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Page 31
| based on fresh fruits and vegetables; vitamin, mineral and trace mineral supplements; large quantities of drinking water; the use of unrefined sea salt rather than refined table salt and regular active exercise all improve the heart and circulatory system. For a more comprehensive review of plant-based therapies, see my book Herbs for the Heart. |
| Because stress management is so important to heart health, see also the section describing herbs for stress (page 56). |
| One of the most versatile medicinal herbs is garlic, described on page 62 as a tonic for all of the body's systems. Research has repeatedly shown that garlic has a healing effect on the heart and circulation. In addition to the following herbs, consider adding garlic to your daily diet, either as the pungent cooking herb or in capsules. Both raw and cooked garlic have been shown to reduce harmful cholesterol levels, reduce high blood pressure and improve blood flow. |
| Bilberry (Vaccinum myrtillus) |
| The bilberry, a shrubby perennial plant that grows in the northeast United States and Europe, is commonly known as the wild blueberry, dyeberry, huckleberry, hurtleberry, whinberry, whortleberry or wineberry. Bilberry has become popular in recent years because of its ability to repair and improve the capillaries. When impaired, these fragile blood vessels can be linked to high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, diabetes, stroke, heart attack or blindness caused by damage to the retina. Less dramatic but still serious are the links between weak capillaries and bruising, varicose veins, ''spider" veins, susceptibility to cold temperatures, poor night vision and numbness in the legs and feet. |
| Bilberries contain anthocyanins, flavonoid compounds that color the berries' juice and skin. These compounds are antioxidants, which protect cells from the damage |
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