Herbs for Your heart
Posted by admin on Sunday, February 15th, 2009
Healthy coronary arteries are open, elastic, smooth and slick. The artery walls are flexible and expand to let more blood through when the heart needs to work harder. The disease process is thought to begin with an injury to the linings and walls of the arteries. This injury makes them susceptible to atherosclerosis and to blood clots.
Heart disease occurs when the coronary arteries become partially blocked or clogged because of atherosclerosis. This blockage limits the flow of blood through the coronary arteries, which are the major arteries supplying nutrient and oxygen-rich blood to the heart. When blood flow is limited, chest pain may occur. When the blood flow to the hart is completely cut off, the result is a heart attack because the heart is starved of oxygen.
Although we all know that a healthy lifestyle contributes greatly to the strength of our heart, there are also specific herbs that have been used medicinally for hundreds of years in China for the prevention of heart disease and improvement of the cardiovascular system.
Notoginseng and salvia are tow herbs that proven effective in eliminating pain and pressure in the chest associated with angina and shortness of breath. They also support the circulatory system and heart muscle health.
Notoginseng
The scientific name for the notoginseng plant is Panax notoginseng. In Latin, the word panax means “cure-all”, and its ginseng family of plants is one of the most famous and frequently used of all herb families. Notoginseng is actually richer in active constituents than either panax or American ginseng, and also contains immune stimulating polysaccharides. The root of notoginseng is used medicinally, and from it, researchers have isolated chemicals called saponins and flavonoids, substances that are biologically active in the body.
In an in-vitro study, scientists at Hong Kong Polytechnic University also found another of notoginseng’s active ingredients, ginsenosides Rg.1. Ginsenosides Rg.1 is a potent phytoestrogen, exerting the protective properties that have demonstrated pharmacological effects in the central nervous system, cardiovascular system and endocrine (hormonal) systems.
Notoginseng root has been clinically used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. One of China’s most famous herbalist said that the root was “more valuable than gold”. In particular, notoginseng used as a general tonic for the heart and circulatory system, and for specific problems including coronary heart disease and high cholesterol. Notoginseng is also prescribed by Chinese herbalists to relieve chest pain due to poor circulation in the heart muscle.
Notoginseng’s benefits for the heart and circulatory system have also been shown by modern studies. Notoginseng appears to increase blood flow to the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle, and seems to increase the consumption of oxygen by the muscle heart. It also has been reported to have positive effects on the blood, lower cholesterol levels and is believed to help dissolve blood clots. These actions have obvious beneficial effects on heart function and blood circulation.
To learn more about cardio-vascular disease and heart disease prevention, register to my upcoming Tele-seminar,
CARDIOVASCULAR Health & HEART Disease Prevention
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