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Haw6.5
Hawthorn Research
Probably helps
64 peer-reviewed studies
What the evidence says
Probably helps
Hawthorn helped in about half (4/6) of the studies that measured an effect — promising, but not unanimous.
Most evidence is from high-quality meta-analyses and randomised trials published 2001–2026 with a typical study size of 120 participants.
Based on 64 studies · 8 meta-analyses · 38 RCTs · 43,293 total participants
Confidence
High confidence
What the studies found
4helped2unclear· 58 more without graded effect data
By outcome
Heart & blood pressureImproved cardiac function and blood pressure support within 4-8 weeks · 4-8 weeks
Probably helps32 studies
Therapeutic & clinical
Mostly mechanism / observational9 studies
InflammationImproved heart function and exercise capacity · 6-12 weeks
Mostly mechanism / observational5 studies
Safety profile
Mostly mechanism / observational5 studies
Liver health
Mostly mechanism / observational3 studies
Cholesterol & lipidsImproved cardiac function and blood pressure support within 4-8 weeks · 4-8 weeks
Too few graded studies2 studies
Anxiety & stress
Too few graded studies2 studies
Skin health
Too few graded studies2 studies
Energy & fatigue
Too few graded studies2 studies
By the numbers
Pulled from 28 studies with measurable effects
Likely real effects
33%
across studies
People studied
43k
typical study: 120 people
Strongest designs
46
8 pooled, 38 randomised
Showed benefit
67%
4/6 studies
How long studies ran
1–4 weeks
2
Populations Studied
NAFLD patients3
Heart failure patients2
General population2
Stroke patients1
Active research area
25 studies in the last 5 years · Latest meta-analysis: 2022
200120132026
1Stroke rehabilitation efficacyMeta-AnalysisCited 37×n=6,339 · very large study2022
Our results indicate that the combined use of CM and WM could be more efficacious in stroke rehabilitation compared with the use of WM therapy alone.
Zhong LL et al. · Stroke and vascular neurology (2022)
Our results indicate that the combined use of CM and WM could be more efficacious in stroke rehabilitation compared with the use of WM therapy alone.
However, most studies were short in duration (2 to 4 weeks) and prone to different types of biases, which prevents making any conclusion regarding the long-term effects and raises concerns regarding true efficacy in context of high likelihood of Hawthorn bias.
So, more randomised controlled trials with more rigorous design and longer duration of treatment and follow-up need to be conducted to compare WM alone versus WM and CM combined.
2Blood lipid, glucose levels and liver function in NAFLDSystematic ReviewCited 9×n=829 · large study2023
In patients with NAFLD, dietary intervention using medicinal and food homologous substances can ameliorate blood lipid and blood glucose levels and liver enzymes to some extent.
Zhang Q et al. · Lipids in health and disease (2023)
In patients with NAFLD, dietary intervention using medicinal and food homologous substances can ameliorate blood lipid and blood glucose levels and liver enzymes to some extent.
3Maximal workload capacity in heart failureMeta-Analysisn=632 · large study2003
For the physiologic outcome of maximal workload, treatment with hawthorn extract was more beneficial than placebo (weighted mean difference, 7 Watt; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3 to 11 Watt; P < 0.01; n = 310 patients).
Pittler MH et al. · The American Journal of Medicine (2003)
Noticeable benefit
← WorseNo effectBetter →
Eight trials including 632 patients with chronic heart failure (NYHA classes I to III) provided data suitable for meta-analysis.
Maximal workload improved by a weighted mean difference of 7 Watt (95% CI 3 to 11) versus placebo.
Symptoms such as dyspnea and fatigue improved significantly with hawthorn treatment compared with placebo.
4NAFLD treatment efficacyMeta-AnalysisCited 67×n=25,661 · very large study2012
In conclusion, TCM is of modest benefit to the treatment of NAFLD.
Shi KQ et al. · Molecular biology reports (2012)
Comparing with western medicines mentioned above, TCM had a better effect on the normalization of alanine aminotransferase and disappearance of radiological steatosis in the treatment of NAFLD.
Furthermore, 246 kinds of Chinese herbs were included in our present study, with an average of 10 herbs (range 1-31) in each formulation.
Hawthorn Fruit (321 times in 17,670 patients) was the most often used herb in the treatment of NAFLD.
11Adverse eventsSystematic ReviewCited 48×n=7,311 · very large study2006
Moreover, the unsupervised use of this drug can be associated with problems, especially if given with concomitant medications.
Daniele C et al. · Drug safety (2006)
The extracts most used in the clinical trials were WS 1,442 (extract of hawthorn standardised to 18.75% oligomeric procyanidins) and LI 132 (extract of hawthorn standardised to 2.25% flavonoids).
In the identified trials, the most frequent adverse events were dizziness (n = 6), nausea (n = 5), fall (n = 2), gastrointestinal haemorrhage (n = 2), circulation failure (n = 2) and erythematous rash (n = 2).
This review summarizes the recently published research, preclinical data, brief phytochemistry, and pharmacology on 5 Maloideae genera to underscore their potential as adjunctive therapy against obesity and metabolic disorder and future research opportunities.
Traditional herbal medicines and functional foods have become the subject of global importance, with both medical and economic implications.
The apple subfamily Maloideae includes commercially and medicinally valuable fruits like apples, pears, loquat, quince, and hawthorn, and many other plants.
This subfamily has a distinctive fruit, the pome, with characteristic antioxidant content.
This short review focuses on six herbs that can constitute an interesting and potential therapeutic option in the management of cardiovascular disorders.
Witkowska A, Gryn-Rynko A, Syrkiewicz P, Kitala-Tańska K, Majewski MS. · Nutrients (2024)
Such herbal-originated medication therapy may include Morus alba L. (white mulberry), Elaeagnus rhamnoides (L.) A.
Nelson (sea-buckthorn), Allium sativum L. (garlic), Convallaria majalis L. (lily of the valley), Leonurus cardiaca L. (motherwort), and Crataegus spp. (hawthorn).
Valuable herbal raw materials include leaves, fruits, seeds, and even thorns.
The herbal supplement is safe and enhances mood, reduces subjective anxiety, and improves cognition under stress, though cognitive effects are variable without stress exposure.The study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT05757050).
Dodd F et al. · Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) (2025)
A higher proportion of subjects experienced ⩾30% gains in social satisfaction scores after 7 days.
The herbal supplement is safe and enhances mood, reduces subjective anxiety, and improves cognition under stress, though cognitive effects are variable without stress exposure.The study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT05757050).