Thread: Hawthorn berry

What is it supposed to do?

Lowers your blood pressure

I always wondered if making deep cuts in my wrists and let it run for a while would lower blood pressure.

Originally Posted by Hlanderr

Lowers your blood pressure

Not the best thing to do it... (it only has a mild effect on BP... although it is used to help improve blood flow and circulation, especially to the heart...)

Better things are fish oils, calcium, fibre (soluble especially), garlic etc etc...

I am unsure as to if you need to take it with food... but as it is usually taken as a tincture (drops) I would imagine you take it without food (these you usually take with water between/before meals..)..

Originally Posted by Vieope

I always wondered if making deep cuts in my wrists and let it run for a while would lower blood pressure.

If you try that tecnique, we will be lowering you into the ground shortly thereafter.

Originally Posted by Emma-Leigh

Not the best thing to do it... (it only has a mild effect on BP... although it is used to help improve blood flow and circulation, especially to the heart...)

Better things are fish oils, calcium, fibre (soluble especially), garlic etc etc...

I am unsure as to if you need to take it with food... but as it is usually taken as a tincture (drops) I would imagine you take it without food (these you usually take with water between/before meals..)..

Cool Emma..... thanks for the advice...
I'll continue to use it, with a glass of water, just because I bought it for 10 dollars at GNC (NOOOO! I know)... but I'll try to get some of that other stuff..

In every shake I have whole oats.... I take in about 100 grams of these oats a day. Is that good enough to cover the fiber part?

Originally Posted by Hlanderr

Cool Emma..... thanks for the advice...
I'll continue to use it, with a glass of water, just because I bought it for 10 dollars at GNC (NOOOO! I know)... but I'll try to get some of that other stuff..

LOL... Ahhh.... GNC... Say no more...

In every shake I have whole oats.... I take in about 100 grams of these oats a day. Is that good enough to cover the fiber part?

This depends on what else you have in your day... But 100g of oats is only about 9.5-10g of fibre and that is not going to cover it if it is the majority of your fibre intake.

Yeah aha I was holiday shopping with my friend and there was a GNC in the plaza.... so at least I didn't go out of my way to do it.... but still, I know aha


Yeah that is pretty much the majority of my fiber intake unfortunetly.... Im poppin pills left and right, so hopefully I can get more fiber from foods. I'm drawing a blank as to where I can find a great source for it though...

Or is fiber supplementation the best though pills/tablets?

Originally Posted by Hlanderr

Yeah that is pretty much the majority of my fiber intake unfortunetly....

Ummm... what about vegetables? Or things like legumes? Or fruit?..... Anything??


Because that is REALLY bad... You need about 4 x that much!

Im poppin pills left and right, so hopefully I can get more fiber from foods. I'm drawing a blank as to where I can find a great source for it though..

Food my boy... If you are eating a healthy, well balanced diet you can easily get 30-40g from food sources:

Legumes
• Lentils, cooked, 1 cup (200g) - 15.6g
• Kidney beans, cooked, 1 cup (180g) - 11.4g
• Chick-peas, cooked, 1 cup (165g) - 12.5g

Cereals/ grains/ starchy carbs
• Pearled barley, cooked, 1 cup (160g) - 6.0g
• Oat bran, raw, 1 cup (94g) - 14.5g
• Oatmeal/rolled oats, raw, 1 cup (80g) - 7.9g
• Rice, long-grained brown, cooked, 1 cup (200g) - 3.5g
• Sweet potato, 1 cup cubed (130g) - 4g

Vegetables
• Broccoli, 1 cup (80g) - 2g
• Cauliflower, 1 cup (100g) - 2.5g
• Spinach, frozen, cooked, 1 cup - 7.0g
• Celery, 2 medium stalks (100g) - 1.6g
• Green Beans, 1 cup (100g) -3.4g
• Brussels sprouts, 1 cup (140g) - 6.4g
• Mushrooms, fresh, 1 cup (120g) - 2.6g

Fruits
• Strawberries, fresh, 1 cup of halves (150g) - 3g
• Apple, 1 medium (140g) - 3.5g
• Banana, 1 small (100g) - 2.6g

Nuts, Seeds and fats
• Almonds, 1 ounce (23 kernels) - 3.3g
• Linseeds, 1 tbs (12g) - 3.3g
• Walnuts, 1 oz (14 halves) - 2g
• Peanuts, 1 ounce (33 kernels) - 2.4g
• Peanut butter, 1 tbs - 1.3g
• Avocado, 1 tbs mashed - 2g

Or is fiber supplementation the best though pills/tablets?

Pills and tablets are poor fibre supplements - you need to eat about a bazillion to get any decent level (1 cap is usually 1g...).

If you are going to supplement then get plain, unsweetened psyllium husks from your health food store (or supermarket) and use this. Stir it into your oatmeal in the morning, mix it through cottage cheese during the day or have 1 tbs mixed in a glass of water at night before you go to bed.

You can also add some unprocessed wheat-bran to your cottage cheese/oats or shakes to increase fibre if needed...

Just don't add these when you want your food to be digested quickly - or when you take tablets/supplements/medications - because they will slow digestion and can prevent the proper absorption of your sups.