Hawthorn berry (Crataegus oxyacantha) is a well-known herb in traditional Chinese medicine to improve digestion and strengthen heart function for thousands of years. Both the leaves and berries of hawthorn are edible. The young leaves are used in salads and the berries are made into jams and jellies. Hawthorn has been used in other countries since ancient times as well. In Iran, people enjoy this delicious sweet-sour fruit as a dessert or use it in fruit jellies. In Mexico, the berries are called “tejocotes” that are stuffed into pinatas during the pre-Christmas celebration. In the ancient Middle East, it is suggested that hawthorn was the source of Jesus’s crown of thorns.
Hawthorn berry has been commonly used
as a digestive aid in the East to stimulate the production or activities of
enzymes such as proteases and lipases and increase the production of bile,
which especially assists the digestion of fats. It contains small amounts of
lipase and crataegolic acid that increase the activity of digestive enzymes to
enhance digestion.
In Western herbal medicine, hawthorn fruit,
leaf, and flower have all been used to treat a variety of cardiac issues, such
as congestive heart failure, hypertension, chest pain, irregular heart
rate, high or low blood pressure, atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, and poor
blood circulation, etc. It is reported that this
herb increases the amount of blood pumped out of the heart during contractions.
It also widens the blood vessels and increases the transmission of nerve
signals.
Hawthorn berries are packed with
nutrients and antioxidants such as polyphenols that have anti-inflammatory
properties, it also promotes weight loss and hair growth. Some main health benefits
are highlighted in the post below. Most of all, they are very delicious, are
you ready to enjoy them and give your health a boost?
For more health tips on TCM and holistic health, please visit: https://optimalhealthsolutions.ca.
No comments:
Post a Comment