Hawthorn Reduces Congestive Heart Failure

Each year, approximately 400,000 Americans are diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF). The heart loses its ability to adequately pump blood throughout the body, causing shortness of breath, fluid buildup in the lungs and extremities, and kidney problems. Not surprisingly, conventional medicine relies heavily on drugs to treat CHF. However, far safer options exist, and one is the herb hawthorn. A meta-analysis involving 2,681 patients with a low ejection fraction (a measure of the heart’s pumping ability) examined the effects of taking 900 mg of a hawthorn extract on cardiac output. Researchers discovered that, compared to a placebo, hawthorn significantly reduced cardiac mortality and sudden cardiac death in patients with a very low ejection fraction (less than 25 percent). The herb also decreased fatigue and breathing problems. If you have CHF, I recommend taking 900–1,800 mg of hawthorn per day. Look for a brand that uses the whole plant (leaves, berries, and flowers) and is standardized to 4 percent vitexin flavonoids. If you are taking digitalis, talk to you doctor before using this herb, as it can increase effects of the drug.