Heart disease is the number one killer in Western culture. In fact, in a report from the American Heart Association, heart disease has had a 100-year reign as the leading cause of death. On average, someone in the United States dies from cardiovascular disease every 34 seconds.
Hold that thought and consider this too:
New-ish discoveries in neurocardiology and psychophysiology have shown that our heart is not only the central component of our circulatory system, effectively fueling our entire body to function properly (aka. be alive!), but is also an access point to a source of wisdom, intelligence, and intuition that enables us to see life as integrated and unified.
The intuitive heart sees the Earth as alive and us as part of Nature. And it’s through heart-centered consciousness that we can re-establish our innate connection to the wisdom of Nature, a connection vital to not only our cardiovascular health, but also our true and total big-picture wellness.
But There's Good News!
Thankfully, modern medicine has brought a lot of improvements in diagnosis and treatment to the fight against cardiovascular disease. The vital role of our heart in not only our physical and emotional health, but also in our connection to Nature and ultimately our big-picture wellbeing and human experience, gives incredible importance to taking care of our heart however we can.
Before modern medicine is ever required to step in, practicing everyday herbalism as part of a healthy lifestyle can help to prevent and manage risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol that can lead to heart disease.
SEARCH THIS POST:
The Science is In! Your Heart is in Charge
Our Heart is in Constant Communication with Nature
The Emotional Heart vs. The Physical Heart
Using Herbs to Support a Healthy Heart
A Quick Note on Tonic Herbs vs. Acute Herbal Remedies
Beyond a Heart Healthy-Diet: 10 Herbs for a Healthy Heart
Benefits of Everyday Herbalism for Heart Health
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The Science Is In! Your Heart Is In Charge
Most of us were taught that our central nervous systems are running the show, our hearts merely serving to pump blood through our bodies under the direction of signals sent from our brain.
However, the emerging field of neurocardiology has shown the opposite! Researchers, especially at the HeartMath Institute, have demonstrated that the heart actually has its own unique form of intelligence and is, in fact, increasingly considered to be the primary organ of both perception and cognition.
The heart actually sends more information through the nervous system to the brain than the other way around.
And it’s actually through signals sent from the heart through the nervous system that the brain then interprets to create how we feel.
In other words, the heart acts independently of the brain and has its own competency for understanding, memory, feeling, and sensation.
Our Heart is in Constant Conversation with Nature
Our heart has four ways of communicating with the brain: neurological, biochemical, biophysical, & electromagnetic. Perhaps one of the most important ways our heart not only communicates with our brain, but also with the outside world, is through its electromagnetic field.
The heart’s electromagnetic field is the greatest of any other organ in our body. It’s about 60 times more powerful than that of the brain and can be measured extending outside of our body up to 3 feet. Some sources say 10 feet and possibly even more if it weren’t for the limitations of current technology!
This electromagnetic field is the foundation on which our bodies are able to communicate with Nature, the intelligence of the plants, and all other living things.
When our heart’s electromagnetic field comes into contact with that of another living being, there’s a disturbance in our dynamic equilibrium and vice versa. The feelings and emotions generated by this contact is how we communicate and ultimately develop intelligence.
Heart intelligence, derived from lots of self-reflection and internal work to help regulate our emotions, allows us to “recenter” when we come into contact with negative things, situations, and people.
The Emotional Heart vs. the Physical Heart
Our physical heart, the organ valiantly pumping blood through our entire body, and our emotional heart, the source of our entire emotional experience, are intricately connected and in constant communication with one another.
When we experience a disturbance to our heart’s electromagnetic field due to coming into contact with that of another, we physically experience that disturbance through a change in our heart rate.
For example, do you notice how being around someone that’s angry or in a bad mood or always complaining about something, that you often walk away feeling a little more stressed?
Your heart rate will often increase or become more erratic. Maybe your rate of breathing also increases as each breath you take becomes shallower.
This effect of our emotional heart on our physical heart can be measured through our heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of the change in the time interval between each heartbeat.
When we’re stressed, our heart rate increases. When we experience love and compassion, our heart rate decreases.
Most of us feel a sense of calm and peace when we spend time in Nature. This is why. A calm heart rate generates neural signals that travel to the brain and effectively tells the brain that we’re in a safe, nourishing, and soothing environment. In turn, we FEEL safe, nourished, and soothed.
Using Herbs to Support Heart Health
Knowing the depth of influence our heart has on our whole being and how intertwined our physiological systems are, there are nearly unlimited ways to support our heart health using herbal medicine.
Not only can we support the proper functioning of our physical heart with herbs than help strengthen the integrity of our blood vessels, improve circulation, regulate heart rhythm, and more, we can also use herbs to nourish and strengthen our emotional heart.
And because we know that our physical and emotional heart are intricately interwoven, herbs that are beneficial for one are often also beneficial for the other.
A Quick Note on Tonic Herbs vs. Acute Herbal Remedies
Before we jump into specific herbs beneficial for heart health, here’s a quick note on the difference between using herbs as tonics versus using herbs to treat acute health conditions.
At Botany Culture Co., we take an everyday approach to herbalism, using gentle, generally-safe-for-everyone herbs to nourish, tonify, and support our total health and wellness on a daily basis.
If you came here looking for herbal support for an acute heart condition, especially if you are taking pharmaceutical drugs, please seek the help of an experienced practicing clinical herbalist to help support the safe integration of herbal medicine into your care plan.
10 Herbs to Enjoy Every Day for a Healthy Heart
These 10 herbs have a long history of use in supporting heart health, both physically and emotionally.
You’re likely enjoying many of them in your every day already. I hope you find new and inspired ways of using these highly beneficial plant medicines to support your healthy heart.
1. Hawthorn Berry
As a Rose family plant, Hawthorn (Crateagus spp.) has a special affinity for the heart, both the physical and the emotional heart.
There’s a lot of research on hawthorn extract in the treatment of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. It’s believed to improve cardiac function by increasing blood flow, reducing oxidative stress, regulating heart rhythm, and improving blood circulation.
Some of the most beneficial compounds found in high concentrations in hawthorn berries are flavonoids that act as potent anti-inflammatory antioxidants. For this reason (and more), hawthorn also provides great support for our immune systems.
These potent anti-inflammatory antioxidants also provide calming and nerve-soothing properties which can help with stress and anxiety, providing a better sense of emotional grounding.
Hawthorn is a gentle cardiac tonic that’s safe for most people. Plus, it’s both edible & delicious!
🖤 Here’s how you can enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of HAWTHORN the everyday herbalism way:
- Make hawthorn tea. (A decoction of the berries makes a delicious iced tea too!)
- Try hawthorn berry ketchup.
- Brew up a batch of hawthorn berry syrup for enjoying by the spoonful, sweetening tea, drizzling over oatmeal, or mixing up a mocktail.
- Enjoy a daily spoonful of our Charmed & Delighted Electuary, an herbal honey that contains heart-healthy herbs like hawthorn, rosehips, ginger, & rose.
2. Rosemary
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is one of those super powerful medicinal herbs hiding in plain sight in your kitchen that, like hawthorn berry, can be beneficial for both our physical and emotional heart.
One of rosemary’s most revered medicinal actions is its anti-inflammatory antioxidant capacity. In fact, rosemary has a solid reputation as one of the strongest herbal antioxidants on the planet.
We all know that inflammation is responsible for many (most? all?!) of our chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. Rosemary’s incredible ability to help reduce oxidative stress can help not only protect us against these, but can also help reduce stress and anxiety.
🖤 Here’s how you can enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of ROSEMARY the everyday herbalism way:
- Try a savory rosemary tea.
- Sip on Support Group, our heart-healthy herbal tea blend with hawthorn leaf and berry, oat tops, skullcap, rosehips, rosemary, and rose.
- Cook with it! Try this savory Rosemary & Potato Galette, this Rosehip Jam with Rosemary, or this Lemon Rosemary Tart.
Love Your Heart with
Support Group Herbal Tea
A daily-sipper to help to support your physical heart, working to keep your cardiovascular system nourished & toned, while also working to help ease emotional stress, comforting you on the hard days too.
3. Garlic
Who doesn’t love an excuse to eat more garlic!? Garlic (Allium sativum) contains several anti-inflammatory antioxidant compounds, one of which is allicin.
Garlic is one of the best medicinal foods we can eat to help lower high blood pressure (hypertension). A study found that when garlic compounds interact with red blood cells, the red blood cells release hydrogen sulfide which causes blood vessels to relax.
When we can get our blood vessels to relax, we’re effectively helping to reduce hypertension.
Another study showed that the hydrogen sulfide released by the red blood cells can also help to protect the heart from the tissue and cell damage common in those who’ve had heart attacks.
The beneficial effects of garlic on our heart extend to our entire cardiovascular health, as it has also demonstrated abilities to helping to support blood flow to the heart, healthy cholesterol levels, and healthy blood clotting.
One hot tip on garlic: fresh is ALWAYS best.
🖤 Here’s how you can enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of GARLIC, the everyday herbalism way:
- Sprinkle raw crushed garlic over your meals.
- Make your own garlic salt using fresh garlic. (Try the easily customizable herbal salt recipe in this free ebook, Herbal Gifting.)
- Make your own salad dressings and vinaigrettes with fresh garlic.
- Try this Immune-Boosting DIY Herbal Cough & Cold Syrup (that also makes a great addition to marinades or salad dressings.)
4. Cinnamon
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) is another antioxidant-rich spice cabinet medicine. Its heart-protective benefits come from its ability to help reduce inflammation, improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, and reduce blood sugar.
Many studies have demonstrated the ability of cinnamon to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease primarily due to its compounds cinnamaldehye and cinnamic acid.
🖤 Here’s how you can enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of CINNAMON, the everyday herbalism way:
- Try a simple cinnamon tea.
- Sprinkle cinnamon on top of your morning cup of coffee or your smoothie.
- Sip on Disco Nap, our gently energizing herbal tea blended with hearth healthy herbs like cinnamon and hibiscus.
- When the summer starts to slip into the fall, whip up a batch of this Cinnamon & Pear Cordial.
- Try these Roasted Carrots in savory cinnamon & spice herbal salt.
Love Your Heart with
Charmed & Delighted Electuary
A honey after your own heart! This luscious, marshmallowy herbal honey is packed with antioxidant-rich herbs that help to tone & support your heart & cardiovascular system in the most delicious way.
5. Green Tea
Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is my go-to morning heart-healthy sipper. I look forward to that first, warming, grassy sip every single morning.
Another wildly potent antioxidant, green tea can help to lower LDL cholesterol and tryglycerides helping to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, effectively reducing our risk for heart disease.
(Are you starting to see a pattern here? All the heart-healthy herbs are powerful antioxidants!)
One thing to note with green tea is that it does contain caffeine. Excessive caffeine consumption can pose its own risks, many of which are detrimental to our heart health. And while we all process caffeine differently, it’s important to be mindful of caffeine consumption, espcially if you have pre-existing heart conditions.
🖤 Here’s how you can enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of GREEN TEA, the everyday herbalism way:
- Brew up a simple cup of green tea. Or make a large batch and pop it in the fridge. Green tea makes a delicious iced tea, especially with a squeeze of lemon.
- Try matcha, a powered green tea. Try this Iced Lavender Matcha Latte.
6. Hibiscus
It’s ruby-red and tantalizingly tart! Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is a heart-health powerhouse rich in vitamin C and other antioxidant compounds that help to protect the overall function of the heart.
Both the leaves and the calyces of the hibiscus are loaded with anti-inflammatory antioxidants such as anthocyanins (also found in blueberries) and chlorogenic acids (also found in coffee).
This high antioxidant content makes hibiscus a beneficial heart-healthy food that may be used in the treatment of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, both serious risk factors for heart disease.
The results of a 2014 study suggest that daily consumption of hibiscus tea may be effective in reducing blood pressure in pre- and mild-hypertensive adults.
Hibiscus tea could also be helpful if you’re looking to increase your good cholesterol levels. A 2013 study found that drinking hibiscus tea had a favorable effect on blood lipid profiles, including reduced total cholesterol and increased HDL, the healthy cholesterol.
🖤 Here’s how you can enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of HIBISCUS, the everyday herbalism way:
- Enjoy a tall, cooling glass of Hibiscus Iced Tea.
- Whip up this Dark Cherry & Hibiscus Chocolate Ganache Tart!
- Support your heart AND your immune system with a daily spoonful of this Hibiscus Habanero Fire Cider.
- Make this Hibiscus & Honey BBQ Sauce to bring the herbs to your summertime picnics.
7. Turmeric
Turmeric is a sunshiny golden root commonly used in Indian cuisine that is a potent anti-inflammatory antioxidant beneficial for heart health due to its active ingredient, curcumin.
The anti-inflamatory antioxidant properties of turmeric help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by helping to maintain healthy blood vessels vital to proper heart function.
Along with garlic and ginger, turmeric has been found to improve lipid profiles by reducing total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides, while also increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
Numerous studies support including turmeric in your diet as a complementary approach to modern Western cardiovascular disease therapies.
When consuming turmeric as a whole food (as opposed to an extract), you can help increase you body’s absorption of curcumin by consuming in combination with black pepper.
🖤 Here’s how you can enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of TURMERIC, the everyday herbalism way:
- Find turmeric in our Hibiscus Orange Fire Cider Finishing Salt, a flavorful and tangy finishing salt made with all the goodness of immune-boosting fire cider and a couple of heart-healthy bonus herbs like hibiscus and rosehips.
- Make this Ginger Turmeric Honey to enjoy by the spoonful, stir into your black tea, or use in your salad dressings.
- This creamy fresh Ginger & Turmeric Salad Dressing is to die for. Drizzle liberally!
8. Motherwort
The lion-hearted one! Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) has a long history of association with heart health and emotional well-being due to it’s anti-inflammatory and relaxant properties.
Motherwort is another plant medicine rich in anti-inflammatory antioxidants. It’s a cooling and calming herb that can help to ease nervous tension, stress, and anxiety.
Accordingly, it can be particularly helpful for cardiac disorders due to stress such as anxiety-induced heart palpitations, as well as high blood pressure.
It’s often used to help strengthen the heart muscles to help increase resiliency against heart disease and its risk factors.
Motherwort is a very bitter plant, so it’s not often enjoyed as a tea or food. Instead, it’s most often taken as an extract (or tincture).
🖤 Here’s how you can enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of MOTHERWORT, the everyday herbalism way:
- If you don’t mind the bitter taste, try a motherwort tea. You can always sweeten with a bit of honey or your fave herbal electuary. Adding other tasty herbs like lemon balm or peppermint to your brew can also help.
- Make your own motherwort honey to stir into warm beverages or enjoy by the spoonful. First, powder dried motherwort in your blender or herb/coffee grinder. Then stir into honey. Start with a ratio of 3 parts honey to 1 part powdered motherwort and adjust to taste.
Love Your Heart with
Disco Nap Herbal Tea
A botanical blend for when you need a gentle-not-jolting, no-time-to-nap afternoon pick-me-up. Antioxidant-rich tart hibiscus is perfectly paired with uplifting mints, sweet cinnamon, & lemony lemongrass.
9. Cayenne
I think it’s time to spice it up in the name of heart health! Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) contains a compound known as capsaicin that’s responsible for many of its heart-health benefits.
It also happens to be the same compound that makes cayenne one spicy lil’ pepper!
Capsaicin has demonstrated potent anti-inflammatory capacities. In a world where inflammation is present in all of our lives and where chronic inflammation is a significant cause of heart disease, we need all the anti-inflammatory herb support we can get.
Cayenne has been shown to help keep blood vessels healthy, control blood flow, and may also help to strengthen the heart, arteries, capillaries, and nerves.
A 2017 study found that using cayenne to flavor your food may also help to cut back on salt usage, a helpful trick if you experience high blood pressure.
🖤 Here’s how you can enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of CAYENNE, the everyday herbalism way:
- Go big with raw cayenne pepper! Finely dice it up (seeds removed if you’d like to ease into the spice) and sprinkle it over your meals alone or add it to sauces, salsas, and marinades.
- Make your own hot sauce or purchase one with good-for-you ingredients.
- Enjoy a shot of fire cider every day. You can make your own or grab a bottle from your local herbalist.
- Got a bumper crop of hot peppers in your garden this year? Make your own hot pepper flakes or powders.
- Add a little pinch of cayenne and cinnamon to your hot chocolate. Too hot outside for hot chocolate? Add cayenne and cinnamon to this recipe and try it iced!
10. Rose
It’s the most classic symbol of love that there ever was! First and foremost, rose is for all matters of the heart.
Rose (Rosa spp.) is not only a long-standing mascot for the emotional heart, it also contains many compounds that help protect the physical heart as well.
A delightfully aromatic rose can help calm nerves, open hearts, and lift spirits. Studies have shown that just smelling a rose can result in a measurable decrease in blood pressure and the rate of breathing, as well increased blood oxygenation.
Taken internally, rose can also help to treat hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and can also serve to increase circulation.
For centuries, rose has been used as a gentle astringent to help tighten and tone inflamed tissues. The high bioflavonoid and antioxidant content of roses makes them great anti-inflammatories and a sweet antidote to the chronic inflammation that plagues us modern day humans.
🖤 Here’s how you can enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of ROSE, the everyday herbalism way:
- Enjoy a beautifully simple cup of rosebud tea.
- Make this Cinnamon-Rose Pear Upside-Down Cake.
- Take a bath in it! Try this Chamomile Rose Bathtub Tea.
- Try making your own rose water.
- Get fancy with these homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts with Pistachio & Rose.
- Sprinkle Summer Nights, a dried edible flower blend rich in pink & red rose petals, over your salads, soups, cocktails and mocktails, & more! (Or try our Don’t Forget the Flowers Edible Flower Finishing Salt!)
What other ways do you use these heart-healthy herbs in your every day?
Leave a comment below!
Benefits of Everyday Herbalism for Heart Health
Many of these heart-healthy herbs are beneficial to our cardiovascular health simply due to their ability to help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.
And while the herbs listed here are entirely beneficial for heart health, they have a whole slew of other science-backed health benefits too. Incorporating these herbs into your day through the foods you eat and beverages you drink is not only adding heart-health benefits, but whole body benefits as well.
That’s what everyday herbalism is all about, working small doses of medicinal herbs into your every day to support not only your intelligent heart, but your overall resilience over time.
And remember, practicing everyday herbalism is never a substitute for a healthy diet, good sleep hygeine, quality time in Nature, regular exercise, and all the other things that make us well humans.
A Cautionary Note on Herbal Medicine & Pharmaceuticals
The information provided here is meant for fun & educational purposes only. Our approached to everyday herbalism most often takes a tonic approach to herbalism. In other words, instead of taking specific doses of certain plant medicines to treat specific health conditions, we’re working all kinds of medicinal herbs into our everyday in small amounts meant to increase our over resiliency against immune-challenge and disease.
If you have cardiovascular disease or are treating serious risk factors like high blood pressure with prescribed pharmaceuticals, please consult with your licensed physician about incorporating new herbs into your every day.
Other References
- Evolutionary Herbalism by Sajah Popham
- The Secret Teachings of Plants by Stephen Harrod Buhner
- HeartMath Institute
