The use of herbs for the heart has been practiced for a long time. Herbs heal, but if not used in accordance with the recipe, they can be harmful. Therefore, before we start using herbs for the heart, be sure to ask a doctor if we will cause trouble with this. Find out which herbs will help with high blood pressure, circulatory disorders, palpitations and strengthening the heart.

Herbs for the hearthave different properties. They can improve the oxygenation of the heart, support the strength of the contraction of the heart muscle or have a relaxing effect on the coronary vessels. That is why the doctor should indicate the herbs that can be used in a specific case. People who are chronically ill and who are constantly taking medications should be especially careful, because the combination of herbs for the heart and some pharmaceuticals can cause many side effects.

Herbs for the heart: hawthorn to lower blood pressure

The medicinal raw material of hawthorn is inflorescences and fruits. Inflorescences contain aromatic amines with cardiovascular regulating properties. They also contain flavonoids and amino acids. Hawthorn fruits have less flavonoids, but more procyanidins and epicatechin derivatives, as well as vitamin C and vitamin A.

Hawthornis recommended as an adjunct in the treatment of arrhythmias caused by hyperthyroidism and in perimenopausal women. It can be used to treat mild forms of coronary artery disease. Hawthorn also has a tonic effect on the heart muscle and slightly increases the strength of its contractions, dilates the coronary vessels, lowers blood pressure and strengthens the walls of the arteries. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, sedative and diuretic properties, which is beneficial in many diseases of the blood system.

Herbs for the heart: woolly foxglove for heart failure

Woolly foxgloveis often grown in gardens as an ornamental plant. Its usefulness, however, is determined not by aesthetic values, but by a set of he alth substances. It is one of the most famous and valued medicinal plants, but also the most dangerous. The fact that digitalis can be dangerous is proved by the fact that drugs made from it are sold only on prescription.

The leaves of digitalis contain numerous toxins, which is why drugs designed to containdigitalis extracts must not be used without the express recommendation of a doctor.

Cardiac glycosides contained in the plant increase the force of contraction of the heart muscle and slow down the heart rate. Glycosides isolated from leaves and seeds are included, for example, in preparations used in the treatment of circulatory failure. The leaves of the woolly foxglove contain numerous cardiac glycosides, called cardenolide. primary glycosides (lanatoside A, lanatosides B, C, D, E) and secondary glycosides (digoxin, acetyldigoxin, digitoxin, acetyldigitoxin).

The active substances also include digitanol glycosides, steroid saponins, anthranoid compounds, flavonoids, choline, acetylcholine. Glycosides isolated from foxglove leaves are used in acute and chronic circulatory failure, in hypertension. They increase the strength of the heart muscle contraction, slow down the heart rate, eliminate swelling and venous stagnation caused by heart failure.

A variety of woolly foxglove ispurple foxglovewith a very similar set of active substances. But the glycosides obtained from the leaves of the foxglove are slower and three times weaker than those from the foxglove, they are more toxic and accumulate more in the body.

Due to the strength of the glycosides of woolly foxglove, mainly tablets (instead of the once popular drops) are produced with them, containing precisely defined doses of these substances and issued on a medical prescription. In Poland, preparations containing glycosides obtained from foxglove were withdrawn from sale.

Herbs for the heart: lily of the valley for heart palpitations

Lily of the valley is delicate, smells beautiful and has valuable properties, used e.g. in heart ailments. This is due to cardiac cardenolide glycosides (convalatoxin 10 times stronger than digitoxin obtained from digitalis purple and convalamarin). Lily of the valley herb and flowers also contain steroid saponins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids.

Remember that all parts of the lily of the valley are highly toxic. Do not exceed the recommended dose of the drug as this may lead to a life-threatening condition.

Lily of the valley glycosides strengthen the force of heart contraction, while reducing the frequency of contractions, slowing down the heart rate and increasing the excitability of the muscles of the heart ventricles. Therefore, they are used in the initial stages of right ventricular heart failure, in heart defects (especially in mitral stenosis), in the treatment of edema caused by circulatory disorders, and are helpful in breathing difficulties resulting from heart failure. Anxietiesbased on lily of the valley are recommended for elderly people who suffer from the so-called heart fatigue. They can also be used after a heart attack. Lily of the valley also relieves palpitations.

Lily of the valley extracts are part of many popular heart drugs (Cardiol C drops, Neocardina, Convalatoxinum preparations, Cardiosan, Convafort dragees). You can also prepare a homemade preparation of the leaves of this plant, but it is better to use it in consultation with your doctor.

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How to prepare May lily of the valley tea?

100 g of lily of the valley leaves pour 1/2 liter of 70% spirit. Set aside for about 2 weeks in a dark, warm place, shake the jar from time to time. Drain. Drink 20 drops per glass of water twice a day.

Herbs for the heart: motherwort to strengthen the heart

The herb motherwort is used as a heart medicine and a calming effect. The plant contains iridoids, cavolides, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids derived from quercetin, kaempferol and apigenin. In addition, cardiac glycosides, nitrogen and diterpene compounds, tannins, sitosterols, organic acids, mineral s alts with a high content of potassium, calcium, silicon and sodium.

Thanks to this variety, the motherwort has a mildly calming effect on the nervous system and diastolic in the digestive and reproductive systems, as well as toning the heart - it lowers blood pressure, slows down the heart rate, and increases the efficiency of the heart muscle. It is used in nervous heart ailments and in the early stages of hypertensive and coronary disease.

The herb of the motherwort is a component of tranquilizing tablets, granules and herbal mixtures (including Neurosin, Cardiosan, Cardiogran). It can be used to make an infusion, recommended for the elderly in cardiovascular diseases with mild symptoms.

Herbal infusions have a diastolic and calming effect, regulate the work of the heart, and strengthen the heart muscle. They are also mildly choleretic and diuretic. The infusion is recommended for elderly people who have weakened heart muscle, experience palpitations, tire easily or have high blood pressure.

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How to prepare tea from motherwort tea?

1 tablespoon of crushed motherwort herb, pour a glass of boiling water, and set aside, covered, for 15 minutes. Drain. Drink half a cup 2-3 times a day after eating as a sedative and cardiac remedy.

Herbs for the heart: mistletoe for high blood pressure

In Poland, mistletoe is recommended for atherosclerotic lesions, treatment of arterial hypertension and increased heart rate. The raw material for the production of drugs is shoots and leaves from the lower oneslots of twigs. Mistletoe leaves contain choline, viscotoxin and lectin. Viscotoxins and lectins have a very strong effect, so you must not use mistletoe preparations on your own - the dosage is always determined by the doctor. Its fruit is poisonous! Mistletoe extracts can also be recommended to women in the climacteric period because they alleviate its symptoms.

Herbs for the heart: GARLIC for circulatory disorders

Garlic is known primarily as a plant with bactericidal properties. Healing properties have sulfur compounds - allicin and diallyl trisulfide. It is allicin that gives the plant such a characteristic smell. Garlic cloves also contain phenolic acids and flavonoids with antioxidant properties. Garlic can be eaten raw or you can use preparations made from the plant.

Garlic extracts are used as an adjunct to the treatment of excessive blood lipids, as well as in arterial circulatory disorders. Garlic improves blood flow through the capillaries.

Herbs for the heart: Japanese ginkgo for circulation

The herbal raw material is the leaves, and the therapeutic ingredient - the diperpene lactones, called ginkogolides, as well as flavonoids and biflavonoids, contained in them. Japanese ginkgo is recommended for people with progressive atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. It helps to eliminate tinnitus, dizziness, and mental dullness.

Ginkgo preparations effectively clear and strengthen all walls of blood vessels, thanks to which the brain and heart muscle are better oxygenated. They also improve circulation in the limbs, eliminate numbness, cramps and the feeling of cold. But ginkgo can interact with anticoagulant medications, so taking it should be discussed with your doctor.

Worth knowing

Although herbs are generally safe and have a gentle effect, there are plants that contain very potent active substances and those that accumulate in the body can turn out to be toxic. These include some herbs that are well known to have very beneficial effects on the heart and have long been used to treat a variety of cardiovascular problems - but strict dosages are required for their safe use. Therefore, it is not recommended to use e.g. digitalis in the form of infusions or self-made tinctures, because it is impossible to precisely determine the content of active substances in them. The more that the difference between the therapeutic dose and the toxic dose is very small. It is always better to carry out any treatment with cardiac herbs after consulting a doctor.

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