Dear friend, dear friend,
When I co-organized conferences on herbalism with different schools and herbal shops, the question of the legal framework often came up in the debates.
This is not very favorable to herbalists whose profession is not officially recognized.
Their activity is legal.
But it is often difficult to put in place as the legislation to be respected is restrictive and contradictory.
Herbalism occupies a vague space between the grocery store and the pharmacy.
Grocers, including supermarkets, can sell medicinal plants.
Pharmacists too.
The herbalist therefore also has this right and so do you.
But the only one who really knows what he’s selling is the herbalist. He has generally trained for this and he also benefits from the feedback of his customers on his products.
He is the most competent in the matter.
But his profession is not recognized and there is no official diploma in herbalism.
A thorny bush with white or pink flowers
I remember that during one of our sessions, the issue of hawthorn was raised.
This plant at the time was prohibited from stall.
One of the herbalists present had cursed.
“The only danger hawthorn poses is running into it with your car,” he said.
And indeed, hawthorn is a shrub that can grow up to 4 meters high. It forms a beautiful bush with gray branches saturated with short thorns(1).
The leaves are toothed, of a beautiful green which shines above. They are paler below.
If you have them in your garden, they should bloom within a few weeks.
The lovely month of May is the time when these beautiful white or pink flowers bloom.
The dietary supplement industry lends a helping hand to herbalists
Hawthorn legislation has changed a bit.
It is now available as a food supplement, that is to say in capsules.
And by extension, it has become available in bulk, even if you sometimes have to search a little.
This legislative development is not a concession made to herbalists, but to food supplement laboratories.(2).
The latter have much more influence on the European legislator who sets the standards in this area.
In any case, this means that in France today, it is possible for you to consume Hawthorn.
And that’s good news.
Because hawthorn has many therapeutic virtues.
Your herbalist also knows it as Crataegus laevigata but some also call it white thorn, noble thorn, or Maythorn.
Hawthorn nourishes the blood
The first thing your herbalist will tell you about hawthorn is that it’s great for your heart system.
Hawthorn acts on the myocardium, the muscle of the heart(1,3,4).
This is notably due to the fact that the active ingredients contained in hawthorn such as procyanidol and others are good for the blood(1).
Better nourished and energized, your blood would then have a protective role for the myocardium, the muscle of the heart.
Therefore, the hawthorn would have a Beneficial effect in people suffering from myocardial weakness related to infarction, heart attack, infection or muscle failure(1,3,4).
It is therefore probably useful in prevention for anyone who has taken risks with their heart health in recent months: excessive stress, administration of toxic substances, extreme or very intensive sport, exposure to a polluted atmosphere, etc.
Likewise, your hawthorn nourished blood would have a positive effect on your heartbeat.
This could limit your risk of palpitations and help you fight heart arrhythmia.
Hawthorn, moreover, thins the blood. This reduces the fat rate in the blood and can do lower high blood pressure.
Son high level of vitamin C, would give him, moreover, a good antioxidant capacity.
Reducing oxidative stress in the blood may also affect atherosclerotic plaque formation.
In summary, hawthorn strengthens the functioning of the cardiac system and limits the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A little peace in your life
Hawthorn is also known for its vappeasing the thorn(1,5,6).
She would be atantispasmodic and useful to fight against palpitations of nervous origin(1,5,6).
Your herbalist may recommend it to you in case of anxiety-related sleep disorders.
In this case, he may offer you a mixture containing passionflower, valerian and hawthorn.
The soothing effect can also play in people with hypertension.
Note, however, that herbal tea or supplementation with hawthorn will not replace psychotherapy if it is necessary.
But it can be useful to accompany it!
Finally, your herbalist may also recommend that you consume hawthorn to counter the unpleasant effects of menopause.
It would be particularly beneficial for regulating hot flashes.
What is the best dose?
Despite what my herbalist said during our congresses, hawthorn contains active principles and therefore involves slight risks.
For pregnant or breastfeeding women, it may be a good idea to seek advice from your doctor.
However, no major side effects have been reported to date for hawthorn.(5,6).
The bottom line is to follow the advice given to you by your herbalist or pharmacist as well as the dosages indicated on the boxes.
Your herbalist will likely advise you to take one tablespoon of dried flowers and leaves per cup of water.
You can have a cup in the morning and a cup in the evening until you feel better(1,5,6).
If you prefer capsules, you can take one in the morning and one in the evening.
And it is also possible to make hawthorn gargles!
Naturally yours,
Augustine of Livois