Your brain functions best when the body carrying it around is healthy. Hawthorn berries have been scientifically proven to lower high blood pressure, a prime risk factor for heart disease. It’s also an excellent antioxidant that eliminates free radicals, the dangerous agents that roam the body and can cause damage to blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis. Hawthorn also contains rutin, a substance that reduces the formation of plaque, a buildup of which can block blood flow and possibly lead to stroke or a heart attack. One study showed that hawthorn may provide protection for nerve cells and may reduce inflammation of brain neurons. A very preliminary finding showed hawthorn as effective in helping prevent injury from stroke. This means hawthorn shows promise in treating, if not preventing, stroke.