The white thorn ( Crataegus monogyna, Crattaegus legivaga or oxyacantha ) is a perennial plant of the Rosaceae family, it looks like a small thorny tree whose bark is light gray in young specimens while sorry in adult plants.
The flowering of the hawthorn occurs in spring and gives us flowers with white or pink petals, very fragrant.
The bright green leaves, the berries and even the flowers have cardiotonic, vasodilatory and sedative properties thanks to the presence of triterpenic acids, phenolcarboxylic acids and essential oils .
What is it useful for?
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Heart
Hawthorn is used for the well-being of the cardiovascular system , this is because it acts by dilating the blood vessels, decreasing the resistance of the vessels, consequently blood pressure is reduced . The high quantity of flavonoids, i.e. powerful antioxidants and "scavengers" of free radicals, are extremely useful in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and in fighting cholesterol.
Furthermore, hawthorn has a muscle-relaxing action by reducing cardiac contractions, therefore helping in case of arrhythmias and tachycardia. In fact , proanthocyanidols they have a dual function: they act on the contractile force of the heart; and on the other on alterations in cardiac function .
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Sleep and mood
This wonderful plant has anxiolytic and sedative properties which justify its use in cases of anxiety and stress, helps control the emotional component that can influence blood pressure.
It is also useful in cases of insomnia and in case of menstrual pain and abdominal spasms.
A bit of history
Considered a good omen by the Greeks, hawthorn was used to adorn altars during wedding ceremonies. In Greek it is called oxyacantha and derives from the Greek oxys which means " tip" and akantha which means " thorn" .
The Romans also called it white thorn, a flower dedicated to the Goddess Flora who reigned in the month of May, the month of purifications and chastity , symbolized precisely by the white of the flowers. For this reason weddings were avoided, and where they could not be postponed, five Hawthorn torches were lit in honor of the goddess, to appease her anger.