6 Herbs to Support a Healthy Cardiovascular System
After sending your sweetheart a dozen roses for Valentine’s Day, why not consider gifting both your tickers half a dozen herbal wellness products? You’ll find six heart-healthy botanicals among our 100% alcohol-free herbal supplements online: as single-herb extracts and in our Ginseng Vitality and Brain Booster tinctures.
1. Astragalus
For two millennia, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has ranked astragalus root high among those herbal supplements that tone multiple body systems. The cardiovascular system numbers among those benefitting from the root’s saponins, flavonoids and polysaccharides. These compounds improve cardiac efficiency by relaxing blood vessels, balancing sugar levels and promoting a balanced blood pressure. Native to Northeastern Asia, only two out of several thousand astragalus species have medicinal use, with the roots harvested exclusively from four-year-old plants.
2. Ginger
The ginger plant is a real multi-tasker. This Southeast Asian native brightens many tropical and subtropical gardens with its yellow flower spikes. Freshly minced or dried into powder, the root has enhanced sweet and savory dishes for centuries. It has long served as an herbal remedy, too, not least of all to support cardiac health. Ginger’s robust properties support a balanced blood cholesterol levels, stimulate blood flow and help maintain healthy arteries.
3. Ginseng
Ginseng root is another TCM staple, but Chinese herbalists are not alone in their appreciation of its value. Ginseng is native to both China and the Appalachian Mountains, where trowel-wielding ‘sang hunters still deploy every spring in search of the five-fingered leaflets. Modern medical studies validate the powers of ginseng’s saponins to balance cholesterol, improve blood circulation and maximize oxygen delivery.
4. Hawthorn
The berries of this understory tree, native to both North America and Europe, are packed with flavonoids. Hawthorn berry is a cardiac tonic (strengthens heart), helps improve circulation, and oxygenate heart tissues; supports maintaining healthy blood pressure. One of the most popular herbs in Europe, used for many centuries, especially for building heart function. Cousin to the rose, hawthorn beautifies the garden year-round: with abundant pink or white flowers in spring, reddish foliage in fall and red berries into early winter.
5. Passion Flower
With spectacular, curly purple and blue blooms, the passion flower jazzes up many warm-zone gardens, is a favored motif in textile prints and serves as the state wildflower of Tennessee. The benefits of this South American and southern U.S. native come from the leaves. Although best known for promoting mental calm and a good night’s sleep, the leaves also contain antioxidant enzymes that support healthy blood pressure.
6. Turmeric
Turmeric shares heart-healthy properties with its botanical cousin ginger. Unlike ginger, turmeric originated in India before spreading to Southeast Asia and far corners of the globe. Turmeric root promotes efficient heart rhythm, supporting endothelial balance and triggering happy cholesterol levels. Turmeric also tastes great, lending a peppery, earthy note to many dishes, while also enhancing the culinary presentation with a dash of brilliant yellow. Not surprisingly, turmeric was initially grown as a dye plant, coloring the yellow robes of Hindu and Buddhist monks.
