Hawthorn (山楂) is commonly seen in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) retail shops but do you know its benefits? Read on to find out how you can use it to good advantage in times of need!
Hawthorn’s thermal nature is slightly warm. Hence, it is best to avoid eating it when you’re having a sore throat.
There are three main properties of hawthorn:
First, it helps to ease digestion due to overeating. A person who feels overly full after a heavy meal will find hawthorn helpful. Just add 10g of dried hawthorn into a cup of boiling water, allow it to cool down slightly then drink it to help with digestion.
The second property of hawthorn is that it helps to promote blood flow and disperse blood clots within the body. Thus, it is very beneficial for people with blood stasis body constitution.
Thirdly, hawthorn helps to lower blood cholesterol, which makes it suitable for people who have high blood cholesterol.
The recommended daily dosage for hawthorn is 9 grams to 12 grams (dried form).
The easiest way to enjoy hawthorn’s benefits is to make hawthorn tea. You just need to wash and rinse about 10g of dried hawthorn and add boiling water to it. You can drink it as often as you want and refill it with water throughout the day.
Just a note of caution that people with weak spleen and stomach should avoid consuming hawthorn. Pregnant women must avoid consuming hawthorn as well.
Nowadays, you can easily purchase dried hawthorn in most TCM retail shops or online at Amazon here.