Supplement
Chinese hawthorn is the tart red fruit of a shrub long eaten and used in traditional Chinese medicine, and it contains flavonoids and procyanidins that act as antioxidants in the body. People look at it mainly for cardiovascular health, and in mouse and rat studies the extract consistently lowered total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides, so the evidence is limited. No controlled human trials were found, so it remains unclear whether the same effects would appear in people.
Sources: PMID 15896829; PMID 21823058
- Updated
- How we grade
- 11 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 4
- Outcomes
- 5
- Graded outcomes
- 0014
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
Atherosclerosis
- Atherosclerosis Progression: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atherosclerosis Progression Network pharmacology and animal pharmacology studies on the Danshen-Shanzha herb pair suggest protective effects against atherosclerosis. A 2026 study demonstrated synergistic promotion of fatty acid oxidation via PPARα, Plin-5, and Plin-2 activation in metabolic liver disease models. | Changes; see studies | Small effect | 3 studies | |||
Studies that measured atherosclerosis progression
| ||||||
Allergic Diseases (General)
- Allergic Inflammation: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allergic Inflammation Preclinical studies report that Chinese hawthorn extracts inhibit mast cell degranulation and histamine release, and reduce inflammatory cytokines via NF-κB inhibition. Evidence is limited to in vitro and animal models with no human trials. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 3 studies | |||
Studies that measured allergic inflammation | ||||||
General
- Digestive Function: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digestive Function Chinese hawthorn has centuries of traditional use in TCM for 'food stagnation' (indigestion, bloating after heavy meals). May enhance digestive enzyme activity. Modern clinical validation remains very limited despite widespread food-level consumption in East Asia. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 3 studies | |||
Studies that measured digestive function | ||||||
Key findings
- Blood Lipid LevelsImproves (the measure goes down)
- Antioxidant ActivityImproves (the measure goes up)
- Atherosclerosis ProgressionChanges; see studies
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Third-party tested Chinese Hawthorn products. The evidence above is limited, so read it before you buy.
- Grade C
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Studies cited
11 studies from PubMed
- The active components of the Danshen-Shanzha herb-pair exert a protective effect on MASLD by synergistically promoting fatty acid oxidation via the activation of PPARα, Plin-5 and Plin-2.
- Crataegus pinnatifida: A botanical, ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, and pharmacological overview.
- Rapid determination of chemical components and antioxidant activity of the fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge by NIRS and chemometrics.
- Effects and mechanisms of Danshen-Shanzha herb-pair for atherosclerosis treatment using network pharmacology and experimental pharmacology.
- Ethanol extract of Zhongtian hawthorn lowers serum cholesterol in mice by inhibiting transcription of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase via nuclear factor-kappa B signal pathway.
- Crataegus pinnatifida: Chemical constituents, pharmacology, and potential applications
- Antioxidant activity and components of a traditional Chinese medicine formula consisting of Crataegus pinnatifida and Salvia miltiorrhiza.
- Decrease of blood lipids induced by Shan-Zha (fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida) is mainly related to an increase of PPARα in liver of mice fed high-fat diet.
- Development of the origin and application of shanza in ancient and modern.
- Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activities of Crataegus pinnatifida
- Effect of Crataegus pinnatifida extract on blood lipids and antioxidant activity in hyperlipidemic rats