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Hearts Love Herbs
by author Keith Stelling, MNIMH, Dip Phyto, MCPP (Eng)

You can’t think about heart herbs, especially during the month of February, without thinking of heartsease, the little three-coloured wild pansy (Viola tricolor). So if your problem is a broken heart, details of using heartsease as a love potion are described in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

For many people, however, heart problems aren’t just of the romantic variety. In their work on phytotherapy and the cardiovascular system, Cahiers de Phytothèrapie Clinique, Drs Duraffourd and Lapraz warn of the tremendous complexities underlying heart disease. As an example from my own practice, when working with a patient in conjunction with her doctor, I gradually learned that her heart problem was related to a thyroid problem, which, in turn, was related to difficulty assimilating an artificial sweetener commonly used in coffee or tea. This is a good example of why it is worthwhile finding a medical herbalist who, in consultation with a cardiologist, can find a range of medicinal plants specifically suited for you.

Linden

Among the heart-friendly preventive herbs, linden (Tilia) is most remarkable. The sweetly scented blossoms of this gracious tree impart to us the ability to internally maintain our own blood vessels. Modern French research on linden indicates that this herbal remedy (also known as lime blossom, Lindenblume in German and Tieull in French) is capable of preventing the aggregation of platelets in the bloodstream and maintaining the smooth, non-stick inner lining of the blood vessels themselves. The flowers are made into a tea using one teaspoon (two to four grams) per cup. Three cups per day may be drunk.

Hawthorn

The Belgian Compendium de Phytothèrapie is very specific about the effects of hawthorn (Cratageus oxycantha) for light forms of cardiac insufficiency. The flavonoids in hawthorn are responsible for coronary arterial dilation. Studies on animals show that alcoholic extracts of Crataegus will also lower arterial pressure between 10 and 60 millimetres of mercury. The herb has the ability to relieve some cardiac symptoms such as shortness of breath on exertion, tachycardia (rapid heart rate), light or moderate angina and (indirectly) high blood pressure. But don’t stop taking your heart medicine just because you read this article. Hawthorn must be given over a prolonged period of time, and it’s safest to work with a team of qualified health professionals.

Lily-of-the-Valley

Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis) is not a plant that should be self-prescribed for heart disease. Convallaria is a very useful professional tool when directed, according to the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, at "edema of cardiac origin and congestive heart failure as well as cardiac asthma." It is a cardio-tonic and has a digitalis-like action, sometimes being used successfully as a substitute for part or all of the drug. But the dose is extremely critical. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia states 0.5 to one ml of the 1:5 tincture. This means that such a precise dose is impossible to make without professional help. So don’t start making lily-of-the-valley salad or you could soon be in the valley pushing up lilies!

Valerian

In a case of an elevated heart rhythm, the fresh plant juice of valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is appropriate for use. Sometimes the muscle-relaxing properties of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) are also used. Duraffourd and Lapraz have laid out protocols for the treatment of cardiac insufficiency using valerian as well.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe (Viscum album), another herb of great popularity, is a cardiac depressant, a sedative and a hypotensive. It is also useful as an anti-tumoural agent, according to the respected American authority N.R. Farnsworth. But the more recent European publication, Max Wichtl’s Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals: A handbook for practice on a scientific basis, states, "There are no real grounds for the use of mistletoe tea as a supportive measure in treating high blood pressure, in spite of the many investigations aimed at supporting an antihypertonic action. The results of animal experiments are contradictory and do not allow extrapolation to human medicine. It has indeed been shown that the isolated [plant constituents] are hypotensive on parenteral administration [ie, injection], but they cannot be considered as the active principle, since they are not absorbed orally." So you can take your pick of authorities: British or German.

From a psychological standpoint, our hearts suffer most from emotions such as anger and bitterness. Such negative emotions have to be replaced with love, respect and self-esteem before a heart patient can be unencumbered of his or her mental burden. There is an old English saying: "Be of good heart." It means, "Be courageous." Fear is a great destroyer of the heart. Many fears never come to pass, and imagining a negative outcome wastes energy. So remember to take courage–be of good heart!

Keith Stelling was recently awarded a lifetime membership in the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy (England). He is presently completing a book on herbal medicine.

Source: alive #232, February 2002