Hawthorn berry is sometimes called Mayflower, Crataegus berries, Quickthorn, Whitehorn, or its scientific name, Crataegus monogyna or Crataegus oxyacantha. Hawthorn berries are tiny fruits that grow on trees and shrubs of the Rosaceae (rose) family, commonly found in Europe, North America, and Asia (1). 

Hawthorn trees/shrubs grow between 6 and 30 feet tall and have one to two-inch-long lobed leaves. Their flowers are grouped in broad, dense, flat-topped clusters and resemble cherry or apple blossoms with white (sometimes pink) petals and round red fruits (2). For centuries, hawthorn berries have been used in herbal remedies for digestive problems, heart failure, and high blood pressure throughout traditional Chinese medicine (3).

Research-Backed Benefits of Hawthorn Berry

Rich in Antioxidants

Hawthorn berries are a rich source of polyphenols, a powerful plant antioxidant compound (4). Antioxidants can help fight damage from harmful free radicals. The buildup of free radicals has been linked to chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. Polyphenols’ antioxidant activity has numerous health benefits, such as reducing the risk of some cancers, type 2 diabetes, asthma, infections, heart problems, and premature skin aging (5).

Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Hawthorn berries may have anti-inflammatory properties that could improve your overall health. Chronic inflammation has been linked with many diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, asthma, and certain cancers (6). In one study, mice with liver disease who consumed hawthorn berry extract experienced significantly reduced levels of inflammatory compounds (7). In another study, mice with asthma showed hawthorn berry extract decreased inflammation enough to reduce asthmatic symptoms substantially (8). 

May Promote Heart Health

Unfortunately, heart disease is the world’s number one cause of death (9). Due to the incredibly complex determinants of heart disease and various possible contributions, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact way to prevent it. Still, you can at least take steps to lower your overall risk. That’s where hawthorn berries may come in.

As aforementioned, hawthorn berry is one of the most common recommendations for high blood pressure in traditional Chinese medicine (10). Several animal studies have shown that hawthorn berries can act as vasodilators, relaxing and constricting blood vessels and lowering blood pressure (11). In a 16-week human study, type 2 diabetics with high blood pressure took 1,200 mg of hawthorn extract daily, leading to significant blood pressure improvements compared to the placebo group (12).

Cholesterol and triglycerides are two fats that are always present in the blood. At normal levels, cholesterol and triglycerides are healthy and essential in hormone production and nutrient transport throughout the body (13). However, imbalanced blood fat levels can contribute to plaque buildup in the blood vessels. Some studies indicated that hawthorn berry extract might improve fat blood levels.

In one study, mice given two doses of hawthorn berry extract experienced lower total and low-density lipoprotein (LPL) cholesterol and liver triglyceride levels than mice that did not (14). In another animal study, hawthorn berry extract and the cholesterol-lowering drug Simvastatin reduced total cholesterol and triglycerides equally, but hawthorn berry also decreased LDL cholesterol, while Simvastatin did not (15). I highly recommend Gaia Herbs Hawthorn Supreme for these benefits.

May Improve Digestion

The digestion process breaks down food into smaller components that can be absorbed into the bloodstream and turned into nutrition (16). When your foods aren’t digested properly, you may experience digestive troubles like heartburn. For centuries, traditional Chinese medicine has used hawthorn berry extract to treat digestive issues, particularly indigestion and stomach pain. 

Hawthorn berries contain fibers proven to aid digestion by reducing constipation and acting as a prebiotic. Prebiotics feed your healthy gut bacteria and are vital to maintaining a healthy digestive tract (17). One observational study found that each additional gram of dietary fiber consumed decreased the time between bowel movements by approximately 30 minutes in humans with slow digestion (18). In animal studies, hawthorn berry extract dramatically reduced the transit time of food in the digestive system of rats (19). In another study, hawthorn berry extract exhibited the same gastroprotective effects as anti-ulcer medication ranitidine in rats with stomach ulcers (20).

Promotes Hair & Skin Health

Hair loss has become a common problem, especially with telogen effluvium (TE) occurring post covid infection and vaccination. Thankfully, hawthorn berry’s polyphenol content has been associated with preventing hair loss. In animal studies, hawthorn berry extract stimulated hair growth and increased the number and size of hair follicles, promoting healthier hair in rats (21). Additionally, in a test tube study, a combination of hawthorn berry and ginseng extract demonstrated the ability to increase skin moisture and inhibit wrinkle formation (22).

May Reduce Anxiety

Twenty percent of American adults are affected by anxiety (23). Thankfully, studies indicated hawthorn berry has a mild sedative-like effect, which may help decrease anxiety symptoms (24). In human studies, a combination of hawthorn, magnesium, and California poppy flower significantly reduced mild-to-moderate anxiety levels compared to a placebo (25).

Anticancer Properties

Statistics say that 158.3 of every 100,000 individuals will die from cancer, but what if they didn’t have to (26)? In vitro studies demonstrated that hawthorn berries can inhibit cancer growth and are effective against breast cancer regardless of hormone dependency (27). Another test-tube study indicated that homogeneous polysaccharides (HPS) extracted from Hawthorn exerted anti-cancer effects on colon cancer cells (28).

Safety Information, Contraindications & Interactions

The mainstream claims hawthorn is possibly safe when used in doses of up to 1,800 mg daily for up to 16 weeks. Supposedly, there isn’t enough reliable information to know if hawthorn is safe when used longer than 16 weeks. Hawthorn is usually well-tolerated, but they claim there isn’t enough reliable information to know if hawthorn is safe for topical application or the side effects. They also caution against using hawthorn when pregnant or breastfeeding, claiming there isn’t enough reliable information to know if hawthorn is safe to use (29).

Contrarily, trusted herbalist Richard Whelan states that hawthorn is an extremely safe herb, as many past experiences and modern clinical studies have shown. Whelan says hawthorn may be taken without fear by the young or old and can be used simultaneously with any pharmaceutical medication with no concern about adverse reactions or interactions (30).

How to Use Hawthorn Berry & Product Recommendations

I try to buy herbs locally when I make my own herbal remedies. When buying locally isn’t an option, I typically purchase from one of the following brands I trust:

• Anthony’s Goods
• Frontier Co-op
• Starwest Botanicals

Looking for additional herbal suppliers? Check out my post, 3 Ways to Source Herbs.

I haven’t made many herbal remedies with hawthorn berry, but I enjoy making hawthorn berry brownies with hawthorn berry syrup (recipes coming soon). Aside from that, I recommend a few premade herbal products, including: 

• Gaia Herbs Hawthorn Supreme is an herbal supplement for hawthorn berries, leaves, and flowers to sustain heart health. This vegan capsule supports the heart’s pumping capacity, ability, and health at any age.
• Herb Pharm’s Blood Pressure Support helps maintain established, normal blood pressure. This tincture is expertly formulated with hawthorn, linden, olive, and other rapidly absorbed liquid herb extracts.
• Herb Pharm’s Heart Health supports healthy heart function and circulation. This extract is expertly formulated with hawthorn, cactus, and other rapidly absorbed liquid herb extracts to ensure a broad spectrum of therapeutic plant compounds.
• MaryRuth’s Kidney & Bladder was formulated to help keep renal and urinary systems happy and working normally! This herbal blend may help you keep these systems running calmly and smoothly by helping maintain healthy fluid balance and urine excretion with beneficial hawthorn leaf. 
• The Brother’s Apothecary’s Golden Dream is a tea formulated with bedtime in mind. Calming CBD and chamomile meet bright, refreshing spearmint, orange peel, and lemongrass. Linden leaf and hawthorn berry naturally settle, making this an ideal tea for meditation and soothing the soul. 
• The Brother’s Apothecary’s Special Edition Midnight Dream is ideal for meditation and soothing the soul. This unique take on their popular bedtime tea (Golden Dream) is made with organic CBG flowers, calming chamomile, refreshing spearmint, orange peel, lemongrass, and other amazing herbs. 

Product Disclaimer

Product recommendations are affiliate links. I do not own or make these products. Recommendations are selected according to ingredients at the time article was written and can change at any time. I encourage you to double-check ingredients and research each company to ensure they’re suitable for your journey.

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