Improving our diets and moving our bodies more will improve our cardiovascular health – this we know. We also know that herbs can help, and frequently see advertising for the latest exotic herb imported from somewhere in the world that’s going to help us. But what about those herbs and spices that we already see almost every day, that are part of many people’s diet; or that grow here in North America, perhaps right in your own garden?
Many people already cook with ginger, which is a wonderful healthy addition to the diet, but as a medicine has many benefits for increasing your cardiovascular health. It decreases cholesterol both in the blood and in the liver. [1] It improves circulation, and is a wonderful anti-inflammatory. It can even mitigate the effect of fats in the diet, including significantly reducing platelet aggregation. [2] Ginger aids digestion, improving absorption of the building blocks that your body needs for energy and repair. Aside from the usual uses in food, fresh ginger can be chopped and used to make a tasty tea.
Garlic is another useful culinary ingredient. Many people use it to help lower their cholesterol and their blood pressure, relaxing the vascular smooth muscle tissue. It also acts to promote formation of new blood vessels, is an anti-inflammatory, and an anti-oxidant. [3]
Dandelions are nothing more than a weed for many people, but as a medicine (and in the diet) it is incredibly useful. The leaves of this common herb are diuretic, extracts of which are comparable in effect to furosemide (Lasix), yet because they are so rich in potassium they don’t deplete the body the way conventional diuretics do. The roots are less diuretic than the leaves, but they are great for the liver, increasing the flow of bile, which again can benefit cholesterol levels. Dandelions are also rich sources of vitamins and minerals including beta carotene, provitamin A carotenoids, chlorophyll, vitamin C, vitamin D, a complex of B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc. [4]
Hawthorn (Crataegus oxycantha), which can be grown in parts of North America, and some varieties even grow wild, is an incredibly useful herbal medicine. Hawthorn has significant antioxidant activity, being rich in flavonoids and in particular OPCs (oligomeric proanthocyanidins), with the leaves and flowers being the most active. It stabilizes collagen, which may explain its ability to aid in reducing blood pressure, improving circulation, and improving heart rate. Hawthorn even reduces the accumulation of cholesterol in the liver. [5]
Green tea has been increasing in popularity for its medicinal benefits, and for good reason. It helps with cardiovascular health, preventing myocardial infarction, lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, and protecting against coronary artery disease. High doses are needed, and therefore these beneficial effects require five or more cups of green tea per day. [6]
These herbs and spices are often so familiar to us that we overlook them, reaching instead for more expensive and less common imports, but they should be remembered. They have so much to offer in protecting and improving our health.
-- Elizabeth Walker CHT, RH
As the Clinical Herbal Therapist at Amber Leaf Wellness, Elizabeth helps people who are frustrated and disillusioned by their conventional health care, and are seeking fewer side effects, fewer drugs, and want natural and effective options that work even in chronic health conditions. To learn more about making Amber Leaf Wellness part of your health care team go to www.amberleafwellness.ca
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[1] J. Nutr. 130: 1124-1131, 2000
[2] Professional Review No 53 Aug 1996.
[3] E-Monitor No. 21 May 2008
[4] Alt Med Rev Vol 4, No. 2, 1999; pg 112-114
[5] Alt Med Rev. Vol 3, No. 2, 1998. Pg 138-139
[6] A Phytotherapist’s Perspective. No. 88, Nov 2005
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