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Suffering from heart disease? Herbs to help support a healthy heart
Keeping your heart healthy can be challenging but it is important to take care of it. Heart disease, which has remained the leading cause of death at the global level for the last 20 years, is now killing more people than ever before, the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated in its recent report.
"Heart disease has remained the leading cause of death at the global level for the last 20 years. However, it is now killing more people than ever before," the organisation said in a statement.
Heart disease now represents 16 per cent of total deaths from all causes and the number of deaths from heart disease increased by more than two million since 2000 to nearly 9 million in 2019.
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The heart is an incredibly powerful, life-sustaining organ. The heart pumps over 1 million gallons of blood per year and for most of us beats 60 to 100 times each minute. The effects of the heart are far-reaching, as we have over 40,000 miles of blood vessels. The heart also has receptors sites for numerous hormones and neuropeptides, intimately linking our cardiovascular and nervous systems. The heart and circulatory system play a role in every physiologic function of the human body. All of this is happening in each of our bodies at this exact moment, without any conscious effort, action, or thought on our part. How amazing is that!
It is easy to take our hearts for granted. We go about our lives as it sustains our every move, unconsciously depending on it to keep us well. For many, the heart goes unacknowledged until we run into a problem.
Diet, movement, and lifestyle all play a critical role in keeping our hearts healthy and strong. They are also the first line of defense for reversing any pathology that has arisen. Herbal medicine can complement these approaches to nourish, protect, and strengthen the heart. Here are five herbs that can help you to keep your heart healthy and happy:
Cinnamon helps the heart in several ways. Studies over the years have found that a small daily dose of cinnamon decreased levels of total cholesterol, "bad" LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, a harmful type of blood fat. It also lowered blood sugar, protecting against diabetes, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
If you're committed to heart health, you can't go wrong with garlic. A culinary staple, garlic is also a great heart herb. It can help to support healthy blood pressure as well as lipid and cholesterol levels. Garlic is available as a supplement in capsule and tincture forms. You can also incorporate medicinal amounts of garlic through food, such as garlic powder, garlic-infused olive oil, or fresh cloves.
Eating this spicy root may reduce your risk for high blood pressure. Various studies have shown that people who ate more of it had the lowest risk.
This herb has cardioprotective effects, is a relaxant, and is antihypertensive. It can be used for those with nervous debility triggered by irritation and unrest, or as a gentle cardiotonic specifically for cardiac disorders with the nervous origin, including anxiety and palpitations.
Motherwort also is useful in strengthening the heart and can help decrease high blood pressure caused by stress.
Rose supports a healthy heart on both the physical and energetic levels. The fruit (rose hips) are antioxidant-rich, contain high amounts of vitamin C and help to strengthen the capillaries. The petals are quintessential energetic heart medicine uplifting, soothing, and connecting us to feelings of love. Both can be found as supplements, and rose petals can be found as rose water or rose essential oil.
In addition to using tasty herbs, try to prepare food in healthy ways. Instead of deep-frying chicken and fish, bake them in the oven, for instance. Use olive and canola oils for cooking. And give foods like tofu a try instead of eating meat every day. Also, do not forget to include a light workout in your daily routine. Together these measures will make eating heart-healthy a breeze!
IMPORTANT NOTE: As we always say - never make any changes to your diet or daily habits without consulting your doctor.