The heart is one of the most important organs of our body. If you have a healthy heart, you can enjoy the life to it’s fullest. Here are 9 herbs which are beneficial for the heart:

Flaxseed

Flaxseeds come in two basic varieties: brown and yellow or golden. Brown colour flaxseeds are a rich source of short chain omega 3 fatty acid and lignans. Omega 3 fatty acid is a good fat that has been shown to have healthy heart effects. Omega 3 maintains natural rhythm of the heart may be useful in arrhythmia and heart failure and also lowers cholesterol level.

Lignans act as phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens decrease the risk of heart disease, they reduce the fat and glucose in the blood. They also lower blood pressure and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in arteries and reduce atherosclerotic plaque in arteries.

Two tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 3.5gm of omega 3. For heart disease, 10-30 ml of flaxseed oil should be taken by mouth daily for 10-12 months.

For high blood pressure, 15- 60 ml of flaxseed oil or three tablets containing 550 mg of flax extract have been taken daily by mouth for up to 6 months.

For high cholesterol 20-50 gm of whole, ground or defatted flaxseed should be taken daily by mouth for up to 10-12 months.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is loaded with powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants in cinnamon have an anti-inflammatory effect which helps lower the risk of heart disease. Cinnamaldehyde is active compound in cinnamon and it is able to reduce the level of cholesterol (LDL bad cholesterol), high triglyceride level, while HDL - good cholesterol remains stable.

Cinnamon acts as a blood thinner. It increases blood circulation and advances bodily tissues’ ability to repair itself after it’s been damaged. This includes heart tissues which are in need of regeneration in order to fight heart attack, heart disease, and stroke.

The daily requirement of cinnamon for heart problems is 120 mg per day.

Green tea

Green tea lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases and heart-related issues like high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, high cholesterol, improper blood flow to the heart. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is chief antioxidant in green tea, which has the ability to protect the heart. Green tea increases the antioxidant capability of the blood which protects the LDL cholesterol particles from oxidation which is one of the pathways towards heart disease.

Green tea drinkers have 31% lower the risk of cardiovascular disease

Garlic

Garlic consumption is beneficial in treating a variety of human diseases and disorders. Garlic is especially effective in cardiovascular disorders. It is a natural blood thinner. Garlic is commonly recommended as a cholesterol lowering agent and has been shown to help lower triglycerides which are closely linked to heart disease.

Some researchers have found that consuming garlic for a duration of 12 months reduces the risk of heart attack in people who are at the risk of developing clogged arteries. Twice daily consumption up to 24 months reduces the process of hardening of arteries. Also, garlic is useful in high blood pressure.

Ginger

Like garlic, ginger is also a natural blood thinner. It prevents blood from clotting in heart disease where blood vessels become clogged which leads to heart attack. High cholesterol also leads to clogged arteries when there is cholesterol buildup on the artery walls.

Curcumin

Curcumin, a substance in turmeric, has cardiovascular protective effects and also has anti inflammatory, anti thrombotic, anti-proliferative properties. These properties of curcumin are responsible decreasing serum cholesterol level and may prevent against pathological changes occurring with atherosclerosis. Curcumin is also effective in preventing the development of cardiac hypertrophy associated with heart failure, it also prevents atrial arrhythmias.

Cocoa beans

Cocoa is a rich source of antioxidants such as procyanidins and flavonoids. Flavonoids, specifically epicatechin, may have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health if used for prolonged period.

Red Chili

Red Chilies are an excellent source of vitamin B6 and folic acid. Vitamin B6 reduces high homocysteine level, which has been shown to cause damage to blood vessels and is one of the main reason of risk of heart attack and stroke. It also converts homocysteine into another molecule which is helpful in lowering cholesterol level. Because of this reason, chili is useful in improving heart health, boost circulation, thins the blood and helps to protect against stroke.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate fruit and juice contains powerful antioxidants. It helps to lower blood pressure which is responsible for stroke and heart attack. Regular intake of juice up to 2 weeks gives good result in high blood pressure. It is also effective in atherosclerosis by reducing bad cholesterol in the blood and by acting as blood thinner it reverses the changes.