I was really excited to see a recent headline that said heart doctors should discuss herbal medicines with their patients. The recommendation came from a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.1
I thought this was a real breakthrough. I thought it meant cardiologists had finally seen the light…
Boy, was I wrong…
The article said doctors should learn about herbal medicines so they could STOP their patients from using them.
You see, supplement use is at an all-time high. About 70% of Americans take them.
That’s a lot of people. And Big Pharma would love to capture that market. So they have a real interest in bad-mouthing herbs.
For heart patients, healing herbs cut into the market for blockbuster drugs like ACE inhibitors, diuretics, beta-blockers and statins.
But these drugs cause terrible side effects. They’ve been linked to constant fatigue… shortness of breath… joint, leg and back pain… headaches… and kidney damage.
Plus, they don’t build heart strength. They could make you die earlier.
The writers of the article claimed there is no good scientific evidence for the treatment of cardiovascular disease with herbs. They say herbs aren’t safe because they don’t go through the FDA’s approval process.
But here’s the truth…
The FDA is in the pocket of Big Pharma. To speed up drug approvals federal law authorizes drug companies to pay user fees to the FDA. Today, drug industry money pays for more than half of the FDA’s staff who approve drugs.
It’s no wonder that nearly 125,000 people die each year from FDA-approved drugs. In addition, prescription drugs cause 2.2 million adverse reactions each year. At the same time, there was not one death caused by supplements. Not one.
In my travels throughout the world, I’ve talked to hundreds of traditional healers who use herbal therapies. They are light years ahead of Western medicine.
Here are three of the most powerful herbs to support your cardiovascular system. They may not be approved by the FDA but they are PROVEN to work. I use these herbs to help my patients avoid Big Pharma’s dangerous heart drugs.
3 Heart-Healthy Herbs
1. Garlic Cuts Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke by 50%. Garlic reduces a multitude of risk factors that may lead to heart attack or stroke. Studies show garlic:
- reduces risk for heart attack and stroke by more than 50%2
- inhibits the formation of arteriosclerotic plaque
- slows down calcification of the heart
- lowers blood pressure better than Big Pharma’s drug atenolo3
- lowers the risk of blood clots
I recommend eating one or two cloves of garlic every day. You can also take garlic supplements. Look for aged garlic extract. Take from 200 to 400 mg three times a day.
2. Hawthorn Strengthens Your Heart Muscle. Herbalists have used this herb for thousands of years. Hawthorn berry leaf and flowers have been shown to:
- lower blood pressure in just 10 weeks4
- improve circulation in the blood vessels that supply the heart
- prevent cholesterol from forming on artery walls
- strengthen the heart muscle
- lower the risk of angina and irregular heartbeat
- ease symptoms of congestive heart failure
I recommend starting with 250 to 500 mg twice a day with food.
3. Grape Seeds Help Maintain Normal Blood Pressure. Grape seeds concentrate all of the powerful compounds found in grapes and red wine, including resveratrol. Studies show an extract of grape seeds (GSE) can reduce blood pressure in just six weeks.5
GSE is much more potent than eating grapes, drinking wine or using grape seed oil. Take 25 to 150 mg one to three times daily.
You can find all of these supplements at any health food store, but I always suggest choosing a local store that you trust… and where you can get to know the staff. You want to find a store where the employees are passionate and knowledgeable about their products, and not just there for the paycheck.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Liperoti R., et al. “Herbal Medications in Cardiovascular Medicine.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology Mar 2017, 69 (9) 1188-1199.
2. Siegel G., et al. [Pleiotropic effects of garlic]. Wien Med Wochenschr. 1999;149(8-10):217-24.
3. Ashraf R, et al. “Effects of Allium sativum (Garlic) on systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension.” Pak J Pharm Sci. 2013;26(5):859-63.
4. Walker AF., et al., “Promising hypotensive effect of hawthorn extract: a randomized double-blind pilot study of mild, essential hypertension.” Phytother Res 2002; 16(1): 48-54.
5. Park E., et al. “Effects of grape seed extract beverage on blood pressure and metabolic indices in individuals with pre-hypertension: a randomised, double-blinded, two-arm, parallel, placebo-controlled trial.” Br J Nutr 2016;115:226–38.