Hawthorn - beneficial properties and contraindications

Pharmacists admit that hawthorn tincture is one of the most common and best-selling herbal remedies in the pharmacy. And all because the medicine really helps, copes with many problems and pathologies. Hawthorn perfectly affects the heart, blood vessels, it can be used even during pregnancy. Hawthorn fruits - a real storehouse of vitamins and nutrients. This is an essential medicine in the first-aid kit of cores and hypertensive patients. In this article, you will learn about the composition of hawthorn, its beneficial properties, as well as contraindications to eating fruits. In addition, you can prepare a variety of hawthorn medicines by yourself.

Composition of hawthorn

Today, botanists have about 1,500 species of hawthorn, each of them is distinguished by the taste and shape of the fruit.Hawthorn is a shrub, can grow in the form of a small tree, blooms in late spring or early summer with amazingly beautiful white flowers. By the way, hawthorn blossoms are used as actively as the fruits, they contain all the most useful and important for the human body. And for the preparation of tinctures and decoctions actively use the bark of young shrubs. Hawthorn contains a lot of vitamins - A, C, E, K, the whole palette of B vitamins. In addition, the hawthorn has trace elements, essential and fatty oils, tannins, flavonoids, organic acids, saponins, natural sugars, glycosides. Hawthorn contains substances that are difficult to find in other vegetables or fruits, above all, we are talking about ursolic acid. It has a bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, vasodilator and anti-tumor effect. The scope of hawthorn is incredibly extensive, we will try to identify the most effective aspects of this natural medicine.

Useful properties of hawthorn for the human body

Hawthorn has been used in medicine for many centuries, at first it was an astringent in the fight against diarrhea. In the future, scientists and doctors discovered more and more useful properties of this amazing plant. What do we know about hawthorn action today?

1. For heart. Hawthorn is incredibly useful for the work of the heart muscle, it has a mild vasodilator effect, it allows you to saturate all organs with oxygen, provides nutrition to all tissues. Hawthorn is actively used in the fight against tachycardia and arrhythmia. Amazing property of hawthorn is that the drug normalizes blood pressure - both at elevated and at reduced rates. That is, hawthorn without fear you can drink with hypertension and hypotension. Regular hawthorn medication helps to establish a heart rhythm, makes it stable, improves coronary and cerebral circulation. Hawthorn necessarily enters a comprehensive treatment for heart failure, angina, heart attack, coronary heart disease. Hawthorn is part of many cardiovascular drugs.
2. Blood vessels. Hawthorn-based medicine is very useful in any pathologies of the vascular system. Hawthorn helps reduce blood cholesterol, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, making them more resilient and resilient. Preparations based on red fruits are a powerful prevention of the development of atherosclerosis. In addition, hawthorn tincture and decoction are used as a medicine in the fight against varicose veins.
3. For the nervous system. If your life is associated with constant stress, anxiety and anxiety, hawthorn tincture should be at hand. After all, this is a fast and safe medicine that will help you to calm down, to recover, to normalize your heart rate and pulse. When you take hawthorn in exchange, you can be less nervous, stress resistance will increase, irritability will disappear, headaches will no longer haunt you. Hawthorn is an excellent remedy for insomnia. The peculiarity of this medicine is that it does not slow down the reaction rate, you can be treated with hawthorn, even if you drive regularly.
4. Digestive system. Fresh hawthorn, as well as medicines based on its fruits and inflorescences, have a great influence on the gastrointestinal tract. First of all, this is an excellent remedy for diarrhea - hawthorn quickly stops dehydration, kills pathogenic microorganisms in the intestine. Course treatment hawthorn allows you to get rid of flatulence, bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort. Bactericidal properties of tincture are used to treat the inflamed gastric mucosa with gastritis and ulcers.
5. For weight loss. Another amazing property of hawthorn - medicines based on inflorescences and fruits enhance metabolic processes in the body. Drink hawthorn while losing weight - it will give energy with poor nutrition, give a feeling of satiety, and most importantly, will accelerate the process of burning fat.
6. When pregnancy. Hawthorn contains a huge amount of nutrients that are so necessary for an organism depleted in pregnancy. Hawthorn is a quick and safe way to calm down, normalize pressure, improve sleep. Hawthorn during pregnancy is recommended to drink as part of delicious cocktails. Take a glass of yogurt or kefir, add one banana, a couple of tablespoons of honey and a tablespoon of strong hawthorn broth. Whisk everything in a blender and drink a delicious smoothie.You will get a light, nutritious, and most importantly, a healthy dinner.
7. With headache. If you suffer from migraine attacks, dizziness and headaches of any nature, you know that hawthorn can quickly relieve from this symptom. The drug expands the blood vessels of the brain, eliminating spasm and oxygen starvation, the brain receives more blood. Especially useful medicine during pregnancy, when drugs can not be taken.
8. For immunity and tone. Hawthorn in general strengthens the vitality, it is shown to receive after past infectious diseases, it is worth drinking in the flu season and colds - this is a powerful prevention of ARVI. And hawthorn fruits are added to tea, it is especially useful for people with low immunity - children, old people, pregnant women. Since ancient times it was believed that hawthorn slows down the aging process, prolongs youth.
9. In cosmetology. Tincture and decoction of hawthorn fruit is actively used in cosmetology for skin care. Hawthorn masks perfectly tone the skin, fight wrinkles, swelling and dark circles on the eyelids. Bactericidal properties of hawthorn can be used in the fight against acne, acne, comedones, boils.And it is also an excellent remedy for oily skin - regular wiping of the face with hawthorn decoction normalizes the work of the sebaceous glands, makes the skin matte, without an oily sheen. Hawthorn decoction is often used in hair care - rinsing with this composition will help you get rid of hair loss and dandruff.
10. For women's health. The composition of hawthorn is phytoestrogens, which normalize hormonal failure during menopause. Regular medication can save a woman from dizziness, hot flashes, excessive sweating.

In ancient times in Russia, women knew how to treat simple diseases on their own and harvested medicines by hand. In each house it was possible to find dried hawthorn fruits or alcohol tincture. It was believed that this is a cure for all ills. But is hawthorn safe?

Contraindications for hawthorn medication

We have already said that hawthorn is a potent agent that in some cases can bring the body not only benefit but also harm. Here are a few contraindications that you should familiarize yourself with before you apply hawthorn in treatment.

1. In pregnancy, hawthorn is used only after consulting a doctor, especially if there is a history of cardiac pathology. You can not use hawthorn, along with lemon, rosehip and other products containing vitamin C. A large amount of ascorbic acid in the body can cause hypertonia. During pregnancy, only a weak water-based hawthorn decoction is allowed, no alcohol tinctures.
2. During lactation, hawthorn is contraindicated, it can slow down or completely stop the production of milk.
3. With heart disease, hawthorn will not help restore the heart rate, but only hide the course of the disease.
4. Tincture and decoction of hawthorn can not be taken after a stroke, as well as if you have problems with the kidneys.
5. Long-term use of alcoholic hawthorn tincture can lead to diseases of the stomach, intestinal colic, especially if you drink the medicine on an empty stomach.
6. Frequent consumption of fresh hawthorn fruit can trigger the development of constipation, as the pulp has a strong astringent effect.
7. It has been observed that prolonged hawthorn administration can lead to arrhythmias.In the presence of cardiological diseases, be sure to go to the doctor, do not self-medicate.
8. Fresh hawthorn juice contains many acids that destroy tooth enamel. Drink this juice should be through the tube, and then be sure to rinse the mouth with clean water.
9. Like any other product, hawthorn can cause an individual reaction of the body in the form of a rash, skin redness, itching, swelling. If you experience such symptoms from such treatment should be abandoned.

Remember that for serious diagnoses, you must always ask your doctor about the appropriateness of taking hawthorn medication.

Hawthorn Medicines

In numerous recommendations for the treatment of hawthorn, we read about tinctures, decoctions, juice of this amazing fruit. But how to prepare these medicines correctly to save the benefits of raw materials?

1. Decoction. Water-based decoction is prepared quickly, literally in 5-6 hours it will be ready for use. In a liter jar you need to pour a large handful of hawthorn so that the bank is filled by a third.Next you need to prepare the water - it should be boiled, but not boiling, about 95 degrees. Boiling water kills ascorbic acid, the medicine will lose most of the valuable substances. Fill the fruit with hot water, wrap and leave for 5 hours. It is much more effective to brew hawthorn in a thermos - the water there remains hot for a long time, which means it absorbs more nutrients. Broth is especially useful during pregnancy, when alcohol tinctures are banned. But remember that women in the position need to dilute the decoction and drink a less concentrated drink.
2. Alcohol tincture. This form of medicine is good because it is stored in the refrigerator for a long time, up to 2-3 months. Fresh fruits should be washed and dried, poured into a glass bottle, then pour hawthorn with diluted alcohol, and preferably with high-quality vodka. Keep in a dark and cool room for at least three weeks, preferably a month. You can insist the medicine in the refrigerator, but you should use a bottle of dark glass. When the tincture is ready, it is filtered, poured into a clean container and stored in the refrigerator. Take 15-20 drops 2-3 times a day, depending on the diagnosis.

Remember that hawthorn can be drunk one-time and independently - if you play up nerves, diarrhea has developed or your heart is beating wildly. But before taking a course medication, be sure to consult your doctor, this is really important.

Decoction and tincture can be prepared not only from the fruit, but also from the hawthorn inflorescences, the flowers have the same useful property. Mature hawthorn fruit is very useful to eat fresh - do not miss this moment. Juice is extracted from the pulp - it is considered the most valuable and nutritious. For the winter, you can freeze hawthorn, add a few fruits to the kettle along with the tea leaves. This will not only protect you from diseases, but also fill the house with the pleasant aroma of autumn.

Video: useful properties and application of hawthorn