Hawthorn Berry
Research reviewed: Up until 03/2026
Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus monogyna / C. laevigata) is a dietary supplement with 8 published peer-reviewed studies involving 1,650 participants, researched for Heart Failure Support, Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Health and 1 more areas.
Evidence at a Glance
Strength is scored by study design, sample size, study type, and outcomes
Heart Failure Support
ModerateBlood Pressure
ModerateCardiovascular Health
WeakAnxiety
ModerateResearch Visualised
Visual breakdown of the clinical data.
Study Quality Breakdown
What types of studies were conducted
Participants Per Study
Larger samples = more reliable results
Research Timeline
When the studies were published
All Studies
Detailed breakdown of each trial. Click to expand.
Heart Failure Support
To evaluate hawthorn extract supplementation in patients with NYHA class II-III heart failure.
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate hawthorn extract supplementation in patients with NYHA class II-III heart failure.
Dose
600 mg/day hawthorn extract (WS 1442, 18.75% oligomeric procyanidins)
Participants
209 patients with heart failure (NYHA II-III)
Duration
16 weeks
Results
Hawthorn extract significantly improved maximal workload (+8 W) and reduced symptoms of fatigue and dyspnoea compared to placebo. Exercise tolerance improvements were clinically meaningful.
How They Measured It
Exercise tolerance (bicycle ergometry), fatigue, breathlessness, NYHA class
To evaluate hawthorn extract supplementation for chronic heart failure.
Study Type
Meta-analysis
Purpose
To evaluate hawthorn extract supplementation for chronic heart failure.
Dose
Various (160-1,800 mg/day hawthorn extract)
Participants
Pooled from 8 RCTs (855 patients)
Duration
Various
Results
Hawthorn extract significantly improved exercise tolerance (maximal workload +7.0 W), reduced dyspnoea and fatigue, and lowered resting heart rate. It is a well-evidenced adjunct therapy for heart failure.
How They Measured It
Pooled exercise tolerance, symptom scores, and ejection fraction across RCTs
To determine whether hawthorn extract prevents progression of early-stage heart failure.
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To determine whether hawthorn extract prevents progression of early-stage heart failure.
Dose
900 mg/day hawthorn extract (WS 1442)
Participants
1,442 patients with NYHA II heart failure (SPICE trial)
Duration
24 months
Results
Hawthorn did not significantly delay time to first event in the overall population but significantly improved outcomes in patients with LVEF ≥25%. Quality of life measures significantly improved. Well tolerated.
How They Measured It
Time to first event (hospitalisation or death), LVEF, quality of life
Blood Pressure
To evaluate hawthorn extract for blood pressure reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate hawthorn extract for blood pressure reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Dose
1,200 mg/day hawthorn extract
Participants
79 adults with type 2 diabetes
Duration
16 weeks
Results
Hawthorn significantly reduced resting diastolic blood pressure (-2.6 mmHg). A trend for systolic reduction was observed. Hawthorn appeared to act as a mild vasodilatory and mild diuretic agent.
How They Measured It
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (24-hour ambulatory monitoring)
To review evidence for hawthorn in hypertension management.
Study Type
Systematic review
Purpose
To review evidence for hawthorn in hypertension management.
Dose
Various
Participants
Multiple study populations
Duration
Various
Results
Hawthorn extract consistently reduces blood pressure in mildly hypertensive populations with effects in both systolic and diastolic pressure. The mechanism involves ACE inhibition and nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation.
How They Measured It
Review of RCTs on blood pressure outcomes
Cardiovascular Health
To investigate the cardioprotective mechanisms of hawthorn procyanidins.
Study Type
In-vitro study
Purpose
To investigate the cardioprotective mechanisms of hawthorn procyanidins.
Dose
Varying hawthorn extract concentrations
Participants
Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes
Duration
N/A
Results
Hawthorn procyanidins reduced cardiomyocyte death during ischaemia/reperfusion injury, increased NO production, and reduced oxidative stress. Multiple cardioprotective mechanisms were identified.
How They Measured It
Cardiomyocyte viability under ischaemia/reperfusion, ROS assays, NO production
To evaluate hawthorn extract on lipid profiles and atherosclerosis in a hypercholesterolaemic model.
Study Type
Animal study
Purpose
To evaluate hawthorn extract on lipid profiles and atherosclerosis in a hypercholesterolaemic model.
Dose
500 mg/kg/day hawthorn extract
Participants
High-fat diet fed rabbits
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Hawthorn extract significantly reduced total cholesterol, LDL, and aortic plaque area compared to high-fat control. Hepatic lipid accumulation was also reduced, supporting anti-atherosclerotic effects.
How They Measured It
Serum lipids, aortic plaque area, liver lipid accumulation
Anxiety
To evaluate hawthorn combined with magnesium and California poppy for anxiety and mild sleep disturbance.
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate hawthorn combined with magnesium and California poppy for anxiety and mild sleep disturbance.
Dose
Hawthorn 300 mg + magnesium 75 mg + California poppy 80 mg/day
Participants
264 adults with mild-to-moderate anxiety and sleep disturbances
Duration
3 months
Results
The combination significantly reduced anxiety scores on HAM-A compared to placebo. Sleep quality also improved significantly. Hawthorn's flavonoids may modulate GABA-A receptors, contributing to anxiolytic effects.
How They Measured It
Hamilton Anxiety Scale, sleep quality questionnaire
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hawthorn Berry research
There are currently 9 peer-reviewed studies on Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus monogyna / C. laevigata), involving 1,650 total participants. Research covers Heart failure support, Blood pressure, Cardiovascular health and 1 more areas. The overall evidence strength is rated as Strong.
The evidence is currently rated as "Strong Evidence". This rating is based on study design quality (randomisation, blinding, placebo controls), sample sizes, study types (4 human studies, 1 animal study), and reported outcomes.
Hawthorn Berry has been researched for: Heart failure support, Blood pressure, Cardiovascular health, Anxiety. Each area has its own body of evidence which you can explore in the study breakdowns above.
Yes, 4 out of 9 studies are human trials. The remaining 1 is an animal study. Human trials carry more weight in our evidence scoring system.
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