Have you seen or tried hawthorn before? Do you know what this is? Hawthorn is a kind of berry fruit, which was traditionally used in China and India. This particular type of berry is actually a great deal for the betterment of the overall health. What makes it beneficial for people are the essential nutrients that it has. All of these are what make the necessary health benefits of hawthorn. These benefits of hawthorn for the health include its ability to aid in the skin care, treat intestinal infections, improve the mood, boost the respiratory health, improve the digestion, protect the heart, and reduce anxiety, among others. If you want to learn more about this particular berry, feel free to give this article a read.
Hawthorn: What is this?
Hawthorn is actually a fruit, which has the same name as the hawthorn trees and shrubs. There are various varieties of hawthorns that yield a bit of a different fruit. Nevertheless, the most common among all the varieties is what they scientifically call as Crataegus rhipidophylla. Moreover, hawthorn berry or fruit is tart, pink to red in color, and fairly small, perhaps the size of the crabapple.
Due to the fact that it is just a species, Hawthorn was just native to the northern hemisphere, mainly in temperate regions in Asia, Europe, and North America. Even though the hawthorn berry looks like berries to a certain extent, they have a stone, so much like the drupes, i.e. plums and peaches.
When it comes to the fascinating health benefits of hawthorn, they were actually traditionally used in China, India, as well as in some countries. They use it as a digestive aid, and as a cardiovascular health booster in various traditional medicine systems. As the popularity of hawthorn gains more and more attraction, various research keeps on going. This is in order to determine what really is so treasured about this underrated fruit.
Nutritional Content of Hawthorn
The necessary health benefits of hawthorn essentially come from all the unique mixture of organic compounds, minerals, and vitamins present in the berry. Moreover, the dearest among all the components of the hawthorn berry include the significant B-vitamin levels, including vitamin C, as well as folic acid, saponins, catechins, rutin, vitexin, as well as various anthocyanidins, which act as antioxidant compounds inside the body.
Health Benefits of Hawthorn
Here are some of the health benefits of :
- Helps in eliminating intestinal infections. Apart from it is essential in boosting the digestive health through the improvement of the nutrient uptake and elimination of constipation, the fruit is also essential in eliminating various intestinal infections, just like tapeworms.
- Aids in skin care. The antioxidant properties of hawthorn are essential in reducing the itching, as well as in healing wounds and various skin conditions, just like psoriasis and eczema.
- Helps in increasing energy levels. Hawthorn is popular to have an effect in expanding the coronary blood vessels that allows for a much better blood circulation all over the body that may result in higher levels of energy and even alertness.
- Helps in reducing anxiety. In various traditional medicines, hawthorn was used for various psychological conditions, including depression, anxiety, and stress.
- Helps in boosting the immunity. The antioxidant properties of hawthorn are essential for the elimination of the dangerous toxins in the body. Not only that, but the vitamin C in it also helps in adding a boost in the white blood cells activity, which aids in increasing the overall health status.
- Helps in stabilizing the blood pressure levels. Hawthorn is essential in stabilizing the blood pressure levels. Whether the blood pressure level is too high or too low, the compounds in hawthorn are able to establish a vigorous blood pressure in the system.
- Helps in improving heart health. There is a good reason why hawthorn is mainly valuable in both modern and traditional medicine. This is for all of its positive effect on the heart.
- Helps in reducing chest pains. Angina or chest pain may indicate serious heart conditions. Hawthorn is essential in making the pain lesser as it has been used for so long. Most especially in a heart attack.
Culinary Uses of Hawthorn
- Since it has a tart and sweet flavor, the hawthorns are used popularly in candies and beverages, most especially in various Asian cultures.
- In North America and Europe, it is so common that you eat raw hawthorns, preserve them, or even cook them. They can also be available in jams of jelly forms. The pungent flavor of hawthorn is actually what holds so well in the preserved form.
Cautions in Hawthorn Consumption
Some people experience upset stomach, dizziness, agitation, nausea, fatigue, and sweating, among other serious side effects. These include mood swings, heart irregularities, severe allergic reactions, and shortness of breath. Speak to your doctor before incorporating hawthorn to the diet. You will need to speak to them directly if you happen to experience any side effects.
