What are the effects and effects of hawthorn?

Hawthorn has the following functions and effects:
First, promote digestion
Enhanced gastrointestinal peristalsis
Hawthorn is rich in dietary fiber, dietary fiber can promote intestinal peristalsis, help food move in the gastrointestinal tract, reduce the time food stays in the intestine, so as to prevent constipation. For example, for some people who are often sedentary and have slow gastrointestinal peristalsis, moderate consumption of hawthorn can improve the motor function of the intestine.
Help break down food
Hawthorn contains organic acids such as hawthorn acid and citric acid. These organic acids can increase the activity of pepsin, which can break down proteins in food into small molecules of peptides and amino acids, which is conducive to the digestion and absorption of proteins by the human body. At the same time, these organic acids can also stimulate the secretion of gastric juice, help digest other food components, such as fat and carbohydrates, so that food can be better broken down in the stomach, reducing the digestive burden of the gastrointestinal tract.
Second, regulate blood lipids
Lower cholesterol
Flavonoids in hawthorn, such as quercetin, have the effect of reducing cholesterol in the blood. Flavonoids inhibit key enzymes in the liver that synthesize cholesterol, reducing cholesterol production. At the same time, it can also promote the metabolism of cholesterol, making it easier to excrete. For example, for people with hyperlipidemia, moderate consumption of hawthorn can help lower cholesterol levels in the blood and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.
Lower triglycerides
The ingredients in hawthorn can regulate lipid metabolism. It can reduce the content of triglycerides in the blood, triglycerides are an important part of blood lipids, too much triglycerides will lead to increased blood viscosity, easy to form thrombosis. Hawthorn maintains the health of the cardiovascular system by improving lipid metabolism and keeping triglycerides within the normal range.
Third, cardiovascular system protection
vasodilate
The active ingredient in hawthorn dilates the coronary arteries. Coronary arteries are the vessels that supply blood to the heart, and when coronary arteries dilate, the blood supply to the heart increases, helping to improve blood circulation to the heart muscle and relieve symptoms of heart disease such as angina. At the same time, hawthorn can also expand peripheral blood vessels, reduce vascular resistance, reduce blood pressure, and have a certain auxiliary therapeutic effect on hypertensive patients.
antiarrhythmic
Hawthorn extract can ameliorate some arrhythmias to some extent. It regulates the electrical activity of heart muscle cells and stabilizes the rhythm of the heart. For example, in some experimental studies, hawthorn extract has been found to reduce the occurrence of arrhythmias such as ventricular premature beat, which is very important for maintaining the normal function of the heart.
4. Antioxidant effect
Scavenging free radicals
Hawthorn is rich in many antioxidant substances, such as vitamin C, flavonoids and so on. These antioxidants mop up free radicals in the body. Free radicals are atoms or molecules with unpaired electrons that attack various biomolecules within cells, such as DNA, proteins, and lipids, causing cell damage and aging. The antioxidant components in hawthorn can trap these free radicals and convert them into stable molecules, thus reducing the harm of free radicals to the human body.
anti-aging
Because hawthorn can remove free radicals, it can delay the aging process of cells to a certain extent. It can maintain the integrity and function of cells, so that the various organs and tissues of the body can work properly. For example, skin cells under the attack of free radicals will appear wrinkles, relaxation and other aging phenomena, hawthorn antioxidant effect helps to maintain the elasticity and luster of the skin, from the appearance can also play a certain anti-aging effect.