Published 7-05-08
“Dear Pharmacist,
I’ve had two heart attacks in four years. I am short of breath and tired; my doctors say I have congestive heart failure and severe blockages in the arteries that go to my heart. Are there natural heart remedies that really work at this stage of the game? I want to make it to my daughter’s wedding in November.”
–S.P., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
ANSWER: Yes, there are wonderful heart nutrients that I’ve seen work miracles in people who were literally sent home to die. Before we get to those, go to your kitchen and clean out the cabinets. Get rid of any foods and pastries that contain “trans fats” or the word “hydrogenated” on the label. That’s the stuff that clogs up your arteries and prevents blood from flowing to your heart (and brain).
If you want to loosen the gunk from your arteries, you’ll have to get used to the taste of tea, like green tea or red tea (Rooibos). Drink a cup daily so the natural ingredients can strip clean your arteries, and get rid of fatty deposits that are blocking blood flow. These teas also help preserve your vision and kidney function.
Hawthorne berry: It comes from plants. You can take supplements and fluid extracts or drink hawthorne tea. I love hawthorne—just don’t over do it. Hawthorne is more effective with time, not in large doses. It relaxes and widens your arteries so blood flows to and from your heart, improving circulation. This makes hawthorne essential for people with swollen ankles or cold hands and feet. Many well-designed clinical trials conclude that hawthorne is beneficial for people with congestive heart failure.
Arginine: Another powerful and inexpensive cardiac tonic –it’s actually an amino acid that increases blood flow to the heart, and all over. That’s why you find it in sex enhancement pills. Arginine unclogs arteries, increasing cardiac blood flow and making your arteries more elastic. Arginine relieves that feeling of being winded.
Coenzyme Q10: This antioxidant powers every heart beat and gives your cells some oxygen. It helps your heart beat in perfect rhythm.
Fish Oils or Cod Liver Oil: These provide essential fatty acids which help regulate cholesterol and blood pressure. Studies show that these supplements may prevent the gunk from building up and sticking to your arteries in the first place.
D- Ribose: A natural, simple sugar that you need to make energy. Ribose improves the pumping action of your heart and a study showed that it helped improve heart function in patients undergoing open heart surgery. Plus, it gives you more energy.
Magnesium: Reduces blood pressure and acts like a drug, I mean like ‘calcium channel blocker’ drugs. It balances out minerals and keeps your heart from going into a spasm.
Readers:
A study came out last week in The Journal of the American Heart Association and it proves what I’ve been telling you for years: Cholesterol that goes down too low can cause memory loss and dementia.
Suzy Cohen, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years and believes the best approach to chronic illness is a combination of natural medicine and conventional. She founded her own dietary supplement company specializing in custom-formulas, some of which have patents. With a special focus on functional medicine, thyroid health and drug nutrient depletion, Suzy is the author of several related books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, Diabetes Without Drugs, and a nationally syndicated column.
