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Hawthorn

Supplement botanical heart & metabolic
Aka: Crataegus, hawthorn berry, shan zha
Brands seen in Singapore: California Gold Nutrition, NOW Foods, Nature's Answer, Swanson Vitamins, Frontier Co-op
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Sold for heart and circulation · the evidence conflicts
Take with
Trials used it alongside standard heart medicines
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Cochrane 2008: 10 trials, 855 people pooled
  • Pooled gains in maximal workload and symptoms
  • Reported adverse events were infrequent and mild
Cons
  • Herb-chf RCT: no benefit added to standard care
  • NCCIH: nothing tested beyond 16 weeks
  • FDA: 'tejocote root' products contained oleander
Sources
  1. NIH NCCIH — Hawthorn, background and promoted uses · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Hawthorn was traditionally used for heart disease, digestion, blood circulation, and kidney and bladder problems … Today, hawthorn is promoted for the heart and blood vessels, weight loss, and for conditions like anxiety.”
  2. NIH NCCIH — Hawthorn, how much do we know / what have we learned · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “We have little or no quality evidence on hawthorn for most health conditions … There is conflicting evidence on the effects of hawthorn in people with heart failure … There isn't any evidence to suggest that hawthorn affects weight loss.”
  3. NIH NCCIH — Hawthorn, what do we know about safety · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “One study indicated that a specific preparation of hawthorn (C. oxycantha) may have caused early risk of heart failure progression in patients … No research studies have tested whether it is safe to use hawthorn for more than 16 weeks.”
  4. NIH NCCIH — Hawthorn, January 2024 FDA warning on 'tejocote root' products · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “the FDA published a list of products, including dietary supplements labeled “tejocote root” (C. mexicana), that actually contain yellow oleander, a toxic plant … The FDA warned that these products may cause severe harm or even be fatal.”
  5. Hawthorn extract for treating chronic heart failure (Pittler MH, Guo R, Ernst E; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008; PMID 18254076) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Ten trials including 855 patients … maximal workload … WMD (Watt) 5.35 … Symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue improved significantly … Reported adverse events were infrequent, mild, and transient”
  6. Hawthorn Extract Randomized Blinded Chronic Heart Failure (HERB CHF) trial (Zick SM, Vautaw BM, Gillespie B, Aaronson KD; Eur J Heart Fail 2009; PMID 19789403) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “120 ambulatory patients … randomized to either hawthorn 450 mg twice daily or placebo for 6 months … Hawthorn provides no symptomatic or functional benefit when given with standard medical therapy … significantly more adverse events”
  7. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines (Oct 2025), Annex A (118 rows, Abrus to Zinc) and Annex B (4 rows) — both searched, no row for this ingredient · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.”
  8. HSA Singapore — Health Supplements Guidelines (January 2026), clause 4.8 and Tables 4–5 (vitamins and minerals only) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “HS for use by the general adult population should not contain vitamins and minerals exceeding the stipulated limits stated in Tables 4 and 5.”
  9. iHerb Singapore — Supplements > Herbs > Hawthorn category page, default order (1 - 42 of 42 results); first 5 distinct brands: California Gold Nutrition, NOW Foods, Nature's Answer, Swanson Vitamins, Frontier Co-op · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “California Gold Nutrition, Magnesium & Hawthorn Extract Complex … NOW Foods, Hawthorn Berry … Nature's Answer, Hawthorn Berry, Fluid Extract … Swanson Vitamins, Hawthorn Berry, 565 mg … Frontier Co-op, Organic Hawthorn Berries”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.