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Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Natural Remedies / Hawthorn Heart Syrup (hypertension natural remedy)

Hawthorn Heart Syrup (hypertension natural remedy)

by Sarah Pope / Affiliate Links ✔

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Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Hawthorn in Scientific Literature
  • Traditional Uses
  • Success Stories
  • Buy versus Make
  • Hawthorn Syrup+−
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions

A simple recipe for making hawthorn heart syrup from fresh or dried berries to improve symptoms of hypertension or to help wean off meds.

woman holding homemade hawthorn syrup in amber bottle

The article titled What to Do If Your Doctor Says You Have High Blood Pressure generated a number of relieved emails to my inbox from reader friends who had no idea that the definition of hypertension has been stealthily dropping for decades.

This slow and steady redefinition game was not in the best interests of patient health.

Rather, it was almost certainly intended to capture an increasing pool of potential customers into the web of blood pressure meds that continue indefinitely in most cases.

A similar game has been played by the Medical Industrial Complex via an ever-changing definition of what constitutes high cholesterol to cajole more and more patients into taking statin drugs….another lifelong sentence most of the time.

That said, there is a subset of patients on high blood pressure meds that legitimately have an issue with hypertension.

For those situations, it is best to exhaust all natural, nontoxic alternative options first.

Hawthorn in Scientific Literature

One of the most potent tools in the natural arsenal is the humble hawthorn berry, whose cardiovascular benefits are best harnessed through concocting a homemade syrup for daily use.

Studies on the cardiovascular benefits of hawthorn are many. A summary is included in the References section at the end of the article. (1-4)

In short, the bright red hawthorn berry (Crataegus spp.) is considered a “cardiotonic” herb.

As a bonus, it is quite tasty too!

Traditional Uses

Traditionally, Native American tribes used hawthorn to treat heart problems as well as consuming the fruit as food.

Hawthorn also has a long history of use in Europe and China for food and traditional medicine.

Success Stories

While it is best to use hawthorn to keep yourself off hypertensive meds, it is possible to use it as a remedy to slowly wean off them as well.

For example, Chef Dana Milford, author of the recipe below, helped her mother get off blood pressure meds using a daily combination of nettle infusions with added hawthorn syrup.

In addition, her husband has had great results lowering blood pressure using hawthorn syrup. He takes a couple of tablespoons daily.

Follow Chef Dana Milford to discover more of her recipes at her very informative website For His Temple.

Buy versus Make

Like other remedies such as immunity-boosting elderberry syrup, it is always better to make it yourself!

Not only will you save money, but you will also get a fresher and purer product that is subject to less processing in most cases.

That said, if you absolutely cannot find the wherewithal to DIY, this brand of hawthorn heart syrup is available.

Notice that the commercial heart syrup contains glycerin, but your homemade version is much more potent (not to mention tasty) using raw honey!

woman holding amber bottle of homemade hawthorn heart syrup
4.58 from 7 votes
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Hawthorn Syrup

A simple recipe for making hawthorn heart syrup from fresh or dried berries to improve symptoms of hypertension or to help wean off meds.

Cuisine American
Keyword home remedy, traditional
Calories 32 kcal
Author Chef Dana Milford

Ingredients

  • 2 cups brandy
  • 3 cups dried hawthorn berries or 4 cups fresh berries
  • 4 cups filtered water
  • 2 cups raw honey

Instructions

Brandy Tincture

  1. Pour brandy over berries in a quart jar to cover. Use a fermentation weight if necessary to ensure all berries are submerged. Screw on the lid tightly and shake the jar gently once per day.

  2. Check alcohol level after the first week and top off with brandy if needed to keep berries submerged. Continue shaking the jar once per day.

  3. After four weeks, strain the berries from the brandy. Set the brandy tincture aside for later.

Berry Decoction

  1. Pour filtered water over strained berries to cover in a medium pot. Simmer gently for one hour. Stir decoction occasionally.

  2. After one hour, strain out the berries. Squeeze berries in a fine cheesecloth or thin cotton dishtowel to remove all the juice. 

  3. Simmer decoction, if necessary, to reduce to 2 cups. Cool to body temperature (or at minimum, a temperature lower than 118 °F/ 47 °C.)

  4. Stir in 2 cups raw honey to decoction until fully dissolved. Warm at a very low temperature if necessary to accomplish this (less than 118 °F/ 47 °C). It is very important to keep the heat very low to preserve the beneficial raw properties of the honey.

Syrup

  1. Blend 1/4 cup of the brandy tincture for every one cup of the decoction.

  2. Decant syrup into clean, dark bottles. Label and date.

  3. Tip: Use extra brandy tincture for the next batch of syrup or use straight.

Nutrition Facts
Hawthorn Syrup
Amount Per Serving (1 Tbsp)
Calories 32
% Daily Value*
Carbohydrates 8g3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
amber bottle of DIY hawthorn syrup

References

(1) Hawthorn: pharmacology and therapeutic uses

(2) Phytochemical and Pharmacological Activity Profile of Crataegus oxyacantha L. (Hawthorn) – A Cardiotonic Herb

(3) Fruits for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

(4) The effects of Crataegus pinnatifida (Chinese hawthorn) on metabolic syndrome: A review

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Category: DIY, Natural Remedies
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: Amazon #1 bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

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Reader Interactions

Comments (9)

  1. Annette Yates

    Mar 2, 2025 at 6:30 am

    5 stars
    Sarah. I noticed you sent another aid to someone and I could use it too. I’ve been usinghawthorne syrup for a month and just can’t get my diastolic to reduce. I also have very dry and cracked heals and bottoms of feet…. connection? Would appreciate any ideas! Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope

      Mar 2, 2025 at 10:14 am

      The suggestion given to the other commenter was via the Purple chatbox (lower righthand corner of the screen). This information was not something for public consumption or anything I wanted shared on social media, which is why I posted it there and not in the comments. The purple chatbox is for more in-depth content and Q/A. You can sign up here if this is something you would like to do. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/healthy-home-plus/#sign-up

  2. po

    Jul 16, 2024 at 1:47 am

    5 stars
    Hi Sarah
    Is their a formula/recipe you know off that doesn’t use alcohol?

    Reply
  3. Suzi

    Nov 20, 2023 at 2:30 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe, just got everything and going to start this process today. I have a few questions. When all done, does this need to be stored in fridge? Also, how long is it good for? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope

      Nov 20, 2023 at 3:20 pm

      You do not need to refrigerate. I typically allow for a one year shelf life, though it likely lasts far longer.

  4. Becky Pine

    Apr 26, 2023 at 11:03 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Sarah – Sorry for all the messages today! I’m catching up on old emails. Anyways, I have tried hawthorn tincture with no luck. Is the syrup more potent? Or is tincture good, too, I just need to take it more often? I was taking it twice a day, about a dropper full. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope

      Apr 27, 2023 at 8:42 am

      Yes, the syrup is more potent. That said, it is not going to work 100% for everyone by itself as the only remedy. In some cases (as with the recipe author’s mother who combined it with nettle tincture), it may need to be combined with additional therapies for max benefits.

      Did you see any improvement at all?

    • Becky Pine

      Apr 28, 2023 at 5:31 pm

      5 stars
      No, not really. I’m not actually sure if anything herbal will work. I have a herniated disc and I was reading how that can affect your BP. Mine is not really very high, even by previous standards. I might not see any improvement until my back is fixed. I will try the syrup, though, anyways. Nettles, unfortunately, give me hot flashes. Thanks!

    • Sarah Pope

      Apr 29, 2023 at 8:50 am

      Hi Becky …. please reach out in the purple chatbox … I have another idea for you but can’t post it here.

4.58 from 7 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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