Does Hawthorn Berry Work at Lowering Blood Pressure?

I was wondering if anyone's had success with Hawthorn Berry supplements in lowering their blood pressure.

Does Hawthorn Berry Work at Lowering Blood Pressure?
Mike - Hawthorn supplements derived from the berries, flowers and leaves have been touted as having cardiovascular benefits since the 1800s, but the data to support these claims are limited to small trials and the results have been pretty lukewarm.





There was a recent British study which examined the blood pressure lowering effects of hawthorn extract in 79 diabetic patients. After 16 weeks, the blood pressure was minimally decreased. The systolic pressure (the top number) was the same in the group taking hawthorn and the group taking placebo. The diastolic pressure (the bottom number) was was 2mmHg lower in the group taking hawthorn. Similar results were seen in another small British study looking at 36 patients with high blood pressure. The systolic blood pressure was not affected, but the diastolic pressure decreased slightly.





More importantly, hawthorn extract while generally safe has some important side effects that you need to be aware of. Some people can have allergies to hawthorn. Large doses in animals have been shown to cause sedation and heart rhythm disturbances. Hawthorn can also have important interactions with other drugs or herbals. If you take Viagra or blood pressure medications, hawthorn may cause a big drop in blood pressure. It can enhance the effects of digoxin leading to heart rhythm disturbances. If you take ANY blood pressure or heart medicines, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking hawthorn!





Considering how much herbal supplements cost (they are almost never covered by insurance) and how much more effective prescription medications are, it does not seem worthwhile to use Hawthorn to lower your blood pressure. The argument that herbal medications are safer is patently untrue - ANY medication has the potential for side effects (in fact, many of our prescription drugs are derived from herbal sources) and to take something without medical supervision is potentially dangerous.





Good luck to you! Hope that helps!