Hawthorn - Lower Blood Pressure & Cholesterol
By Vicky Chan of NourishU
High blood pressure and cholesterol are very common health problems to people in western societies living a hurried lifestyle, eating an unhealthy diet and lacking adequate exercise. The matter is worse during the winter months when many festivities occur (like thanksgiving and Christmas) and people are indulging more in high calorie and fatty foods.
Prevention is better than cure and self-care is better than healthcare. Preventing illness from happening is so much cheaper and more effective than curative care.
To help with fighting high blood pressure and high cholesterol which is believed to be the culprit to most heart diseases, I highly recommend you to try hawthorn.
Hawthorn is a very common fruit which is widely grown in many parts of the world. Chinese hawthorn can be commonly found in most Chinese fresh food markets or herbal stores. Dried, candied hawthorn slices are a popular snack for children to help improve appetite and promoting proper digestion. A few hawthorn fruits are commonly added to meat stews to make the meat more tender and easy to digest. In recent years, food scientists have discovered that the Chinese hawthorn fruit can lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, improve the functioning of the coronary artery and can be effectively used for the prevention and cure of coronary heart disease.
Dried hawthorn is very inexpensive and can be stored for a long time. It is sour in taste and is very acidic. It is not recommended for people with acid related digestive issues. Research suggests that hawthorn can lower low density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad cholesterol”), and triglycerides (fats in the blood). It seems to lower accumulation of fats in the liver and the aorta (the largest artery in the body, located near the heart). It also increases the excretion of bile and has antioxidant properties.
Simple ways to use hawthorn are:
1. For treating indigestion
Boil 10 hawthorn fruits with 15 grams of brown sugar in 2 cups of water and cook down to one cup and drink the liquid before each meal.
2. For treating lack of appetite (in humid summer weather)
Make a tea using 5 grams of hawthorn fruit, 3 grams of orange peel, 5 mint leaves and a little white sugar.
3. For treating overeating after a big meal of meat or greasy foods
Boil 10 grams of hawthorn fruit, 5 grams of fried sprouted barley, and 5 grams of crushed radish seeds in 1-2 liters of water for about 5 minutes and drink the tea as frequently as desired.
4. For preventing and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol
Boil 15 grams of hawthorn with 6 to 8 dates (cut into halves) with 3 cups of water and cook into one cup. Drink once a day and as often as necessary.
5. For more advanced problems with the arteries, please try the following recipe.
Cornbind and Hawthorn Tea
SYMPTOMS
High blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, high cholesterol, and deficiency of yin, liver and kidney.
THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS
Enriches blood, nourishes yin, moisturizes dryness and calms wind, invigorates kidney and liver, clears away toxic materials, promotes blood circulation, disperses blood stasis, lowers blood pressure and level of blood lipids.
INGREDIENTS
- Chinese cornbind (ho shou wu) 何首烏 - 20gm
- Hawthorn (shan zha) 山楂 - 16gm
- Mulberry (sang shen) 桑椹 - 12gm
DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse herbs and put them all in a pot with 5 cups of water.
2. Cook over medium heat until 1 cup of water left.
3. Drink tea only.
USAGE
Drink regularly for long term effects.
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Featured image from whisperingearth.co.uk
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If you are having health concerns and would like assistance, Emma Suttie D.Ac, AP offers Skype consultations.
Please email info@chinesemedicineliving.com for more info.
Hawthorn - Lower Blood Pressure & Cholesterol
