Hawthorn is found almost exclusively in the northern hemisphere of the earth. Its many hundreds of genera grow in the temperate climates of Europe, Asia and North America.
Occurrence and cultivation of hawthorn
In some German-speaking regions, hawthorn is also called mehldorn or mealberry tree. In Germany, only three species of hawthorn are known. The hawthorn grows as a shrub or tree that can reach a height of about 12 meters. Its flowers are white to deep pink and its growth is gnarled. The wood of the hawthorn is extraordinarily hard, which is also reflected in its botanical name “Crataegus“, because this Latin word means “hard”. In some German-speaking regions, the hawthorn is also called Mehldorn or mealberry tree. The bright red fruits of the hawthorn have a flour-like flavor and are also known as flour berries. The hawthorn can reach an age of several hundred years.
Application and use
Numerous legends entwine around the hawthorn. With the Vikings and Celts, he was even said to have magical powers and if someone was occupied with a sleeping spell, then the hawthorn, in Nordic also called sleep thorn, was suspected as the trigger behind it. Even the thorns on which Sleeping Beauty pricked herself and then fell into a hundred-year sleep are said to have come from a hawthorn bush. In fact, the hawthorn has many healing powers, which were recognized early on by various peoples. Old herbal books already reported about the healing powers of this plant in diseases of the heart, nerves and circulation. Since the New York Medical Journal reported in 1896 on its findings concerning the positive effect of hawthorn extracts on angina pectoris, they were used more and more for the treatment of such diseases. Soon hawthorn was also called the “valerian of the heart“. Scientific studies have now proven that the ingredients of the hawthorn have a blood circulation-promoting and vasculature-influencing effect. Even the Federal Office for Drugs stated that the extract from the plant components of the hawthorn has a positive effect on the excitation conduction and contraction of the heart. The vascular resistance is lowered and the blood flow to the heart muscle is promoted. The heart is strengthened, its stimulus threshold is increased and cardiac arrhythmias are mitigated. Responsible for all these health-promoting effects of hawthorn are mainly the ingredients called oligomeric proanthocyanidins, furthermore flavones and rutin. The former substances are known to gently strengthen the heart and improve its oxygen supply. Since the effect of hawthorn is always somewhat delayed, it is more tolerable for many people than other drugs.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention
Traditionally, the fruits and flower-bearing branches of hawthorn are used to make medicines. As far back as classical Chinese medicine and various Native American tribes in North America, hawthorn is known as a medicinal plant. Its applications include gout, diarrhea and nervousness. It can be used as a tea, as a bath additive, as a tincture or even as a poultice. It has a calming effect and is used in natural medicine in the treatment of old age heart, high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias and circulatory disorders. Modern pharmaceutical hawthorn products are approved in Germany for the treatment of mild heart failure. Homeopathic remedies from hawthorn are also known. The older heart in particular is no longer able to contract as strongly as it should. Thus, the blood circulation and the circulation of the entire body is disturbed. Hawthorn gently supports the heart in its task, thus restoring the whole body. It has also been proven that hawthorn keeps the stress hormone norepinephrine away from the heart, thus sparing and protecting it. Stress-related heart complaints, such as heart palpitations, palpitations or even heart flutters are alleviated and combated with the help of hawthorn preparations.The hawthorn has long been an integral part of modern medicine and can mostly be used safely even over a long period of time, because only extremely rare side effects, such as rashes or gastrointestinal disorders, have been reported in some specially disposed individuals.
