Herbal Treatments to Combat Heart Disease

Since your heart beats involuntarily, so it is understandable that people easily forget that it’s there. This is mostly true if you have a sedentary lifestyle and tend to eat foods high in cholesterol, fat, salt, and other things that are bad for you. Add some stress and a smoking habit, and you are on the road to heart disease. Lucky for you, heart disease can be controlled with some simple changes in your lifestyle.

Healthy hearts must have healthy blood vessels that promote good blood circulation. The body will not be able to survive, if it does not get its required nutrients and oxygen that the heart pumps out through the arteries and veins all throughout the body.

To ensure you have healthy blood vessels, make sure your diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, whole grains, lean meat and fish. Combine this with adequate exercise and the right amount of water intake to ensure the best kind of blood flow.

Another way to improve blood vessel health is by consuming certain herbs that can grant passage for the blood into the heart. Without good circulation, strain will be put unto the heart and may lead to heart disease. Some herbal remedies include:

1. Garlic
This herb is widely used to combat heart disease, as well as other diseases. Garlic is known to effectively lower cholesterol levels and triglycerides, as well as raise HDL cholesterol blood levels. Garlic also lessens the build-up of plaque in blood vessels and helps protect against wrinkles.

2. Cayenne pepper
Cayenne pepper contains an herbal component called capsaicin, which helps lower cholesterol and blood clotting; in turn, helping combat heart disease. Cayenne also improves the elasticity and strength of blood vessels within the body, especially the smaller capillaries. Cayenne also maintains proper blood flow and makes the heart muscle stronger, as well as lowers blood pressure.

3. Hawthorn
This herb helps reduce atherosclerosis, which builds up plaque in the arteries and leads to heart disease. Hawthorn also keeps the liver in check to make sure it produces enough cholesterol and promotes proper blood flow.

4. Bilberry
This herb also helps in strengthening the blood vessels and thus combating heart disease.

5. Valerian
This herb usually combats sleep, but it combats heart disease, too. If you are usually nervous, stressed or hyperactive, this herb can also calm both your nerves and your blood pressure.

There are a lot of herbal remedies out there with different benefits to help combat heart disease. You personal body chemistry and tolerance, as well as your current medications, will decide which herbs are ideal for you in preventing heart disease.