Hawthorn Explained Simply

1. What Is Hawthorn (Crataegus)?

Hawthorn is a plant genus with shrubs and small trees. It belongs to the rose family. In Europe, mainly two species are used as a medicinal plant: the common hawthorn and the midland hawthorn. Leaves, flowers and fruits are used. Hawthorn has long been used for cardiovascular complaints.

2. Where Is It Found, and What Is It Made From?

Hawthorn grows in Europe, parts of Asia and North America. It is found at forest edges, in hedges and bushes. Many species are also planted as ornamental or hedge plants. For use, one collects leaves with flowers at flowering time and fruits in autumn. Extracts are made from the dried material, usually dry extracts with water-alcohol mixtures.

3. What Does Hawthorn (Crataegus) Do? What Research Shows

Heart Failure

In chronic heart failure, an overview of studies with dry extract from hawthorn leaves with flowers showed improvements in exercise capacity and complaints such as shortness of breath and fatigue compared with placebo 1. A more recent study in addition to standard therapy, by contrast, found no difference in walking distance, only a somewhat better pumping function of the heart 5. The strength of evidence is moderate: the positive findings come from an overview of older studies, the more recent single study found no benefit. Only extract from leaves with flowers was studied, not from fruits.

Blood Pressure

A summary of several studies with dummy treatment in high blood pressure showed: the upper blood pressure value was lower with hawthorn. For the lower value, the difference was not certain 2. In shift workers exposed to heat, a drink with hawthorn and vitamin C led to lower blood pressure values than salt water. This applies to the mixture, not to hawthorn alone 7. The evidence is low because for hawthorn alone there is only this one summary. It remains open which preparation and which hawthorn species carry the observed effect.

Quality of Life

People with diabetes who had an inflammation in the mouth rinsed with diluted hawthorn vinegar. Afterwards they felt more comfortable in the mouth area than after a rinse with green tea 4. In people with chronic heart failure, a study with a dry extract from leaves with flowers found no difference in quality of life compared with placebo (dummy) 5. A combination preparation of hawthorn fruits, Baikal skullcap, magnesium and chromium improved mood and anxiety in stressed adults; this applies to the mixture, not to hawthorn alone 6. The evidence is unclear because the studies investigate different groups, plant parts and preparations.

Other Investigations

In people with diabetes, inflammation of the oral mucosa decreased more with rinses of diluted hawthorn vinegar than with green tea 4. A combination preparation of hawthorn fruits, Baikal skullcap, magnesium and chromium improved attention and working memory in a placebo-controlled study in stressed adults 6. In a review, Chinese herbal mixtures with hawthorn for elevated blood lipids were compared with usual medications. The results apply to the mixtures, not to hawthorn alone 3. For hawthorn as a single preparation in cardiovascular diseases, the evidence is inconsistent 9.

4. How Was Hawthorn (Crataegus) Taken in the Studies?

In the studies, hawthorn was used mainly as a dry extract from leaves with flowers. In addition, there was diluted hawthorn vinegar as a mouth rinse, fruit extract in a combination preparation and a hawthorn drink. Extracts from leaves with flowers and from fruits are not interchangeable. Species, plant part, dose and standardization differ by preparation.

5. Is Hawthorn (Crataegus) Safe? Side Effects in the Studies

In a study with heart failure patients, there were more adverse events with the extract from leaves with flowers than with placebo. These mostly did not affect the heart 5. Hawthorn can enhance the effect of anticoagulants, digoxin and blood pressure-lowering drugs 12. An overview also names a bleeding risk during operations 10.

All details with tables and sources: full expert page on Hawthorn (Crataegus)