Can Heart Disease be addressed with herbal and natural remedies?

Sept. 27, 2012 - PRLog -- As a certified herbalist, I am often asked these questions and of course my answer is yes!  Not just because this is what I do for a living, yet, because it happens to be fact.  First, it may help to know that these dis-eases affect the circulatory system.  So, let’s take a brief look at this system to see how these conditions can affect the body.
Heart dis-ease is a result of either a blockage or an area of this system is clogged.  The circulatory system consists of the heart, vessels and blood.  It transports life-sustaining minerals to the body cells and removes metabolic wastes from the cells.  The heart is a hollow, muscular organ about the size of one’s fist.  The heart beats some 100,000 beats per day, pushing four or so quarts of blood through your body every minute.  The heart acts as a pump that pumps blood without oxygen from the body to the lungs and blood with oxygen to the rest of the body.  Just like with an engine, if a part of the engine gets clogged or blocked it can cause damage to the rest of the car and eventually the car will not move.  This concept is the same for the heart.  There are valves in the heart that allow the flow of blood to go only one way so blood does not go in the opposite direction.  If a valve does not open because it is blocked blood cannot flow the way it should.  If an artery in the heart is clogged or blocked blood will not flow from the heart or in to the heart as it should.
When a valve is clogged or blocked, if a vessel is clogged or blocked and if blood cannot flow to do its job of nourishing the other organs of the body then the body will experience heart dis-ease.  There are 4 valves that allow the flow of blood to go only in one direction to prevent blood from flowing backward and they are: Pulmonic valve – which separates the right ventricle from the Pulmonary artery , the Tricuspid valve which separates the right atrium from the right ventricle, (both the Pulmonic and the Tricuspid valves are in the right chambers of the heart), the Mitral valve separates the left atrium from the left ventricle, and the Aortic valve which separates the left ventricle from the Aorta (both the Mitral and the Aortic valves are in the left chambers of the heart).  The opening and closing of these valves are controlled by pressure contained in each heart chamber.  So, if a hardening or narrowing of the Mitral valve, the valve between the left atrium and the left ventricle, occurs then this causes Mitral Stenosis.  Mitral stenosis means that the valve cannot open enough for the flow of blood to circulate throughout the body.   The hardening or narrowing of the Mitral valve can be caused by calcium build up, hardening of the arteries or cholesterol.  As a result, less blood flows to the body. The upper heart chamber swells as pressure builds up.  Blood and fluid may then collect in the lung tissue causing (pulmonary edema) or congestive heart failure, making it hard to breathe.   Congestive heart failure is when the heart is unable to handle to the returning blood to the atrium of the heart and this backlog of fluids causes buildup primarily in the lungs and secondarily in the extremities (arms, legs, hands and feet).  
DISCLAIMER:  As with any health condition please consult with your health professional or health care provider before implementing any suggested remedies.
Suggested Natural Health Techniques
Fluid retention, Edema, in the body can be addressed effectively with the right herbs and the right ways of eating.  Eating organic, whole foods containing vital minerals and vitamins can help the body heal of a myriad of different dis-eases and disorders including heart dis-ease.  It is important to know that when the body is going through a crisis of any kind, any food that does not come from the earth should not be eaten and vegetable sources of protein should be substituted.  Let’s look at nutritious whole foods first!
   Salads and other vegetable diuretics – Vegetables with diuretic properties like celery and cucumbers help your body release excess fluids. Other salad vegetables, including lettuce, watercress, tomatoes, onions, carrots and bell peppers, offer similar benefits. To further discourage fluid retention avoid salt, all processed foods, white flours and sugars, alcohol, coffee and soft drinks should be replaced with filtered or steam distilled water, which acts as a diuretic by flushing toxins, along with retained fluids, out of the body.  Asparagus, Dandelion and Leafy Greens such as mustard greens, kale, spinach, parsley, cilantro, romaine lettuce and watercress help detoxify and release excess fluids from the body.   Other vegetables such as broccoli, potatoes and carrots can provide a similar effect.
   Herbals - This herbal combination can be very effective when addressing this condition as it addresses several factors that can be the cause.  Plantain, Fennel, Burdock, Hawthorn, Kelp, Bladderwrack combine to help heal the heart muscle, get rid of excess fluid in the body, relieve arteries and valves of calcium and cholesterol build up.
The heart is a vital organ and nourishing it is a priority.  Therefore, since the heart is also a natural organ consider natural remedies when addressing its issues.

©2012 Trinity Divine Healing, LLC