Protoflow Hawthorn: 250 mg and What Research Covers

A thorny shrub of the rose family whose berries, leaves and flowers are used in traditional European medicine and in supplements.

The plant's red berries are the image on the brand pack. Extracts of leaf and flower are the forms most often tested, and they are standardized to flavonoids or procyanidins. The label gives no part and no standardization, so we cannot tell what kind of hawthorn the capsule holds.

NCCIH says hawthorn may help with mild heart failure symptoms, and the research on other uses is limited.

The studies are about the heart and blood pressure, not urinary flow (NCCIH, Hawthorn). We found no trial showing that hawthorn helps the prostate or night-time urination. So in a prostate blend its role is a tradition of circulatory support, and not a tested prostate effect.

Dizziness, nausea, stomach upset, headache and a rapid heartbeat have been reported, mostly mild.

NCCIH notes that hawthorn appears safe for short-term use in studies (NCCIH, Hawthorn). Because it can lower blood pressure, men who already take blood pressure medicine may find the effect adds up. Stop the capsules and call a doctor if you feel faint, have chest pain or notice an irregular heartbeat.

Ask your cardiologist first, because hawthorn acts on the heart and Protoflow has other ingredients that affect circulation.

Ginkgo, cayenne and niacin all affect blood vessels in some way. A man with a heart condition should not treat a prostate supplement as harmless. Bring the bottle to the appointment and ask about the whole combination, not just one herb.

It is the biggest herb in the blend and a heart herb with no prostate trials.

If you take heart or blood pressure medicine, ask first. Otherwise, treat it as one more uncertain line among twelve.