Wild-growing varieties of hawthorn were used in ancient China and Asia. Today, not only fruits, but also flowers, leaves and plant roots are used for medical purposes, and the ways of their preparation differ in great variety. In traditional medicine the most widespread is the tincture of hawthorn, the benefit and harm of which is yet to be disassembled.
Fruit composition and healing properties
In hawthorn there is a huge variety of vitamins - C, A, K, E, group B, minerals - potassium, calcium, magnesium , iron, manganese, zinc, copper, as well as tannins, organic acids, essential oils, flavonoids, interest is a hyperoside. Red fruits are rich in triterpenic acids, phytosterol-like substances, choline, fatty oils, etc. This high shrub of the pink family of ancient Greek physician Dioscorides was discovered in the 1st century AD. He recommended eating berries in food for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and bleeding. During the Second World War, they were actively used to treat cardiovascular diseases.
The positive influence of hawthorn on the heart is due to the flavonoids entering into its composition. Of these, you can especially distinguish:
- quercitrin, which is responsible for the elasticity of capillaries and the reduction of their permeability. It differs antitumor and antioxidant effect;
- quercetin, acting as a means of prevention and treatment of cerebral circulation disorders. With its deficiency, the risk of cataract formation increases;
- Hyperoside, which increases the rate of glucose processing and cell enrichment by oxygen molecules. Increases the ability of the myocardium to contract, as well as the magnitude of cardiac output;
- vitexin, dilating blood vessels and accelerating metabolic processes in the heart muscle.
Application of hawthorn tincture
The use of hawthorn tincture is difficult to overestimate. It is used in the therapy of hypertension, atherosclerosis , cardiac weakness, tachycardia, functional disorders, astheno-neurotic states. It is also good as a sedative for nervous tension. This drug can be purchased at any pharmacy for a little money, but if desired, tincture of hawthorn can be prepared independently for this recipe:
Rinse a glass of fresh berries, put them in a glass container and pour half a liter of medical alcohol. If not, you can use vodka, but increase the volume to 0.7 liters. Suppress the berries with a mallet and clean it in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. After the specified period of time, filter and take 3-5 drops before eating.
Those who are interested in taking a pharmacy tincture of hawthorn should answer that the dosage in this case rises to 20-30 drops, taken before meals 3-4 times during the entire waking period. Teenagers over 12 years should be given 10-15 drops, and in relation to small children is not recommended. The course of treatment is 20-30 days.
Harm to the tincture
The use of hawthorn tincture for the body is huge, but do not forget that like any medicine, it has its side effects and contraindications. It can not be taken by pregnant and lactating women, people with arrhythmia, vegetovascular dystonia, liver diseases. It is not used in the therapy of craniocerebral injuries and brain diseases. With caution should take her hypotension, and also always remember that there is a risk of individual intolerance and allergic reactions. Persons involved in potentially hazardous activities should be cautious during the period of therapy with this drug.