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| popular European medicine, hawthorn has been studied for over 25 years and it is now used in over three dozen pharmaceutical preparations in Germany, where it is approved for treating mild heart conditions. Ginseng, Siberian ginseng and ginger raise or lower blood pressure, depending upon what the body needs. Shanghai's Hwa-san Hospital found that ginseng worked even better than drugs when given to patients with low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and poor blood flow to the heart. And, unlike drugs used to treat these conditions, ginseng caused blood pressure to return to normal and remain there. A series of studies on Siberian ginseng conducted by the Soviet Academy of Sciences used only 20 drops of the tincture three times a day to improve low blood pressure in over 50 patients who had rheumatic heart lesions and were on conventional therapy. In studies from the Wu-han Medical College in China, Sanchi ginseng relieved angina spasms and heart pain in almost half the people who took it. 24 |
| Still other heart-worthy herbs that make excellent companions to the herbs named above are astragalus, schizandra and the sedatives valerian and Chinese skullcap. They help the heart develop a more regular rhythm and frequency and stabilize nerve-related heart problems; they can calm a racing heart and also relieve dizziness. Ayurvedic medicine uses ashwaganda and spikenard, a relative of valerian, in a blend called abana which improves general heart function. |
| Several herbs can keep cholesterol levels low, at a healthy level for the heart. Some of the best and tastiest are found right in the kitchen: onion, garlic, cayenne, rosemary, fenugreek, ginger and turmeric, the herb that gives curry its bright yellow color. These herbs may be added to meals or taken as pills, |
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