Tincture
Hawthorn tincture
Hawthorn is the heart''s plant. Not poetically, but literally: it is one of the best-documented herbs we have for the heart and circulation, used for mild heart failure, palpitations and high blood pressure.
I make it twice a year. In spring with the flower heads, when the whole hedgerow stands white and smells heavy. In autumn with the deep red berries. Both work, and you can make them separately or blend them.
It must be **common hawthorn**, Crataegus monogyna. You know it because each berry has one stone, not two.
And it works slowly. Weeks to months, not days. It is a plant you walk beside, not one you reach for.
Ingredients
- Fresh hawthorn flowers with the top leaves, picked in May-June
- or ripe, deep red hawthorn berries, picked in September-October
- 50% vodka, enough to cover
Equipment
- Airtight jar with lid
- Cloth or coffee filter
- Dark dropper bottle
Method
- 1
In spring pick the flower heads with the top leaves, or in autumn the ripe, deep red berries. Be certain it is common hawthorn.
- 2
Fill a clean jar loosely with the flowers or berries. Do not press down.
- 3
Cover completely with 50% vodka, at least 2 cm above. Seal airtight.
- 4
Steep somewhere dark and cool for 8 weeks. Shake the jar when you pass it.
- 5
Strain out the flowers or berries through cloth or a coffee filter, so only the clear liquid remains.
- 6
Pour into a dark dropper bottle and write the date on it.
Dosage
20-30 drops in a little water, 1-2 times daily.
Hawthorn works gradually over weeks to months, not acutely. Give it at least six weeks before judging, and do not expect to feel it day to day.
Shelf life
2-3 years, dark and cool. The alcohol preserves it itself.
Safety
Hawthorn is a heart herb, not a household remedy. If you take heart medication, speak with your doctor before starting. It can amplify the effect of digoxin, beta blockers, blood pressure medication and nitroglycerin, and amplified heart medication is not a good surprise.
If you have high blood pressure or heart disease, it must be followed by a doctor. This tincture is a supplement, never a replacement, and you must not stop or change your medication on your own.
Not during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Be certain of the plant. Common hawthorn has one seed in each berry. Never forage anything you are unsure of, and do not forage at roadsides.
And most important: chest pain, pain radiating into the arm or jaw, breathlessness, an irregular pulse or fainting are emergency symptoms. Call the emergency number. That is not something a tincture should be allowed to wait for.
How the herbs work
Hawthorn contains flavonoids and oligomeric proanthocyanidins, which widen the coronary arteries so the heart gets more oxygen, while slightly strengthening the heart muscle''s contraction.
It is one of the few herbs where the effect has been studied in large clinical trials. It is used in several countries as a recognised treatment for mild heart failure, and it lowers blood pressure gently.
Flowers and berries contain the same compounds, the flowers in slightly higher concentration. That is why both versions work, and why they can be blended.
The effect builds over weeks to months. It is not a plant that does anything acutely, and that is also why it is safe over the long term, when your doctor is on board.
The content here is general knowledge and folk herbal lore, not medical treatment. In illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding or alongside medication: always talk to your doctor first.