Hawthorne Berry Info

Hawthorne berry is a member of the rose family and sports the rose bushes' characteristic prickly thorns. The Hawthorn shrub can actually grow up to 40 feet or 9 meters in height and is most commonly seen along the edges of fields and field fences as a natural garden boundary. It is also distinguishable by its rich red berries.

It's been used as a heart health tonic for thousands of years from ancient Romans and Greeks to Native Americans. Today, it's prescribed as a heart remedy in Europe although within the U.S. it's only well regarded mostly by naturopaths and master herbalists.

Benefits

The benefits of hawthorne berry are plentiful and almost exclusively cardio or heart oriented. The Hawthorne Berry helps open up blood vessels that feed the heart, increasing its pumping power and energy supply. It is almost a cure all for the heart as it relieves the pain of angina (chest pain) by increasing blood flow through the arteries.

It also helps control high blood pressure, improve heart function, and help restore a normal heartbeat for those with tachycardia (fast, irregular heart beat). Researchers also content it has specific antioxidant properties specific to heart maladies like arterial damage due to plaque buildup.

For those with circulation problems, while it's a side benefit, it also helps those so afflicted as it's a general tonic for the whole cardiovascular system. In short, it is a tremendous tonic for the heart. While Hawthorn is quite a heart health herb, don't expect it to stop an acute attack of angina. Cayenne pepper will, but not Hawthorn. If you're having a heart attack, see your doctor immediately.

Hawthorne Berry Side Effects

Precautions & Guidelines

Hawthorn is actually regarded as one of the safest herbal medicines. Side effects, which are rare, can include nausea, skin rashes, fatigue, sweating, and dizziness. If perchance you experience these conditions, stop taking Hawthorn. While Hawthorn is very safe, it is always wise to stay within recommended dosages, which are 25 to 250 milligrams.

As those with heart disease should take 100 mg or more, those with less 25 mg should be sufficient. Hawthorn is such a potent herb, and if you're currently taking a heart prescribed medication, it's recommended you consult a medical professional first as the hawthorn could require the dosage to be altered due to possible drug interaction.

This is erring on the side of caution, but it is still recommended. If you're pregnant or nursing, it is always advisable to consult with a physician before taking an herbal medicine -- especially with one as powerful as Hawthorne Berry. Lastly, don't take Hawthorne Berry herb if you already have low blood pressure as remember, Hawthorn helps to equalize the heart function. This warning is especially important if you're taking heart medication too.

How To Choose A Hawthorne Berry Supplement

• As fraud is rampant in the supplement industry, make sure you obtain pharmaceutical grade quality hawthorn herbal extracts.
• Specifically, look for standardized extracts only. This is where the active ingredients are. Hawthorn extracts should be standardized to 1.8% of vitexin (it's also known as vitexin-2-rhamnoside. This is Hawthorne Berry's primary active ingredient. Standardized extracts are from the essence of the herb.
• The supplement should be produced at pharmaceutical standard GMP registered facilities. Facilities that are GMP registered comply with the most rigid standards so as to minimize the possibility of product contaminants. (These are the same standards pharmaceutical companies in the United States are required to operate under as mandated by the FDA.) This ensures pharmaceutical grade quality.

An innovative supplement manufacturer out of New Zealand meets all these requirements. I mention New Zealand as their government has more rigorous standards for ensuring dietary supplements than does the FDA for pharmaceutical drugs.

Their flagsip nutritional supplement product has herbal standardized extracts, including Hawthorne Berry. This multivitamin has a full complement of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, herbal extracts, trace nutrients, including other heart health compounds that you need.

It is a complete supplement in every way. I've been taking it ourselves for over a year and are quite pleased with the results. I hope this Hawthorne Berry web article has been useful to you.

Yours in health, hope, and harmony,
Nutritional-Supplement-Bible.com