Since this month is Heart health Month, I'm going to share several Ask the Herbalist questions that I have answered. If you have a question feel free to contact me @ 844-HERBGAL and PLEASE leave a message! I get lots of calls and people don't leave contact info, so there's no way for me to get back to them.
HERBS FOR BLOOD PRESSURE AND CHOLESTEROL
QUESTION: My mother is having a terrible time being able to afford the costs of her prescriptions every month. she is on high blood pressure medicine, cholesterol lowering meds, diuretics, etc. she would love to go off her cholesterol medicine. My mother is stubborn, and I know when she says she will quit something she will, and I would like her to be on something rather than nothing. Thank You!
ANSWER: Hmmmmm. I had one of those mothers! As a diuretic, dandelion is my all-time favorite herb. Green in salads, dried roots in tea, It's wonderful and won't deplete potassium stores. For cholesterol, many people are having amazing effects taking Niacin. Yep. Plain Niacin or B3. Get the "flush free" type. We found this out the hard way when my husband started taking regular niacin and rant into my office on morning with a red face saying, "What's happening!?" You can easily get this online. Buy a good brand, not generic, so you know you're getting quality. Take 1000 mg per day. Garlic is also good. I eat fresh garlic in almost everything. (Of course, I have few close friends because of this! Just Kidding!) Lastly, Red Yeast Rice - 1200 mg per day and no, it's not rice!
Hawthorn is the best herb for the heart and a daily cup of cinnamon hawthorn tea will probably make your mom feel great. However, hawthorn has blood thinning properties, so under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should she use it if she is on warfarin or other blood thinners. Also, as you're probably aware, quitting cold turkey is very dangerous so if she's determined, try to find a doctor who will at least listen to her concerns and help her wean her body gently off the pharmaceuticals. I don't recommend cold turkey EVER when it comes to prescription drugs.
GENERAL CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
QUESTION: I wanted to know what's good for cardiovascular health,
ANSWER: My personal herb of choice for heart health is Hawthorn. It may be used safely for heart weakness or failure, palpitations, angina pectoris and high blood pressure. It is a tonic herb, meaning it is very nourishing and energizing for the heart, so I make sure to take this regularly jus
t to keep my heart healthy. The energetics of Hawthorn are cooling and neutral, so it’s great for people who are hot/dry or hot/damp. Cayenne is also good for the heart. Its energetics are warming and drying, and it’s best for those who tend to be Cold/Damp constitutions. So if you like spicy foods, pour it on.
HYPOTENSION
QUESTION: I have recently had an episode of syncope (Sincopee) and hypotension that landed me in an ER. All tests since this episode have shown EKG is normal, BP is now 120/75, but am borderline anemic. My family has history of low blood pressure. It never raised a medical eyebrow before this. I would like to know what diet or herbal recommendations you can make to accomplish the following: Elevate my red blood cells, increase my iron; Keep my blood pressure from plummeting.
ANSWER: OK, Let's see. Iron can be supplemented by capsules or if you want to do it totally through diet, nuts, legumes, raisins, molasses, green leafy vegetables, especially spinach, lentils, kidney beans and dried fruits are all good sources for you. Iron absorption is hindered by tannic acid, so I wouldn't recommend coffee or tea within an hour of meals and probably best to give it up all together if you can. Vitamin C will help increase the absorption rate of iron from foods but has no effect interestingly on iron supplements. Be aware if you take supplements, they will turn the stool dark black. It’s not dangerous, just don’t be alarmed.
To keep your blood pressure up, again, diet is going to be your best tactic. Increase your potassium. Dandelion is excellent for this and is also a good source of Vitamin C. Also, hyssop, golden seal, vervain, prickly ash, blue cohosh, wood betony, burnet and skullcap may help increase your vitality. Lastly, exercise is critical, so make sure you're getting at least 30 minutes 3 times a day.
That’s it for this week! Your heart is one of the most important organs in your body, so take good care of it. Make sure you’re getting plenty of good healthy dark greens and, (apologies to the vegetarians in the group), plenty of pure, grass fed beef. Eat for your specific constitution, and LET’S GET BETTER!
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