Hawthorn for Your Heart

Tuesday, May 07, 2013
By: Byron J. Richards,
Board Certified Clinical NutritionistPrintE-mail Tweet

Widely recognized as a cardiovascular tonic, hawthorn berry relaxes the heart while supporting its ability to produce and sustain energetic output. Since the heart never gets a vacation, the rejuvenating effect of hawthorn may be the next best thing. Hawthorn berries are used in traditional medicine1 in the treatment of chronic heart failure, high blood pressure, irregular heart beat, and digestive problems. They also have mild diuretic properties and a beneficial impact on cholesterol. 

Hawthorn berries contain a wide range of flavonoids Plant compound that is associated with pigmentation. Flavonoids have been shown to modify allergens, viruses, inflammation, and various carcinogens. Found in green tea, citrus, berries, onions, parsley, red wine, dark chocolate, and others., which are responsible for their diverse mechanisms of operation. These flavonoids Plant compound that is associated with pigmentation. Flavonoids have been shown to modify allergens, viruses, inflammation, and various carcinogens. Found in green tea, citrus, berries, onions, parsley, red wine, dark chocolate, and others. include hyperoside, rutin, quercetin, vitexin, epicatechin, catechin, and proanthocyanidins. Hawthorn also contains germ-controlling phenols such as chlorogenic acid. 

There are several varieties of hawthorn. The preferred form for nutritional supplementation is Crataegus oxyacantha, which is standardized at 1.8% to contain the heart-friendly flavonoid vitexin. Common doses used in hawthorn studies range from 160-1800 mg, with the most common doses tested in the range of 600-900 mg per day. 

Hawthorn and Heart Failure

Hawthorn is widely used in Europe as an approved treatment for the initial stages of heart failure (Class I and II), with the goal of improving patients without the use of drugs. It has also been used to help patients with Class III heart failure, in conjunction with medical treatment.

Heart failure implies that the heart is not fit enough to supply blood for the body’s needs. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, fluid retention (especially ankle swelling), fatigue, and a reduced ability to exercise. The severity of the problem is classified by the heart’s performance based on a four-class scale known as the New York Heart Association Functional Classification.
•Class I: no limitation is experienced in any activities; there are no symptoms from ordinary activities. 
•Class II: slight, mild limitation of activity; the patient is comfortable at rest or with mild exertion. 
•Class III: marked limitation of any activity; the patient is comfortable only at rest.
•Class IV: any physical activity brings on discomfort and symptoms occur at rest.

A recent scientific review of all double-blind controlled studies on hawthorn2 (of which there are many) found a “significant benefit in symptom control and physiologic outcomes from hawthorn extract as an adjunctive treatment for chronic heart failure.” Hawthorn was shown to improve the heart’s maximum workload, which resulted in improved exercise tolerance. Shortness of breath and fatigue were significantly improved, and the heart’s ability to use oxygen was enhanced. These are very significant findings for a dietary supplement.

Hawthorn Berry In Action

Hawthorn has a relaxing effect3 on the arteries, improving circulation and facilitating healthy blood pressure. Hawthorn has been shown to enhance the flow of blood4 through the heart, while helping the heart beat tone up (inotropic effect). In fact, hawthorn was found to be far friendlier and more energy efficient than drugs in helping the heart muscle contract5 to produce an effective beat. A randomized controlled trial showed that hawthorn lowered diastolic blood pressure6 (the lower number) in patients with type II diabetes.

A flavonoid contained in hawthorn has been shown to have a natural regulating effect on angiotensin converting enzyme7, acting as a natural ACE inhibitor. ACE converts the inactive form of angiotensin (angiotensin I) into the active vasoconstrictor (angiotensin II). A system with inadequate brakes leads to higher blood pressure. Better tone in this system also supports kidney health.

During times of circulatory stress, immune cells may release an enzyme called human neutrophil elastase8 (HNE). While this is a normal enzyme, excess amounts can induce wear and tear. Hawthorn berry helps to modulate the release of HNE, thereby supporting cardiovascular health.

Hawthorn has also been shown to protect animals from experimentally induced heart attack9 by maintaining antioxidant status and boosting oxygen utilization within the heart. In another experiment, researchers showed that hawthorn protected the liver10 from adverse changes during a heart attack, indicating hawthorn’s protective effect beyond just the heart and circulation.

In a study of rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet, those on hawthorn had a 23% reduction in total cholesterol11 and a 22% reduction in triglycerides. Researchers believed hawthorn helped reduce cholesterol absorption from the diet. This finding is similar to another animal study, which not only found similar reductions in cholesterol12 and triglycerides, but also found that damage to the liver did not occur at the same rate with hawthorn supplementation. Yet another animal study found that hawthorn helped activate LDL receptors13 in the liver, promoting the natural clearance of cholesterol through the bile.

Hawthorn helps prevent free radical-induced oxidation14 of LDL cholesterol Low-density lipoprotein. It is a group of lipids and proteins that allow lipids like cholesterol, triglycerides, and fat soluble nutrients (Vitamin A, D, E , K, Q 10, carotenes) to be transported with the water-based bloodstream. , a step that must occur before LDL can form plaque in arteries. It was also shown to protect vitamin E from damage and synergistically boost vitamin E status by 18%-20%.

While hawthorn has been extensively studied and widely used in Europe for heart failure, its general effect on the heart is relaxing and toning, improving overall fitness. Furthermore, hawthorn’s multiple actions in the circulatory system are synergistic with many other cardio-friendly nutrients toward the goal of improved cardiovascular health.

Supplements that contain hawthornRelated Entries:

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Referenced Studies: ^ Hawthorn Uses, Inflammation,  Anti-Oxidant, Mild Germ Killer  J Agric Food Chem.  Tadić VM, Dobrić S, Marković GM, Dordević SM, Arsić IA, Menković NR, Stević T. ^ Hawthorn Helps Heart Failure  Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews  Pittler MH, Guo R, Ernst E. ^ Hawthorn Relaxes Arteries   Life Sci.   Chen ZY, Zhang ZS, Kwan KY, Zhu M, Ho WK, Huang Y. ^ Hawthorn Helps Blood Flow in Heart and Heart Strength  Arzneimittelforschung.   Schüssler M, Hölzl J, Fricke U. ^ Hawthorn is a Friendly Way to Strengthen Heart Beats  Arzneimittelforschung.   Pöpping S, Rose H, Ionescu I, Fischer Y, Kammermeier H. ^ Hawthorn Lowers Diastolic Blood Pressure in Diabetics  Br J Gen Pract.  Walker AF, Marakis G, Simpson E, Hope JL, Robinson PA, Hassanein M, Simpson HC. ^ Flavonoid in Hawthorn Acts as Natural ACE Inhibitor  The Japanese Journal of Pharmacology.  Shinji UCHIDA, Nobuhiko IKARI, Hisashi OHTA2, Masami NIWA, Gen-ichiro NONAKA, Itsuo NISHIOKA and Masayori OZAKI.  ^ Hawthorn Protects Circulation from Stress  Arzneimittelforschung.   Chatterjee SS, Koch E, Jaggy H, Krzeminski T. ^ Hawthorn Protects Against Experimentally Induced Heart Attack  J Pharm Pharmacol.  Jayalakshmi R, Niranjali Devaraj S. ^ Hawthorn is Also a Liver Protector  J Med Food.  Thirupurasundari CJ, Jayalakshmi R, Niranjali Devaraj S. ^ Hawthorn Reduces Cholesterol and Triglycerides  J Nutr.  Zhang Z, Ho WK, Huang Y, James AE, Lam LW, Chen ZY. ^ Hawthorn Helps Lower Cholesterol, Protect Liver from High Fat Diet  Indian J Biochem Biophys.  Shanthi S, Parasakthy K, Deepalakshmi PD, Devaraj SN. ^ Hawthorn Helps the Liver Clear LDL Cholesterol  Atherosclerosis.   Rajendran S, Deepalakshmi PD, Parasakthy K, Devaraj H, Devaraj SN. ^ Hawthorn Helps Protect LDL Cholesterol from Damage   J Nutr Biochem.  Zhang Z, Chang Q, Zhu M, Huang Y, Ho WK, Chen Z.

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No Cancer Benefit From Vitamin B, Omega-3 Supplements in Heart Patients

MONDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with a history of heart disease will most likely not reduce their risk for developing cancer by taking vitamin B and/or omega-3 fatty acid supplements, a new French analysis suggests.

"In the population we studied, we found no beneficial effects of either B vitamins or omega-3 fatty acids taken over five years on cancer occurrence or cancer-related death," noted study author Valentina Andreeva, who is with the nutritional epidemiology research unit at the University of Paris XIII in Bobigny, France.

Andreeva and her colleagues report their findings in the Feb. 13 online edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

To explore the protective potential of B vitamins and fatty acid supplements, the authors did a secondary analysis of data that had been collected in a previous study involving almost 2,000 French men and 500 women.

All were between 45 and 80 years of age, and all had experienced cardiac trouble (heart attack, unstable angina or ischemic stroke) in the year leading up to the start of the study.

In turn, the participants were divided into one of four different groups that consumed a daily supplement regimen involving various types of vitamin B and omega-3 fatty acids at "relatively low supplementation doses."

By the end of the original five-year study, 7 percent of the participants had gone on to develop some form of cancer, and just over 2 percent ultimately died of cancer. The vast majority of cancer cases (including prostate, lung, bladder and colorectal cancer) and deaths occurred among men (81 percent and 83 percent, respectively).

The team unearthed no evidence that any form of vitamin B or omega-3 fatty acid supplement improved cancer outcomes in any way.

The investigators noted that there were some indications that cancer risk might have actually gone up, specifically among women taking vitamin B and/or omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. However, the authors stressed that this observation was based on too few cases to substantiate a firm conclusion, and called for further research involving a larger pool of participants.

"The results of our study suggest that individuals should exercise caution when deciding to take dietary supplements, especially over a long period of time and without a physician's advice," advised Andreeva. "Such supplements constitute active substances and might have adverse effects in some populations. To be on the safe side, individuals should strive to achieve dietary recommendations via healthy, balanced diets."

Joseph Su, the Washington, D.C.-based program director of the division of cancer control and population science within the U.S. National Cancer Institute's epidemiology and genomics research program, said that nothing about the findings struck him as surprising.

"So far, study findings have been very inconsistent," he noted. "But most supplement studies, if anything, have shown no beneficial effect whatsoever. Just like this one. So, I don't think there's anything that can really back up the idea that these supplements can prevent cancer."

However, Vicky Stevens, strategic director of laboratory services at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, expressed some reservations about the French analysis.

"Compared with other trials, they used much lower levels of supplements," she noted. "From the B-vitamin point of view, dramatically lower. So, it could be argued that they just weren't using high enough levels of supplements to see any effects," Stevens suggested.

"And they used a natural form of folate