Conventional doctors rely on
diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors and other medications to treat heart
failure. However, all of these medications come with side effects.
The question is: Are there natural
therapies that can treat milder cases of congestive heart failure? The answer
is yes.
Hawthorn is a spiny, flowering plant
in the rose family. Its extract has been used by many different cultures for
more than 100 years as a tonic for the heart, including treating congestive
heart failure.
Hawthorn has many positive effects
for heart function, including helping ease:
• Angina
• Hypertension
• Hyperlipidemia
• Arrhythmia
• Mild to moderate congestive heart
failure
A 2008 study by the Cochrane
Database of Systematic Reviews looked at 14 trials and found that hawthorn had
positive physiological outcomes for patients with congestive heart failure.
Furthermore, exercise tolerance was
significantly increased and shortness of breath and fatigue improved with
hawthorn compared to placebo.
The Cochrane Review also found that
adverse effects with hawthorn were “infrequent, mild, and
transient.” The authors of the
report concluded, “. . . there is a significant benefit in symptom control and
physiological outcomes from hawthorn extract as an adjunctive treatment for
chronic heart failure.”
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