Dr. Steele: Ever wonder what heart healthy herbs are? , tune in to find out. My name is Dr. Eric Steele. I am a holistic doctor in family practice. I hold six degrees in my field and they’re all in the natural healthcare space. And so let’s talk about heart healthy herbs. So there’s several herbs that have been used for.
Eons to be able to support heart health. However, it’s important to note that there’s more research oftentimes needed to confirm their effectiveness and their safety. I, in my practice, use bio-individual data, meaning that when I am recommending something, I will take a baseline lab, then I will put the natural agent in place, and then I will do a follow up lab.
And that way it’s in real time. I’m able to see and track the progress over time. There’s a huge need for larger studies, larger non-biased studies as well. It’s very important that we get more information out there, and I’m hoping to help to advance our field from a scientific perspective. It’s always good to consult a holistic health provider such as a naturopath or even some chiropractors who are trained in function.
Some MDs are also trained in functional medicine as well before taking any herbs or supplements. It’s really important because they’re gonna have that medical training. A lot of us go through biochemistry. We go through the sciences and just go to an herbalist wall. They are very knowledgeable about herbs.
They’re not knowledgeable about how this can impact you, which can put you at greater risk. So now let’s jump into these herbs. Garlic. So garlic has been used for centuries to support heart health, and it’s believed to help lower blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels and even reduce the risk of blood clots.
It’s also an antimicrobial as well, meaning it’s helpful to reduce viruses, bacteria, all kinds of different things. So it’s a real heavy hitter. It’s used for a lot of different items for the body. Hawthorne that’s a commonly used herb. Been used to improve circulation and reduce symptoms of heart disease, it may even help to lower blood pressure and improve the strength of the heart muscle.
The third herb that we’re gonna talk about is an Ayurvedic herb. Hopefully I don’t butcher it. It’s goo goo goo lu. And that’s been traditionally used to support heart health. It may be seen to help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. So now we’ll jump into a couple supplements.
So fish oil. Fish oil is a naturally rich source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, which has been shown to have a beneficial effect on heart health by reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the risk of blood clots. Five, coenzyme q10. Coq 10 is a natural antioxidant that’s found in every cell of the body.
It’s also a network antioxidant, so it’s one of the powerful antioxidants. I’ll do a video on network antioxidants if you’re interested in that. It’s been shown to have a beneficial effect on heart health by reducing the risk of heart disease, hypertension, and helping to decrease muscle damage, especially caused by statin drugs.
Statin drugs. If you’re taking a statin to reduce cholesterol, statins actually take out half the body’s electron transport chain, the body’s ability to detoxify. So that’s why it’s incredibly important that if you are taking a statin drug that you also use co, co-enzyme 10. And so we can have another conversation about statin drugs.
But for now, that’s where I’ll leave that. Turmeric is also a really good herb that contains curcumin which has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and has multiple antioxidant properties. And it may also help to reduce the risk of heart disease by improving the function of the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels.
It’s important to note that herbs and supplements may interact with medications and can have side effects. It’s also important to note that your allopathic doctor, meaning your medical doctor, Is not trained in the use of herbs or supplements. That is holistic. Doctors such as myself, naturopathic doctors, we are the ones that are trained in this particular area.
So it’s important to consult with a holistic healthcare provider such as a naturopath before taking any herbs and supplements so that we can advise you based on your lab work what you can and cannot have. Because there’s so many different interactions in that, and you wanna make sure that you’re.
Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Awesome. So go ahead and like to share and subscribe if you wanna learn more.
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