Best Heart Herbs

While a lot of people don’t know this, Cayenne pepper is actually one of the most beneficial herbs that exist.  This heart health herb is great for anyone who has issues with either heart disease or their cardiovascular system.  Anyone who wants to see a dramatic improvement upon their heart health should really be taking this heart natural remedy.  The reason why you probably haven’t heard about this is that pharmaceutical companies have spent billions of dollars on heart disease care, research and learning how to fight cancer.  In fact, Cayenne could eliminate the need for the number-one-selling medication in the United States today: Lipitor.  For this reason, pharmaceutical companies don’t want you to know about herbs for heart health.

The National Heart Foundation has records showing that 479,000 men and women in the United States die of coronary heart disease each year.  This is because Western medicine has derided heart homeopathic interventions for this disease.  It would be best for both Western medicine and homeopathic medicine to join together in their use of herbs for heart disease.

What Cayenne Is

Most people recognize Cayenne as a potent condiment that is used in cooking.  However, this is also one of the many heart disease herbs that exist today.  This is true of both the American variety (Capsicum Minimum) and the African Birdseye Cayenne (Capsicum Fastigiatum).  While the American variety has large fruit or pods growing on herb-sized plants, the African Birdseye Cayenne is more pungent and has small, yellowish red pods.

The real value of Cayenne is as a heart health herb that can be used for treating heart attacks, heart disease, high and low blood pressure, as well as a number of other heart problems too.  Furthermore, this heart herb is a stimulant, meaning that it activates, accentuates and carries other herbs too.

Cayenne Pepper’s Health Benefits

Cayenne Pepper has an immediate effect on your circulatory system.  It helps to feed vital elements into your cell structure (arteries, capillaries and veins) so that your blood pressure will be adjusted to a normal level.  At the same time, it also helps to clean your arteries too.

The Effects of Taking Cayenne Pepper

Dr. John Christopher is a famous natural herbalist who discovered that he was able to instantly stop a heart attack by getting the patient to drink a glass of warm cayenne water.  When many people began to realize that this heart cure actually worked, they began referring to Cayenne as a “miracle herb.”  Taking a tablespoon of Cayenne in a glass of warm water on a regular basis can dramatically improve upon the health of your heart and veins.  This natural Heart Cure should be seen as great news for more than 700,000 Americans who experience a stroke every year as well as the countless others who are suffering from heart disease.  After all, this cure is as close as your local grocery store.

Side Effects of Cayenne Pepper

As with any other medication or herb for the heart, Cayenne pepper does have some side effects that are important to know about.  To begin with, whenever you first start to drink this Cayenne pepper drink you will feel a burning sensation throughout your body.  While this may not sound all that pleasant, you must remember that this drink is very beneficial to you.  Not only will it help you with your heart health, but it can also clear up hemorrhoids as well.  However, if you would like to lessen the heat that you will feel whenever taking this heart extract, then you should start off by only taking a half of a teaspoon of Cayenne in lukewarm water.  You can also start off with even less of this heart alternative if you would like to do so.  Regardless of how you choose to get started, make sure that you have a glass of cold water nearby to drink after the Cayenne drink as drinking the cold water will lessen the heat you feel.  Of course, this herb for the heart is also available as a capsule.

Some people also suggest combining lemon with this Cayenne drink as it will help with fast metabolism.  They also believe that it will help you to burn fat at the same time.  While the fat burning factor is debatable, the lemon does make the Cayenne a bit more palatable.  Nevertheless, regardless of how you drink this concoction, make sure that you do this on a daily basis so that the benefits are noticeable and your body will be able to acclimate to this drink quickly.  In a few months you will find yourself being able to drink this without much discomfort at all.

It is also possible to go on a Cayenne fruit diet.  However, drinking this concoction is not only easy but also quite convenient.

Outside of the heat, there haven’t been any significant side effects reported by those who are using this heart herb.  Of course, you don’t want to overdo it because like anything else, this simply is unhealthy for you to do.  Otherwise there are no other health side effects but you will still want to use your own discretion and wisdom while using this heart herbal.

Conclusion

Cayenne is a great condiment that a lot of chefs are using today but its true benefits lie in its medicinal properties.  Slowly but surely the general public is becoming more and more aware of these benefits.  This is because many people are becoming quite disheartened by Western medicine.  So, anyone who is concerned with their heart health or who is already suffering from heart problems really should add Cayenne to their diet on a daily basis.  This herb for the heart can greatly improve upon your heart health.  After all, Cayenne really is one of the best herbs in the world.

Bilberry is the name that has been given to several different species of shrubs that grow low to the ground and bears fruit.  The most commonly known fruit that comes from the Bilberry plant is the European blueberry.  In 19th century Southern England these were called “black hearts” in Thomas Hardy’s novel, “The Return of the Native.”

The Bilberry is closely related to the North American blueberry and huckleberry both of which grow on bushes in colder areas of the world.  However, the Bilberry is different from the blueberry in that the Bilberry is reddish purple and it will stain your fingers if it is eaten raw.

Bilberry Herbs for the Heart

Angina is a type of heart disease that will cause you to feel moderate to severe chest pain.  Depending upon which type of angina a person has, this condition will develop either when they are at rest (unstable angina) or after physical exertion (stable angina).    Bilberry heart extract has been shown to improve this condition because this heart herb can open up the coronary arteries and thus improve the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart.  This herb for the heart will also help to decrease cholesterol.  As such, this is one of the most powerful herbs for the heart.

Why Bilberry Works

The reason that this heart alternative works so well is that it is rich in anthocyanins.  Actually, any berries that have a deep red or purple color are rich in anthocyanins.  This is what gives them their color and the deeper this color is, the higher the amount of anthocyanins that berry has in it.

Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants that have been shown to lower the risk of diseases to both the heart and the cardiovascular systems as well as lower the risk of eye disease and cancer too.  Scientists are still studying this antioxidant and its potential curative properties when it comes to humans.

Antioxidants in Bilberry

Bilberries contain a high amount of antioxidants.  This is why they are a good heart herbal supplement to take.  They will help protect you against getting heart disease and keep your cholesterol in check.

How to Use Bilberry

Bilberries can be eaten fresh off of the bush.  They can also be cooked in pies, preserved as jellies or their leaves can be dried to make tea.  Bilberry herbs extract contain the most anthocyanidins, which is why it is the strongest and most potent form of Bilberry.  In this form these Heart Herbs actually contain between 25% and 36% anthocyanidins but usually they are standardized to contain 25%.  It is recommended that adults take 480mg of this heart extract two or three times a day.

Those who like Bilberry tea can go ahead and drink it but they will also want to make sure to take a supplement with it in.  Taking a supplement that only contains Bilberry isn’t nearly as beneficial as multi-nutritional supplements that contain Bilberry.

Side Effects and Warnings

While people have been using heart disease herbs for quite some time now, it is still important to have the supervision of a knowledgeable practitioner guide you whenever you are using herbs for heart.  This is because heart health herbs can contain substances that will either trigger side effects or interact with other things that you may be taking for your health.  Even though there are no known side effects for Bilberry leaves, these precautions should still be taken.  It is also important to note that you should never take large quantities of Bilberry leaves over a long period of time because they may be toxic in such cases.

Bilberry is considered safe and there are no known side effects, it is just like any of the other Heart Supplements that you may take in that there is the potential for side effects and interactions.  However, you don’t want to take a large amount of Bilberry leaves for a long period of time since they may become toxic.  Otherwise there haven’t been any reports of Bilberries having negative interactions with any medications.  In fact, studies have even show that it is safe for pregnant and lactating women to eat Bilberries.  Of course, if you know that you are allergic to Bilberries or blueberries you will want to avoid eating them.

http://www.encognitive.com
By Michael Wooldridge, MAWooldridge@lbl.gov

One of the great scientific mavericks of this century spoke at LBL August 10, 1993 at a special seminar hosted by the Life Sciences Division’s Lipoprotein and Atherosclerosis Group. Linus Pauling, two-time Nobel laureate and the world’s foremost vitamin C proponent, entertained an overflow crowd in the Bldg. 66 auditorium with a talk on Vitamin C and Heart Disease.

The lively 92-year-old first gave a candid history of how he came to take up the vitamin C cause. He was introduced to the subject by biochemist Irwin Stone in 1966. Five years later, he would pen “Vitamin C and the Common Cold,” and then boldly go on to champion vitamin C as a fighter of more serious diseases such as cancer.

According to Pauling, the vitamin’s versatility in illness prevention arises from its role in the manufacture of collagen, the protein that gives shape to connective tissues and strength to skin and blood vessels.

One of the great misfortunes of human evolution, Pauling explained, was when our human ancestors lost their ability to manufacture vitamin C. Pauling thinks the trait was probably discarded at a time when our ancestors had a diet of vitamin-rich plants and didn’t need to produce the vitamin themselves. This left today’s primates (including humans) as one of the few groups of animals that must get the vitamin through the diet.

Ever since proto-humans moved out of fruit-and-vegetable-rich habitats, Pauling said, they have suffered great deficiencies of vitamin C. Pauling has forthrightly recommended that people make up for this deficiency with daily doses of vitamin C much greater than the 60 mg generally recommended.

He said our vitamin C consumption should be on par with what other animals produce by themselves, typically 10-12 grams a day. Pauling practices what he preaches, having gradually upped his daily doses of vitamin C from 3 grams in the 1960s to a hefty 18 grams today.

Pauling went on to discuss vitamin C’s connection with lipoprotein-a, a substance whose levels in the blood have been linked to cardiovascular disease. Lipoprotein-a is also a major component of the plaques found in the blood vessels of atherosclerosis patients.

Pauling has published studies asserting that lipoprotein-a is a surrogate for vitamin C, serving to strengthen blood vessel walls in the absence of adequate amounts of the vitamin in the diet. In the lecture, Pauling noted that animals which, unlike humans, manufacture their vitamin C and have much higher levels of the vitamin in their bodies, have very little lipoprotein-a in their blood.

Pauling is convinced that doses of vitamin C can help prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease, inhibiting the formation of disease-promoting lesions on blood vessel walls and perhaps decreasing the production of lipoprotein-a in the blood. Vitamin C’s link to healthy blood vessels, Pauling said, is further supported by studies of scurvy, the disease caused by vitamin C deficiency. Fifty percent of patients who die of scurvy, he said, do so because of ruptured blood vessels.

Pauling won his first Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954 for using quantum mechanics to elucidate the nature of chemical bonds. He garnered a Nobel Peace Prize in 1962 for his efforts to stem nuclear weapons proliferation.

The scientist founded the Linus Pauling Institute in Palo Alto, where research on vitamin C and other nutrients continues today.

http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/pauling-and-vitamin-c.html

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http://www.encognitive.com
Natural Medicine Leads to Real Cures
In contrast, the philosophy of natural medicine holds that a weakened immune system (and/or along with other weakened bodily systems) is the reason foreign invaders can thrive, producing symptoms and diseases.

Most of us are taught that we need to go to medical doctors when we get sick. What we aren’t taught is that the real doctor is already within us as the innate wisdom of the body. This is the difference between conventional allopathic systems and natural holistic medicine systems. The philosophy of natural medicine is that, given the right conditions, the body will heal itself. Whereas the allopathic model tries to control defective body systems through drug intervention, or kill foreign invaders with antibiotics, natural medicine rarely includes toxic agents. Instead, herbs, homeopathic remedies and other non-invasive therapies are used. These techniques harmoniously help facilitate the repair and strengthening of bodily systems (especially the immune system, which can then properly fight foreign invaders), or help to destroy offending pathogens without toxic side effects. The goal of natural medicine is to figure out why systems have weakened and then repair them, which results in healing.

Allopathic Medicine—Symptom/Disease Management
The allopathic medical philosophy taught at most medical schools, and practiced by the majority of medical doctors, relies on the concept of identifying diseases or symptoms, and then prescribing drugs to manage or combat those conditions. It is a system that considers the disease or symptom to be the actual problem, as opposed to addressing the underlying causes that produced the disease or symptom in the first place. A wide variety of tests, procedures and equipment specially designed to identify diseases and symptoms have been developed, which on one level is great, because these tests could be used to help figure out underlying causes. Yet, on another level they are very limiting, since they are rarely used for such purposes. Typically, once a diagnosis is determined, the tests are plunked into the patient’s file as conclusive evidence of his or her condition.

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In the effort to lower our risk for heart disease, herbs and supplements may be very helpful. Mary Bolster, Editor-in-Chief of Natural Health Magazine, has specific suggestions, beginning with: check with your doctor first.

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Hawthorn herbs come from the Hawthorne Berry, which is a small red berry that looks like a miniature apple as it too grows on a tree.  This thorny tree grows 30 feet tall and has beautiful pink or white flowers during the spring.  The tree is known by several names, including the how, may bush or mayflower tree.

Legends, historical evidence and science have all had things to say about Hawthorne Berry.  Christians say that it was used to make the “Crown of Thorns” that Christ wore.  While Hawthorne Berry originally only grew in Asia, Europe, Northern Africa and much of the Mediterranean region, today it can be found throughout the world.  It is believed to have miraculous healing properties.

The Hawthorne Berry

There is a good reason why Hawthorne Berries are used as heart disease herbs.  Not only can they help to regulate your blood pressure but they can also break down cholesterol and fat, both of which contribute to heart disease.  They also help dilate coronary blood vessels so that your body is able to utilize oxygen, blood and nutrients more efficiently throughout your entire body.

Bioflavonoids

Hawthorne Berry is loaded with bioflavanoids, which are potent antioxidants.  In fact, there are a lot of people who believe that they are actually a lot more potent than Vitamins A, C or E.  It is these bioflavanoids that help your heart muscle be able to pump blood more efficiently.  Whenever you have healthy arteries you will also have more endurance, good blood pressure and healthy blood vessels.  This is the reason why this natural heart medicine is actually best used as a preventative medicine but it can also be used to treat heart disease too.

Hawthorne for Congestive Heart Failure

More than any other heart condition, congestive heart failure has been studied in regard to this herbs extract.  For this condition it is recommended that you take between 160 and 900mg of the liquid extract daily or between 120 and 240mg in tablet form three times each day.  It may take up to six weeks for you to notice the effects taking place.

Hawthorne for Your Vascular System

The vascular system is also important whenever it comes to supporting your heart.  It has been shown that Hawthorne Berry will reduce calcification of your vascular system.  As such, this heart extract will stop the arteries that lead to your heart from hardening or narrowing.  You also won’t develop any blot clots, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks.

Hawthorne Supplements

Hawthorne Berry tea is often used for natural heart health even today.  It can be made from the berries, the berry leaves or even the flowers of this herb.  This tea is packaged and sold at most health food stores throughout the world.  You can also get this alternative medicine for the heart in capsules or as a tincture.  However, most of the herbalists who recommend this natural heart treatment actually prefer using the tea.

Research on the Hawthorne Berry

Ever since the early 1900’s, and even continuing today, there have been clinical trials and research done in regard to the medicinal value of Hawthorne Berry extract.  Unfortunately, science has only partially evaluated the benefits of this herb on human health though.  Nevertheless, it is still believed that the antioxidants, flavanoids and other compounds that are found in the Hawthorne Berry give this herb its beneficial effects.  For this reason, it is sometimes added to heart herbal remedies in order to help reduce a person’s blood pressure and correct any potentially unhealthy cholesterol levels.

Recently most of the studies about Hawthorne Berry extract are concerned with the medicinal value of this extract in regard to its affect upon a person’s liver, digestive system and cardiovascular system.  Many of these studies are also looking at Hawthorne Berry as an anti-inflammatory agent.  The many studies that have been completed thus far have not looked at the use of Hawthorne Berry tea so much as they have looked at the usage of the concentrated extract itself.

While there are some health care professionals who have recognized the medicinal value of Hawthorne Berry extract for more than 100 years now, research on this extract is still considered to be only preliminary. This is because the majority of this type of research is funded by pharmaceutical companies and they are unable to patent a naturally occurring substance.  For this reason, any of the natural remedies that contain Hawthorne Berry or other such herbs are of little interest to them.

Conclusion

Hawthorne berries are thought to be one of the safest herbal Heart Supplements on the market today.  As with any other medication, Hawthorne berries do have some side effects that occur on rare occasions.  These include headaches, nausea and rapid heartbeat.  It is also important to understand that there are a few possible drug interactions too.  Therefore, if you are taking any prescription medications, you should contact your doctor before taking this heart supplement.  Nevertheless, Hawthorne berries are considered to be safe for long-term usage.

There have been numerous scientific studies done that have shown that garlic is an effective heart disease herb.  These studies have also shown that those cultures wherein people eat a lot of garlic, there are a lot less heart attacks.

Garlic’s Critical Compounds

Sulfur substances are the key to the majority of garlic’s benefits.  These substances include S-allyl cysteine, which is water-soluble, stable and bioavailable.  Small amounts of it can be found in garlic but even larger amounts of it can be found in aged garlic.  In fact, the majority of the studies that have been done have actually looked at the medicinal benefits of this aged heart extract because it is stable, has a wide range of health effects and an abundance of antioxidants.

Garlic as a Heart Disease Herb

Garlic is able to help people who have high cholesterol levels lower their LDL cholesterol (lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol) and increase their HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as “good” cholesterol).  This is because of the phytochemicals that are found in garlic, which work in the same way that cholesterol-lowering medications work.  However, unlike these medications, this heart herb doesn’t have any significant side effects.  Therefore this heart alternative is much safer to use.

Studies have shown that this heart extract can actually lower your cholesterol by around 10%.  However, you would have to eat around 24 cloves of garlic each day in order to achieve this desirable effect.  This shouldn’t discourage you from eating garlic though since it has a lot of additional benefits.  For instance this heart herb can improve your HDL to LDL ratio which is an important factor in lowering your risk of developing heart disease.  Garlic also acts as an antioxidant, which will also help to prevent heart disease by preventing the oxidation of cholesterol and keeping your arteries healthy.

There are also studies available that show that garlic works better than aspirin as a blood thinner.  Of course, doctors widely recommend taking aspirin because its anti-clotting effect can prevent you from having a heart attack.  However, garlic is a great heart alternative that is just as effective without having the dangerous side effects.  So, anyone who is taking aspirin should consider using this Heart Supplement instead.  Not only will this herb extract give you the heart protection that you are looking for but there are also numerous health benefits that you will reap from taking this heart health herb too.

Aged Garlic for Your Heart

The ability of this herb for the heart to protect you against cardiovascular disease is mainly because it is an antioxidant that can lower lipids and also has an anticoagulant effect.  In fact, a study was done in April 2003 at the University of California; Los Angeles showed that aged garlic extract (also known as kyolic garlic) can reduce a cardiac patient’s risk of heart attack by 50%.  This is because aged garlic extract is able to reduce plaque buildup in a person’s arteries by more than 50% while also lowering LDL and triglycerides and increasing HDL.  It was also able to reduce blood homocysteine, which is a factor for cardiovascular disease.  As such, doctors now know that cardiac patients who are taking statins can reduce their risk of having a heart attack even further by adding this herb for the heart to their diet.

Studies on Garlic’s Effect on Cholesterol

Anyone who is dealing with high cholesterol should know that this heart herbal can lower their cholesterol by up to 20%.  For this reason, garlic is actually a licensed medication in Germany that is used to help people who have hardened or blocked arteries.  This natural heart medicine does work best in conjunction with a low fat diet though.

Conclusion

This herb for the heart is great for lowering cholesterol and helping people who have heart disease, especially whenever the garlic has been aged.  For this reason this herb for heart disease should be a part of a person’s diet if they need any added protection against heart disease.  It will definitely help in aiding off any potential risk of having a heart attack, which is especially important if your heart has already been significantly weakened.