The Side Effects of Eating Chinese Hawthorn
Chinese hawthorn fruit as a supplement functions by opening your blood vessels, particularly in the heart, Drugs.com states. This can help your blood flow more easily. For this reason, herbalists may recommend Chinese hawthorn fruit to help your circulation improve and help your heart work better if you have low-level heart failure. This also may lessen chest pain occurrences, Drugs.com notes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved Chinese hawthorn fruit supplements as medications. Speak with your physician about taking this supplement before you begin.
Sedation
Because Chinese hawthorn fruit supplements relax your blood vessels, allowing your blood to flow without restrictions, your blood pressure may decrease. While this classifies as a good effect, it may make you feel sleepy or groggy, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center indicates. This sedation effect generally occurs when you first use Chinese hawthorn fruit as a supplement and should cease as you use it more and your body adjusts. Unless the sedative effect persists or feels severe, you should not need medical help. If the effect interferes with your normal activities or worries you, seek counsel from your physician.
- Because Chinese hawthorn fruit supplements relax your blood vessels, allowing your blood to flow without restrictions, your blood pressure may decrease.
- Unless the sedative effect persists or feels severe, you should not need medical help.
Nausea
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Many new supplements or medicines can unsettle your stomach. Taking Chinese hawthorn fruit supplements, too, can cause some gastric problems. In particular, Drugs.com notes, this supplement can make you feel a sensation of mild nausea. If the nauseous feelings persist or feel more severe, such as leading to vomiting, speak with your doctor for help.
- Many new supplements or medicines can unsettle your stomach.
- Taking Chinese hawthorn fruit supplements, too, can cause some gastric problems.
Dizziness
The introduction of Chinese hawthorn fruit supplements into your body may make you feel dizzy at first, causing a sensation of spinning or imbalance to occur, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine indicates. Dizziness itself should feel mild, but if you do not take care, it can make you fall and hurt yourself. It should cease on its own without medical help.
Fatigue
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When Chinese hawthorn fruit supplements open your blood vessels, it can cause a drop in blood pressure to which you are not accustomed. This fall in your blood pressure can make you feel tired and fatigued. You may feel like you just ran a marathon or climbed a steep hill, even if all you were doing was sitting in a chair watching television. Once your body adjusts to the lower blood pressure and the Chinese hawthorn fruit supplement, your normal energy level should return. Consult your doctor if you continue to feel fatigued, Drugs.com recommends.
- When Chinese hawthorn fruit supplements open your blood vessels, it can cause a drop in blood pressure to which you are not accustomed.
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References
- Drugs.com; Hawthorn; February 2011
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Hawthorn; March 2009
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Hawthorn; July 2010
- Tadiæ VM, Dobriæ S, Markoviæ GM, et al. Anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective, free-radical-scavenging, and antimicrobial activities of hawthorn berries ethanol extract. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Sep 10;56(17):7700-9.
- Holubarsch CJF, Colucci WS, Eha J. Benefit-Risk Assessment of Crataegus Extract WS 1442: An Evidence-Based Review. Am J Cardiovasc Drugs. 2018;18(1):25-36. doi:10.1007/s40256-017-0249-9
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Hawthorn.
- Pittler MH, Guo R, Ernst E. Hawthorn extract for treating chronic heart failure. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(1):CD005312. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005312.pub2
- Zick SM, Vautaw BM, Gillespie B, Aaronson KD. Hawthorn Extract Randomized Blinded Chronic Heart Failure (HERB CHF) trial. Eur J Heart Fail. 2009;11(10):990-9. doi:10.1093/eurjhf/hfp116
- Walker AF, Marakis G, Morris AP, Robinson PA. Promising hypotensive effect of hawthorn extract: a randomized double-blind pilot study of mild, essential hypertension. Phytother Res. 2002;16(1):48-54. doi:10.1002/ptr.947
- Walker AF, Marakis G, Simpson E, et al. Hypotensive effects of hawthorn for patients with diabetes taking prescription drugs: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Gen Pract. 2006;56(527):437-43.
- Asher GN, Viera AJ, Weaver MA, Dominik R, Caughey M, Hinderliter AL. Effect of hawthorn standardized extract on flow mediated dilation in prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults: a randomized, controlled cross-over trial. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2012;12:26. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-26
- Wang SZ, Wu M, Chen KJ, et al. Hawthorn Extract Alleviates Atherosclerosis through Regulating Inflammation and Apoptosis Related Factors: An Experimental Study. Chin J Integr Med. 2019;25(2):108-115. doi10.1007/s11655-018-3020-4
- Castleman M. The New Healing Herbs, The Essential Guide to More Than 125 of Nature's Most Potent Herbal Remedies. Rodale; 2010.
- Dahmer S, Scott E. Health effects of hawthorn. Am Fam Physician. 2010;81(4):465-8.
- American Family Physicians. Health Effects of Hawthorn.
- Asher GN, Viera AJ, Weaver MA, Dominik R, Caughey M, Hinderliter AL. Effect of hawthorn standardized extract on flow-mediated dilation in prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults: a randomized, controlled cross-over trial. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2012 Mar 29;12:26.
- Castleman, Michael. "The New Healing Herbs."
- Holubarsch Christian J. F., Wilson S. Colucci, Jaan Eha. Benefit-Risk Assessment of Crataegus Extract WS 1442: An Evidence-Based Review. Am J Cardiovasc Drug. 2018; 18(1): 25–36.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Hawthorn.
- Pittler MH, Guo R, Ernst E. Hawthorn extract for treating chronic heart failure. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 23;(1):CD005312.
- Tadiæ VM, Dobriæ S, Markoviæ GM, et al. Anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective, free-radical-scavenging, and antimicrobial activities of hawthorn berries ethanol extract. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Sep 10;56(17):7700-9.
- Walker AF, Marakis G, Morris AP, Robinson PA. Promising hypotensive effect of hawthorn extract: a randomized double-blind pilot study of mild, essential hypertension. Phytother Res. 2002 16(1):48-54.
- Walker AF, Marakis G, Simpson E, Hope JL, Robinson PA, Hassanein M, Simpson HC. Hypotensive effects of hawthorn for patients with diabetes taking prescription drugs: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Gen Pract. 2006 56(527):437-43.
- Wang Song-zi, Wu Min, Chen Ke-ji, Liu Yue, Sun Jing, Sun Zhuo, Ma He, and Liu Long-tao. Hawthorn Extract Alleviates Atherosclerosis through Regulating Inflammation and Apoptosis-Related Factors: An Experimental Study. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine. December 2018.
- Xu H, Xu HE, Ryan D. A study of the comparative effects of hawthorn fruit compound and simvastatin on lowering blood lipid levels. Am J Chin Med. 2009;37(5):903-8.
- Zick SM, Vautawa BM, Gillespie B, Aaronson KD. Hawthorn Extract Randomized Blinded Chronic Heart Failure (HERB CHF) trial. Eur J Heart Fail. 2009 Oct;11(10):990-9.
Writer Bio
Carole Anne Tomlinson is a registered nurse with experience in rehabilitation, nutrition, chemical dependency, diabetes and health problems related to the elderly. Tomlinson holds a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice and is presently working on her master's degree in nursing. Her screenplays have been viewed by Merchant Ivory, Angela Lansbury and Steven King's associates.