Heart disease occurs when arteries of the cardiovascular system become blocked with fat and plaque. No herbs or dietary supplements have been shown to dissolve and clean away all of the fat that might be in your arteries. A number of herbs, however, can reduce some of the plaque in your arteries, veins and capillaries and can also lower blood pressure to improve heart health.
Hawthorn
Hawthorn is a thorny shrub plant with small red berries. Extracts from the hawthorn plant have been used to treat heart disease for many centuries. Hawthorn benefits the heart and circulatory system as it helps to decrease blood pressure while strengthening heart muscle. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that hawthorn is rich in chemicals known as flavonoids. Flavonoids are antioxidants and may also increase vasodilation to increase blood flow through veins and arteries to decrease blood pressure.
Garlic
Regular use of aged garlic extracts may help to clean out your arteries and reduce your chances of developing coronary heart disease. The Natural Health and Longevity Resource Center explains that garlic raises good HDL cholesterol while decreasing bad LDL cholesterol in your body to help prevent the buildup of plaque. According to a 2006 study in the "Journal of Nutrition" by Matthew Budoff, the way garlic reduces plaque formation in arteries is not understood. This study suggests that garlic may help to prevent fat in the arteries from hardening and causing blockage.
Bilberry
Bilberry is a berry fruit similar to blueberry that is rich in heart-health chemicals known as anthocyanosides. Anthocyanosides can act as antioxidants to protect arteries and veins from hardening and clogging. A 2006 study published in the "Journal of Applied Physiology" explains that bilberry extracts can not only prevent hardening of arteries, but also helps to relax blood vessels so that more blood can flow through veins and arteries. In addition to helping keep veins and arteries clear, bilberry may also help improve blood flow though capillaries in the eyes. Medical scientists are now researching bilberry extracts to treat eye damage caused by diabetes as well as macular degeneration.
Olive Leaf
We often hear that olive oil is a heart healthy source of fat, however, we rarely hear about the leaves of the olive plant that can also benefit cardiovascular health. Extracts of the olive plant leaf are rich in compounds called oleuropeins which also act as vasodilators to relax blood vessels and increase blood flow through arteries. Olive leaf extract may also lower levels of fats in arteries to prevent artery blockage and increase blood flow. Interestingly, a 2010 clinical study in the journal "Phytomedicine" found that supplementation with olive leaf extract can lower blood pressure in people with mild hypertension. Olive leaf extract was also found to lower the levels of fats circulating in the cardiovascular system of people with early hypertension.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Hawthorn
- Natural Health and Longevity Resource Center: Top 10 Best-Researched Herbs
- "Journal of Nutrition:" Aged Garlic Extract Retards Progression of Coronary Artery Calcification, Matthew Budoff, 2006
- "Journal of Applied Physiology:" Direct vasoactive and vasoprotective properties of anthocyanin-rich extracts, David R. Bell and Kristen Gochenaur, 2006
- "Phytomedicine:" Olive (Olea europaea) leaf extract effective in patients with stage-1 hypertension: Comparison with Captopril, Endang Susalit et al., 2010
- The Natural Path: Olive Leaf Extract
