Use and application of hawthorn fruit

Hawthorn is a tall shrub whose crown is capable of reaching up to 4-7 meters in circumference. The plant belongs to the family Rosaceae, apparently it looks branchy, with large and strong branches of brown or dark gray color, dotted with long spikes, and the shape of its leaves depends on the variety. The flowers of hawthorn are white, fragrant, collected in inflorescences. The fruits of the plant are slightly oblong or round in shape, ripe berries can be red or orange in color, they taste tart, bitter-sweet. The term of ripening of berries depends on the variety and place of growth of the plant, most often it is September or October.

Hawthorn belongs to the group of medicinal plants. For therapeutic purposes, people use its flowers, fruits, less often - leaves.. Distributed plant in the forest and forest-steppe zone. Most often it can be found on the outskirts of the forest, along the shores of lakes, rivers, near ravines, along roads. Hawthorn is a wild-growing plant, but in the last decade, gardeners have more and more often planted it in their plots, as the plant has not only healing properties, but also an excellent decorative appearance.

Grataegus is the so-called hawthorn plant in Latin. The State Pharmacopoeia (GF) in the 11th edition of 1990 in part 2 describes in detail what the raw medicinal raw material of hawthorn fruit looks like, what is its chemical composition and what requirements are imposed on it for determining authenticity.

In Russia, the blood-red hawthorn variety is used in medical practice. It is very common in the central part of the country and grows throughout the territories of Eastern and Western Siberia. Often this variety is used to create greenery on city streets, squares and park areas, and it can also be found in its wild form.

According to the Pharmacopoeia standard, ripe and dried hawthorn fruits are used in the form of medicinal raw materials. The length of the fruit can be from 6 to 14 millimeters, and the width - from 5 to 11 millimeters. The berries should be orange, red-brown or dark brown, firm to the touch, with wrinkled skin, contain 3-5 solid seeds, the taste of the fruit - tart, bitter-sweet. Raw materials are packed in cardboard containers or kraft paper bags of 50 grams each. The shelf life of raw materials is not more than 2 years.

According to the GF, in addition to hawthorn fruits, its inflorescences are also used. Raw materials consists of individual flowers, petals, inflorescences with pedicels. The size of the flowers should be from 10 to 15 millimeters, and the buds should be from 3 to 4 millimeters. Hawthorn flowers are packed in 100 grams per carton. The shelf life of the raw material is at least 3 years.

Hawthorn fruits have a fairly rich biologically active component of vitamins and microelements. Here is their short list and the amount of content per 100 grams of raw materials:

• vitamin C - 25 mg;
• Vitamin P - 370-670 mg;
• Vitamin A - 3-15 mg;
• Vitamin E - up to 5 mg;
• fructose - 5-10 mg;
• pectin - 0.6-0.65 mg;
• coumarin and oxycoumarin - up to 3.3 mg;
• sorbitol - up to 22.6 mg;
• malic acid - 0.25-0.95 mg;
• ursolic acid - 0.3-0.8 mg;
• triterienic acids - 50-180 mg;
• coloring and tanning substances - up to 1.75 mg;
• trace elements - copper, potassium, zinc, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, iron, boron, selenium.

Hawthorn berries have a relatively low calorie content - 100 grams of fresh raw materials contain approximately 50-55 kilocalories. It is believed that by drinking one glass of freshly picked ripe berries, the body's daily need for vitamins and minerals is fully met.

To use the healing properties of hawthorn fruit in the treatment of the human body, it is necessary to take it correctly, strictly following the dosage. Hawthorn can be used as an independent tool or in combination with other drugs.

Useful properties of hawthorn have been used for several centuries. Most often, its fruits and flowers are taken in the following cases:

• To strengthen the muscle layer of the capillary walls and blood vessels, resulting in reduced their proliferative capacity and fragility.
• Normalized blood viscosity and quantitative cholesterol and decreases its deposition in the vessels.
• The arteries and vessels of the brain and heart expand, resulting in improved blood supply and oxygenation of these organs, thereby improving overall well-being.
• Dizziness and sleep disturbances take place, physical endurance and mental activity increase.

• Hawthorn juice improves the activity of the brain and the central nervous system, thereby reducing nerve over-excitability. Light sedation when taking hawthorn does not cause depression of attention and reactions, so it can be accepted even by those whose activities are related to driving and working with moving elements of various mechanisms.
• The composition of blood improves and its active circulation increases. For this reason, hawthorn-based drugs are often prescribed to elderly people to normalize blood circulation.
• The tone and endurance of the heart muscle improves, against the background of which the dynamics of heart contractions is normalized. Under the influence of hawthorn preparations, heart failure is reduced, various types of arrhythmias and exystole are eliminated.
• Drugs prepared on the basis of hawthorn fruit gently but very effectively reduce high arterial blood pressure, which is used in the treatment of hypertension, as well as included in the complex treatment of conditions after myocardial infarction.

• Hawthorn can improve the condition in diseases of the stomach and intestines. The fruits of this shrub contain a component similar to mucus, which neutralizes the aggressive action of gastric juice during gastritis, regulates digestive processes and reduces the increased formation of gas in the intestines, and also helps normalize stools for intestinal disorders - diarrhea. In addition, hawthorn facilitates the discharge of bile and prevents the appearance of hepatic colic.
• It has anti-inflammatory properties and is also a prophylactic agent for the development of cancer.
• It is a good diuretic, removes toxins and free radicals from the body, accelerates metabolic processes.
• Stimulates the production of collagen, thereby preserving the youth of the skin and the mobility of the joints.
• Normalizes blood sugar levels. Hawthorn berries are rich in fructose and people suffering from metabolic disorders and diabetes are allowed to take drugs based on this plant.

Reviews of herbalists and homeopaths indicate that under the influence of drugs from hawthorn berries in patients were manifestations of allergy, improved health in women during menopause, with migraine headaches decreased the number and intensity of pain attacks.

The fruits of hawthorn is a fairly strong biologically active drug that can, if used improperly, bring not only benefit but also harm. Uncontrolled, unreasonably long period of the use of drugs from hawthorn can cause depression of the heartbeat and the activity of the central nervous system, which manifests itself in the form of apathy, drowsiness.

Noticed and more than once that if, after taking fresh hawthorn berries, to drink a glass of cool water, a stomach spasm may occur or intestinal cramps begin. If you use more than one cup of fresh hawthorn fruit, nausea and vomiting may begin.

The list of conditions in which the reception and action of hawthorn is undesirable is as follows:

• the first trimester of pregnancy - can be taken only if there is evidence and strictly under the supervision of a doctor;
• children up to 12 years;
• susceptibility to allergic reactions and individual intolerance;
• tendency to low blood pressure;
• vegetovascular dystonia with bouts of dizziness;
• condition after a recent traumatic brain injury;
• propensity to slow heart rate (bradycardia).

Hawthorn berries can be harvested in the fall alone or purchase them in any pharmacy chain. Pharmacies sell hawthorn in the following dosage forms:

• dried berries in packaging;
• dried flowers in packaging;
• phytotea, which contains hawthorn fruits as the main ingredient and may contain other additives depending on the application of such a drink; usual packing of phyto tea - 100 g;
• Hawthorn extract in capsules is considered to be a biologically active food supplement (BAA) and is produced by various pharmaceutical factories, one of which is “Farm Product”;

• tablets for sucking with hawthorn berries juice syrup;
• alcohol tincture;
• liquid hawthorn extract;
• medicinal syrup - may consist only of hawthorn berries or contain components of other medicinal plants, for example, hawthorn syrup with chokeberry.

Take hawthorn best after meals. There are several ways to do this.

• Hawthorn berries can be brewed with boiling water to obtain an infusion or decoction, which is taken in the form of heat in half a glass three times a day.
• From ripe fruits you can cook jam, jam, make jelly or vitamin drink - such products can be drunk from pressure and to raise the overall tone.
• Instead of black tea or coffee for heart diseases, you can make hawthorn berries, while receiving a fragrant drink that is beneficial and enjoyable.
• The hawthorn tincture is made with alcohol or vodka, insisting the berries for 3-4 weeks, and then take a few drops as directed by the doctor.

During pregnancy, hawthorn-based drugs should be taken with great care. Most often they are used for violations of the heart rhythm, increased emotionality, spasms in the gastrointestinal tract and a tendency to hypertension. Women, preparing to become a mother, take fresh hawthorn, in the form of juice, syrup, decoctions and infusions. Alcohol tinctures are not recommended for pregnant women. Hawthorn helps even if a pregnant woman eats several berries before going to bed - this will help her to fall asleep and recover strength faster. In the morning, the expectant mother will feel a surge of strength and will be in a great mood, feeling completely rested.

Often, when a child is born, a woman suffers from intestinal colic and stool disorders. Reception in small dosages of hawthorn berries helps to cope with this problem.

It is noticed that hawthorn well removes excess fluid from the body, being a diuretic. This property can be useful to those women who suffer during pregnancy from fluid retention, manifested in the form of edema. In addition to this property, hawthorn has a beneficial effect on the work of the kidneys and prevents the formation of inflammatory processes in them.

Often during pregnancy, women notice varicose veins in their legs. This may be associated not only with carrying a child, but also with their physiological tendency to expand the venous walls. Taking hawthorn, you can achieve a good tone of the veins and blood vessels and avoid the manifestation of this disease.

After childbirth, when a woman's body is weakened by a long period of gestation and the process of childbirth, hawthorn will help you quickly regain strength, replenish the necessary vitamin-mineral balance in the body of a nursing mother. In addition, it is noted that while taking the berries of this plant, the lactation function improves.

In folk medicine, there are quite a large variety of recipes with hawthorn fruits. To prepare a decoction, infusion or jam, you can use fresh, frozen and even dried berries. Here are some recipes for making delicious and healing remedies at home:

• Hawthorn decoction. To prepare a decoction of dry berries, you must take them in the amount of 50 grams and pour water in a volume of 500 milliliters. The broth should be brought to a boil over low heat until boiling and literally in 1-2 minutes remove the container from the stove. Broth cover and let it brew for about 2-3 hours. You can take a glass three times a day after a meal with hypertension.
• Tincture on alcohol. Take 30 grams of hawthorn fruits and inflorescences and fill them with alcohol in the amount of 100 grams. The composition is closed with a tight lid and insist 3-4 weeks in a dark and cool place. From time to time, the contents of the container must be shaken. Next, the tincture should be filtered, poured into a clean bottle and use 25-30 drops immediately before meals three times a day. Tincture is useful in cardiac arrhythmias, as well as a vascular tonic remedy.

• Medicinal balm. This tool is prepared on the basis of hawthorn with the addition of other ingredients. Take two tablespoons of dried berries of hawthorn and rosehip, add half a teaspoon of ground root elecampane and fill with 500 milliliters of vodka. After 30 days, the composition is filtered and add sugar syrup, boiled from 100 milliliters of water and 100 grams of sugar. Syrup and tincture are mixed and allowed to infuse for another 7 days. Take a teaspoon three times a day.
• Compote. Hawthorn can be prepared for the winter, if you cook from its ripe fruit compote. Take a liter jar, put the berries sorted and boiled with boiling water so that they take up about 2/3 capacity. Now you need to make a syrup for pouring - it is prepared at the rate of 300 grams of sugar and one liter of water, the composition is brought to a boil and berries are poured with hot syrup, 3-5 grams of citric acid is added to the syrup. Next, the banks are sterilized and roll covers. Compote can be drunk a glass three times a day.

• Berry puree. Ripe berries need a little boil in water until they soften. Then the berries are thrown back on the sieve and waiting for all the water to drain. Next, the berries need to grind, wiping them through a fine-mesh sieve. You can add sugar and citric acid to the puree. The mass is brought to a boil and packaged in glass jars. Next, the banks are sterilized and roll covers.
• Dried berries. Enumerated berries spread on a baking sheet and put it in the oven with a temperature of not more than 60 degrees.The oven door should be ajar to evaporate moisture. During the drying process the berries should be mixed. The end of the drying will be at the moment when the fruits become dense and with wrinkled skin. When you press the skin should spring up. It is important not to overdry the berries in the drying process to such an extent that when pressed they would scatter into dust, since such raw materials are not suitable for further use.

If you want to prepare hawthorn berries on your own, in this case, you must wait until they fully mature, and this happens in early October. To collect try to choose a sunny day without rain. Do not pick berries near motorways, as they contain heavy metal salts and other harmful impurities. The same applies to the territories bordering on industrial facilities - raw materials collected in such a place are potentially dangerous to your health.

Experienced gardeners advise everyone to plant hawthorn bush in their area. Well proven varieties "Siberian", "Prickly", "Altai", "Pear". The plant is unpretentious and does not require special specific care, but it has an excellent decorative appearance from spring to late autumn and will generously give you a harvest of useful berries.

See the following video for the benefits and use of hawthorn.