Products Featuring This Herb:

More Information:

Other Common Names
Hawthorn Fruit or Berry

Page Number In Radiant Health
205

Pharmaceutical Latin
Fructus Crataegi

Pinyin
Shan Zha

Treasures
None. Crataegus is not a tonic herb. It is a digestive.

Treasure Rating

Atmospheric Energy
Slightly warm

Taste
Sour, Sweet.

Organ Meridian Systems
Spleen, Stomach, Liver

Part Used and Form
The ripe fruit which has been sliced and sun dried.

Primary Functions
To improve digestion and remove food stagnation.

Qualities
Crataegus strengthens digestion. This very useful herb helps to remove stagnated food from the digestive tract and to restore normal functioning of the Spleen and Stomach in digesting, transporting and distributing nutrients. Crataegus a very commonly used herb, used to relieve indigestion which has resulted in abdominal distention, belching, acid regurgitation, stuffiness, anorexia, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and irregular bowel movements (diarrhea or constipation) due to food retention. In China, Crataegus is often consumed as the main ingredient in a tea, or combined on a couple of other digestive herbs, when one has consumed too much meat or greasy food. Crataegus is excellent at digesting these.

Crataegus has become an extremely popular herb in Europe because of its very beneficial influence on hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperlipemia (high blood fat) and high cholesterol. In China it is combined with Cassia tora seed to improve this function and consumed as a tea or in capsules. Crataegus can be used to treat symptoms of coronary heart disease, especially when combined with herbs that improve circulation, such as Salvia, Pseudoginseng, Ginkgo and Ligusticum.

Primary Combinations
Combine with:

1. Ginseng Root, Citrus Peel and Atractylodes to tonify the Spleen and remove stagnation in the Stomach

Varieties and Grading
Crataegus is best when it is freshly processed. If it appears old, overly dry and discolored, look for another supply. It should look like good dried fruit that you would eat. Both stir-baked Crataegus and unprocessed, sun dried Crataegus are available. The stir-baked variety is best for digestion, while the unprocessed (sun dried only) Crataegus is best for hypertension, high cholesterol, etc.