Hawthorn flowers are red, white or pink and packed with antioxidents.
Crataegus laevigata "English hawthorn" is native to northern European regions and is grown throughout the world. A member of the rose family, hawthorn is a spiky flowering bush whose foliage and berries have been used medicinally since the first century to treat heart disease and respiratory disorders. More recently, hawthorn has been used to treat angina and heart failure caused by a weak heart muscle, as well as kidney and digestive problems. Hawthorn leaves and flowers contain antioxidants that destroy free radicals. Always consult a doctor before beginning herbal therapy.
Instructions
Extracts
1. Gather the shiny leaves from a bush to prepare hawthorn extract. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, numerous studies found that hawthorn improved the symptoms of heart failure in doses of 900 mg daily over two months.
2. Allow the leaves to dry thoroughly, then crush to a powder with a spoon or mallet.
3. Dissolve the powdered hawthorn in an organic solvent like water or ethanol, and put the liquid into a cylinder. Allow to steep, stirring occasionally, until the antioxidants have been extracted from the leaves and are concentrated in the liquid.
4. Let the solution evaporate, then package the solid extract into capsules.
Capsules
5. Pick the small red, white or pink flowers when they bloom in mid-spring, along with leaves.
6. Collect blossoms before they go to seed and begin producing berries. Leaves and flowers contain more flavonoids than the berries, and make stronger medicine to dilute blood vessels, improve blood flow and protect vessels from damage by free radicals.
7. Allow flowers to dry naturally by laying them out on a clean surface protected from wind and dust.
8. Capsules are just one way to ingest hawthorn.
Crush the flowers until fine. Fill standard capsules with the powder, or create a solid extract by combining the dried foliage with gelatin.
9. Use dried leaves, flowers or berries to make a medicinal tea from hawthorn. Be aware that it tastes quite bitter.
Tincture
10. Collect the berries, called haws, which sprout after flowers fade in September and October. They have been used to treat heart problems from heart failure, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries for centuries.
11. Select the red berries, which are ripe, as well as the black ones. Discard damaged, diseased or moldy fruit.
12. Make a hawthorn tincture by putting the berries in a jar. Fill it with a spirit of 50 to 60 percent alcohol by volume, such as vodka.
13. Store the mixture for two to four weeks out of direct sunlight. Shake occasionally to maximize the concentration.
14. Strain the mixture and store the tincture in dark bottles with a dropper top for easy measuring.
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