Hawthorn berry, or also known as hawthorn, is a fruit which grows on shrubs of the genus Crataegeus. This fruit is commonly planted in parts of Asia, Europe, and North America. Despite the small size, it has a lot of health benefits that might surprise you, such as treating high and low blood pressure, congestive heart failure and many more.
Hawthorn fruit generally contains many valuable nutrients and it has a taste which is a mixture of sour, aromatic and slightly sweet. The color ranges from yellow to deep red and black.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these 7 incredible health benefits of hawthorn berries.
- Provide Antioxidant for the Body
This fruit is rich in many polyphenols, which is a powerful antioxidant compound found mainly in plants. Polyphenol antioxidant is really powerful to neutralize unstable molecules, such as free radicals when they are in high level.
Furthermore, the polyphenols in hawthorn berries have many health benefits, including preventing and reducing the risk of asthma, infections, type 2 diabetes, early cancer and heart problems.
If you wish to consume fruit that rich in antioxidant, you can also try consuming baby oranges. You will be able to get these health benefits of baby oranges as they are known as one of the top sources of antioxidant.
- Help Lower Blood Pressure
Do you know that in traditional Chinese medicine, hawthorn berries are used to support the treatment of high blood pressure? There were some animal studies which have found that hawthorn berries are able to act as a natural vasodilator.
It helps relax constricted blood vessels in the body. As a result, it aids in lowering high blood pressure levels. Grapefruit is another fruit you can consume to lower blood pressure. Read more about it in health benefits of grapefruit for blood pressure.
- Prevent Hair Loss
Some hair care and hair growth products list hawthorn berries as one of the natural ingredients. It is because in the past hawthorn berries have shown promise in stimulating the growth and size of hair follicles in rats. It is due to its polyphenol content in the berries.
How do you use hawthorn berries in your hair? Many people prefer to include hawthorn berries in their diet, such as making syrup for pancakes. Meanwhile, others invest in natural hair care products, such as hawthorn berry butters or tonics.
- Support the Digestive System
Both the fruits and extracts of hawthorn berry have been used to aid in the treatment of digestive problems, especially stomachaches and indigestion.
The berries contain a lot of fiber, which is really helpful to support the digestive system. This fiber stimulates the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria as well as reducing constipation.
Digestive system should always be protected and maintained by consuming a lot of nutritional food. You can consider reading these health benefits of consuming papaya leaf. It is nutritious and good for your digestive system.
- Release the Symptoms of Anxiety
Not only good for your physical health, hawthorn berry also has mild sedative effect. It helps to relieve the symptoms of anxiety. While using hawthorn berry extract, you will feel more relaxed and less anxious.
If you compare the use of hawthorn berry extract with the traditional anti-anxiety medications, it causes fewer side effects, so it is considered safer.
It is also being studied as one of the potential ways to treat some central nervous system disorders, such as anxiety and depression.
Are you depressed and trying to find some remedies? Spare your time reading these health benefits of exercising for mental health. Exercising is not only good for your physical health, but also for you mental health.
- Treat Heart Disease
Hawthorn berries are also commonly used together with the medicines to treat heart failure. There was a recent review stating that people who took this berry along with the medications of heart failure significantly improved the heart function and exercise tolerance.
Furthermore, they also felt less short of breath and fatigued after consuming hawthorn berry extract.
Before deciding to consume hawthorn berries, make sure you know the side effects. Though it is considered safe for everyone, however, in rare cases it may cause some mild effects, such as nausea, dizziness, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, palpitations, insomnia, agitation and nosebleed.
Do you like berries fruits? Then, you can consume some types of berries, such as blueberries, strawberries and golden berries. Get ready to be amazed by these health benefits of golden berries and incredible health benefits of dried blueberries. This berries family is incredible!