Hawthorn berries

Description

Blood-red hawthorn is a shrub or small tree with purplish-brown shiny branches that have thick straight long spines. The leaves are alternate, a broad-rhomb-shaped, acuminate, short-petiolate, with stipules, shallowly divided into three to seven serrated lobes. The flowers are small, white, with an unpleasant smell, collected in corymbiform inflorescences. Sepals in the number of five, oblong-triangular, corolla five-lobed. There are many stamens with purple anthers. Pistil with inferior ovary. Fruits are blood-red, spherical-ellipsoid, with a sweet mealy pulp. Height 3-5 m. The Maybush differs from blood-red hawthorn in its grey branches, glabrous leaves, and small red ovate fruits with two or three seeds.

Chemical composition

The chemical composition of blood-red hawthorn has not been studied.A Maybush fruits contain crategusic, citric, tartaric, ursolic, chlorogenic, oleanolic and coffee acids, sugars (pentose and fructose), flavonoid glucosides, choline, acetylcholine, phytosterols, tannins and extractives, pigment carotene (provitamin A) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Flowers contain coffee and chlorogenic acids, hyperoside, choline, acetylcholine, essential oil, quercetin and trimethylamine (which has an unpleasant smell of herring). The leaves are volatile, and in the roots — iconicity (substitute for quinine). The active principle of hawthorn is the crystal colouring substances of orange and red colour-flavone glucosides.

Application

Hawthorn as a medicinal plant was known in the distant past. Its fruits and flowers have long been used in many countries as a proven folk remedy for heart diseases, insomnia, dizziness and shortness of breath. The infusion of flowers and fruits is taken inside especially for heart neurosis, hypertension, suffocation caused by heart ailments, a rush of blood to the head ("shock") and strong nervous shocks.

In German folk medicine, water infusion and alcohol tincture of flowers and fruits are used for weak heart function in old age, palpitations, and shortness of breath, increased nervous excitability, insomnia and General weakness of the body due to physical and mental tiredness.

Studies have shown that hawthorn lowers blood pressure, improves sleep in heart patients, reduces the excitability of the Central nervous system, and increases blood circulation in the coronary vessels of the heart and brain vessels. Water infusion, alcohol tincture and fruit extract reduce the excitability of the heart muscle and improve its performance. Prof. D. M. Rossiyskiy believes that «hawthorn preparations work well in functional heart diseases, thyroid diseases accompanied by heart palpitations, and in weakening the activity of the heart muscle after suffering from various diseases. Hawthorn extract has a stimulating effect on the tired heart, eliminates heart palpitations, eliminates pain and a sense of heaviness in the heart area and improves overall health."

In scientific medicine, hawthorn preparations are used for heart neuroses, heart rhythm disorders (tachycardia), insomnia in heart patients, shortness of breath and initial forms of hypertension. Tincture of hawthorn flowers can also be used as a preventive tool to strengthen the heart muscle. Clinical studies have shown that hawthorn often works even better than bromine and digitalis. Liquid alcohol extract of hawthorn fruit during the great Patriotic war was introduced by E. Y. Shass in practice for the treatment of heart diseases. Good results are also given by a mixture of the same parts of alcoholic tinctures of hawthorn fruit and Valerian roots. Extract hawthorn fruit includes in comprehensive medicine Cardiovalenum. Hawthorn fruit extract is available for sale.

Method of application

1. 1 tablespoon of hawthorn flowers infuses for 2 hours in a closed container in 1 glass of boiling water, strain. Take 1/4 glass up 3-4 times a day before meals.

2. 1 tablespoon of flowers or fruits to infuse for 7 days in 1 glass of vodka in a closed container, strain. Take 20-25 drops with water 3-4 times a day before meals.

* Prepare a mixture of hawthorn flowers, motherwort grass, dried grass (4 tablespoons of each plant) and flower baskets of wild chamomile (1 tablespoon). 1 tablespoon of the mixture to insist 1-2 hours in a closed vessel in 1 glass of boiling water, strain. Take 1/2 glass 2-3 times a day before meals.