American Heart Month
Dear Friends,
February is American Heart Month, an appropriate time to talk about heart-healthy herbs, tell a personal story about a little-known risk factor for heart attack, and share a resource for free testing. This newsletter focuses on cholesterol and general heart healthy herbs.
Lowering cholesterol is not simple, because elevated cholesterol is caused by different mechanisms, including excess production in the liver, impaired clearance from the body, insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, low thyroid function, and genetics. While medications might be chosen in some cases (see my personal story), the herbs below may be useful in affecting cholesterol levels.
Herbs that help modulate cholesterol production
Garlic (Allium sativa)
Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
Guggulu (also known as Guggul) (Commiphora mukul)
May also stimulate thyroid function
Herbs that support bile flow and binding of cholesterol
Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale)
Burdock Root (Arctium lappa)
Psyllium Husk (Plantago ovata)
Oats (Avena sativa)
Herbs that improve blood sugar regulation
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum)
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
Green tea (Camellia sinensis)
Herbs that are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory
Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
Green tea (Camellia sinensis)
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Herbs that support circulation and cardiac tone
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna)
Linden (Tilia cordata)
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
Many of the heart blends (taken as tea) offered in the Apothecary incorporate Hawthorn, Turmeric, and Cinnamon, and the liver support blend incorporates Dandelion Root, Burdock Root, Turmeric and Ginger. Flushing the liver between meals and adding heart-healthy herbal blends during the day and evening may be beneficial to your goals of reducing cholesterol.
In some cases, medications might be chosen to reduce cholesterol and prevent heart attacks and strokes. My personal story illustrates this.
Personal Story
At 63 years, I was running regularly (completed a marathon at age 60) with incredibly healthy eating and lifestyle habits, great blood pressure, and optimal blood and lipid panels. One day while running, I began to have symptoms of a heart attack – uneasy feeling in the chest, jaw pain, shortness of breath – but failed to go to the hospital because it didn’t make sense given my good health and lack of risk factors. When the chest pressure became more intense, and I was increasingly short of breath, I reluctantly drove to the Portola hospital. Even though my ECG, blood pressure, and blood panels were completely normal, they transported me to Renown, where an emergency stent was placed when a cardiac catheterization showed that my right coronary artery was 99% blocked.
The doctors were surprised, and it took about 6 months and a lot of tests to find out that I had elevated Lipoprotein(a) (“Lp(a)”), a genetic condition that is an independent risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Lp(a) is a sticky, inherited form of LDL that can raise heart risk even if your regular cholesterol looks fine. It is not affected by exercise or diet, and most treatment focuses on lowering LDL to extremely low levels.
Until recently, only lipid specialists were aware of Lp(a), but now more physicians include it in routine cholesterol testing. About 1 in 5 people have high Lp(a), and a simple blood test can tell you if you’re at risk.
Free Screening
In recognition of American Heart Month, I encourage you to consider getting a simple, free Lp(a) screening from the Family Heart Foundation. Knowing your numbers empowers you to take proactive steps through diet, exercise, stress management, and heart-healthy habits to protect your cardiovascular health, even if you prefer to avoid medications. Link to Free Screening Information: Lp(a) Screening.