up to two years.

When harvesting hawthorn berries for the winter, they can be stored in the freezer. The sorted and washed fruits are slightly dried on a towel, and then laid out 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 on your own, you should consult your doctor, especially in case of severe disorders of the heart or kidneys.

• Taking it for an excessively long time may cause depression of the heart rhythm.
• Eating fruits in excess can cause mild poisoning.
• If 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 eating, reduce the concentration or dose of the folk remedy.
• When treating hawthorn, you should not immediately drink cold water, otherwise intestinal colic, paroxysmal pain may occur.
• In some cases, for hypotensive patients, in order to more effectively use the beneficial properties of hawthorn in the treatment of heart diseases, it is worth using infusions not of the fruits, but of the flowers of the plant.

Modified: 02/18/2019