Among the top 10 prescribed drugs in the United States 3 of them are heart related, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Not only does 30% of the top prescribed drugs include heart related illnesses, but even the number 1 position.

Pharmaceutical drugs are vastly prescribed to help with heart related issues, but they come at a price. The #1 most prescribed drug is Lipitor which is a statin to reduce cholesterol. However, permanent liver and kidney damage can result from the medication.

For those that aren’t suffering from severe heart disease can often use herbs as alternatives to drugs, as well as use for preventative care. Additionally, there are no drug-herb interactions when using herbs in conjunction with heart medications. This will allow you to better control your symptoms and in time lower the medications you are on.

High Cholesterol

High cholesterol is one of the leading causes of heart problems. Improper diet, lack of exercise, and quality of foods lead to a reverse balance of cholesterol density. Low density cholesterol or low density lipoprotein (LDL) increases and start attaching as plaque to your vessel walls which lead to later heart problems. It is high cholesterol that has lead to ‘antihyperlipidemic’ medication the #1 most prescribed drug in the US.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a silent killer in the world as it is often accompanied with little to no symptoms. Additionally, high blood pressure can be idiopathic, meaning there isn’t always a cause or reason why you have high blood pressure.

Lack of Circulation

Circulation can be a problem on many different levels. Lack of circulation to the heart muscles can lead to a heart attack. Poor circulation can lead to other problems with the extremities and water retention which can increase blood pressure as well.

Food & Supplement Consideratoin

Vitamin D: Most of the body’s vitamin D requirements are met by the skin in response to sun exposure. Other less potent sources of vitamin D include foods such as salmon, sardines, cod liver oil, and vitamin D-fortified foods like milk and some cereals

Vitamin E: an important micronutrient involved in the protection of LDL from oxidation. Foods high in vitamin E include wheat germ, almonds, sunflower seeds and dark leafy greens.

Vitamin C supplements have been suggested to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering blood pressure, preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, and reducing blood cholesterol levels. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, mango, broccoli, tomato, and sweet red peppers.

Bioflavonoids are powerful antioxidants found in many of the same foods as vitamin C. These include red bell peppers, strawberries, citrus fruits, broccoli, brussel sprouts, garlic, spinach and green tea

Vitamins: A diet high in grains, fruits, and vegetables is advised to assure adequate intake of these vitamins. Vitamin B3 is found in mostly animal-derived foods like chicken, pork, beef liver, salmon, swordfish and mackerel, but you can also get niacin from bran, seeds, peanuts, wild rice, brown rice, peas, almonds, barley, peanuts and whole wheat

Vitamin B6 is found in wheat germ, soybeans, bananas, avocados, lima beans, lentils, sunflower seeds, walnuts, buckwheat, watermelon, peanuts, meats, fish, poultry, whole grains and potato skins

Vitamin B9 (folic acid) is typically found in many plant-based foods like soybeans, dark-green leafy vegetables, rice, kelp, asparagus and oranges

DHA/EPA: Clinical evidence suggests that EPA and DHA help reduce risk factors for heart disease, including high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The best foods to get these nutrients from are fatty fish including mackerel, anchovies, sardines, salmon, and tuna n-It is recommended to consume fish up to twice per week to ensure you are getting adequate omega 3 fatty acids. These nutrients can also be found in smaller quantities from plant sources such as flax seed, walnuts, beans and dark leafy greens.

Herbs for these Conditions

There are 5 main herbs that cover most heart health issues and biomedically act in similar mannerisms that pharmaceuticals use to treat these conditions:

Shan Zha- Shan Zha is Hawthron Berry and is the king of all herbs for heart health. Hawthron Berry is a complete heart tonic. This herb actually increases blood flow to the heart muscles, benefits circulation to lower blood pressure, and has marked effects at lowering cholesterol. Shan Zha is an excellent heart tonic and can be taken every day to treat or prevent heart ailments.

Jue Ming Zi – Jue Ming Zi is Cassia Seed. Jue Ming Zi has years of research showing beneficial cardiovascular effects. Its main contribution is reducing bad cholesterol levels in the body and fighting arteriolosclerosis. However, this herb does has a diuretic effect that helps lower blood pressure as well.

Ze Xie – Alisma is often used in Chinese Medicine for urology health. Because it has beneficial diuretic effects it is added to formulas to help control blood pressure by regulating water metabolism. This is also a commonly used method in pharmaceutical drugs to help control blood pressure. n nDan Shen – Salvia is another herb to always add to a heart health formula. Dan Shen has special tonic effects to blood as well as circulation. Through modern research we know this herb not only increases circulation through the body, but also increases circulation directly to the heart.

Tian Ma / Gou Teng – Gastrodia and Uncaria are another set of useful herbs and are a set of quality herbs to dilate blood vessels in the periphery of the body. This is not only beneficial in lowering blood pressure, but can be used specifically to help those with poor circulation to the hands and feet. These two herbs are used together due to their synergy ability in combination and are very useful as hypertensives. n nXia Ku Cao – Spica Prunella is another anti-hypertensive herb that is invaluable in a formula for high blood pressure. Xia Ku Cao is best paired with Jue Ming Zi as the combination is effective for many heart problems both cholesterol and hypertensive related. Spica Prunella is also handy for clearing side effects of high blood pressure like red eyes, headaches, flushing.

If you want to find quality herbal supplements for heart health that utilize these herbs above visit dimmakherbs.com, you can get a quality supplement complete with everything you need, or order individual herbs directly from them. They offer a quality Heart Health Supplement, High Blood Pressure Remedy, and Cholesterol Natural Remedy.

And finally a short video for a quick and easy heart healthy tea!

The liver is one of the most important organs in the body. As the largest internal organ, it is no surprise that the liver plays many vital roles in the operation and maintenance of a healthy body.  The liver acts as the primary filtration organ in the body as well as producing a number of vital hormones, secretions, and blood components, which makes maintaining a healthy liver a top priority for anyone concerned about overall health.

One of the easiest ways to improve liver health is to avoid heavy drinking. The liver processes alcohol and excessive drinking puts a massive amount of stress on the liver. This is why the body feels continually worse after days of drinking, as the liver has not had time to recover. Additionally, heavy drinking inhibits the livers other functions like producing clotting factor – the cells that help to stop bleeding – and the production of bile and albumin, which is the primary component in blood serum. Taking a week off from drinking will give the liver time to recover and get back to normal, which will improve overall health.

In addition to limiting consumption of alcoholic drinks, many foods are good for liver health. Dark green vegetables like broccoli, kale, and brussel sprouts are good for the liver. Vegetables like carrots and beets are also good for the liver, as they contain anti-oxidants like beta-carotene and numerous flavanoids.  Other food groups that help to keep the liver healthy and functioning properly include nuts, legumes, and seeds. Both nuts and seeds have good natural oils in them and other good oils that are good for the liver include fish oil, which can be taken as a supplement or obtained through eating oily fish. Small fish like herring and sardines are oily fish, as is fresh tuna. Canned tuna is not an oily fish because the oil is drained from the meat prior to canning.

Other foods are not good for the liver and should be avoided or consumed in low quantities. Highly refined sugar is bad for the liver and foods that contain it should be avoided or kept to a minimum. Many processed foods contain high amounts of refined sugar including soda, breads, candy, conventional peanut butter, and others.  In addition to refined sugars, many oils are also extremely bad for the liver. In fact, “bad” oils have been found to be as damaging on the liver as alcohol and can result in non-alcohol fatty liver disease. Saturated fats, hydrogenated oils, canola oil, corn oil, and other vegetable oils should be avoided as much as possible.
While not a food, green tea and white tea are extremely good for the entire the body including the liver. Green and white teas contain large amounts of antioxidants. Green tea has proven in medical testing to reduce the fattiness of the liver – one of the biggest liver problems – improve overall liver function, and it reverses declines in antioxidant defenses.

Proper liver function is necessary in order to be healthy. The liver plays numerous essential roles in the functioning of the body, and without properly caring for the liver, the rest of the body will suffer.  Luckily, much of what is necessary for maintaining full-body health is also necessary for maintaining liver health. By maintaining a good diet and giving the liver a little extra TLC, it will not be difficult to attain a very high level of health.

Herbs provide a good deal of help with liver health. Herbs have been used for many years for liver ailments and health, so there is a good proven track record to attain some quality natural ingredients for effective help. Lets look at some common liver herbs:

Milk Thistle: Okay so an obvious one, but here is what I really love about this herb: Its undisputed. Many herbs, and herbalism in general, are often tossed aside as ‘voodoo’, but here is a classic example where the research proves what the herb does. Milk Thistle may do more than you think. It is not just for ongoing liver health and protection; but also can lower liver enzymes, and help repair the liver. It is important to buy a good herbal formula with other herbs to support the Milk thistle and increase its effectiveness. Also, the company or formulator needs to understand the bioavailability of Milk Thistle and its notorious bad absorbency. The formula should be tailored to give you correct amount of Milk Thistle herb for optimum performance.

Yin Chen Hao / Wormwood: Its quite possible that Yin Chen Hao is/was the Chinese equivalent to Milk Thistle? Although the Milk Thistle plant does grow in spots in Asia, its not a prominent herb there likely due to the scarce crops. Wormwood however grows abundantly and works so well that it may have been that no one was looking for an alternative. Yin Chen Hao is effective for hepatitis, jaundice, high liver enzymes, and repairing your liver. Yin Chen Hao is probably less effective at long term protection compared to Milk Thistle, but may take the reigns in liver repair and regeneration.

Dan Shen / Salvia: Now we are getting into herbs that others fail to think about in liver health. The blood aspect is sometimes overlooked, but it is the blood that interacts with the liver, or rather they are one in the same often. When we look to clean, increase quality, increase quantity, and increase circulation of blood you are effectively improving liver function. Dan Shen is an excellent herb that more or less deals with all of these aspects, therefore being an ‘all-in-one’ herb for the liver (when used with Milk Thistle and Yin Chen Hao). Salvia increase circulation of blood to the liver and heart and is researched to be hepatoprotective, or give lasting liver protection.

Dang Gui / Dong Quai / Angelica Sinensis: Dang Gui is making the last cut of herbs here to further show the point of blood and liver interrelation. Dong Quai is very connected with the blood and its ability to increase quality and quantity. Dong Quai also has effects of movement of the blood making it an excellent blood herb. Modern research shows its great effects in liver health and protection-further showing our connection of the two.

When preforming a liver cleanse or liver detox you should look to make sure a quality formula and strategy is put together, not just a single herb of Milk Thistle. This is also true with a liver health supplement, get a formula not a single herb pill to make the most of liver health. If you are taking a holistic approach you should take a wholeistic approach and work on the whole liver to increase protection, function, and regeneration.

Having irregular bowel movements can be a sign of numerous health issues. Getting to the point where one is having regular bowel movements is one of the best forms of feedback one can get in determining that their diet and digestive tract are operating properly and efficiently. The body excretes what it consumes and a lot can be learned from irregularities in bowel movements. Additionally, in Chinese Medicine we often ask many questions about the stool as it is a clue to the health of the inside of the body.  Luckily, having regular bowel movements is not too difficult, as it is the natural way the body is meant to work. Outlined below are a few simple tips for helping restore the natural rhythm of your digestive system.

One method for helping to have regular bowel movements is to try to have a bowel movement at a regular time. Even if the urge is not there, sitting down and trying to have a movement at a predetermined time every day will help to train your body that that is the time at which it should be having a bowel movement. For many people, having a bowel movement in the morning before showering is the optimal time to do so. Therefore, sitting down and attempting to have a bowel movement before bathing in the morning is a good choice; however, it does not matter at what time one tries to have a bowel movement as long as it is consistent. Attempting to have a movement in the morning one day only to attempt one in the afternoon the following day will not help with improving the regularity of the movement.

In addition to regularity in terms of frequency, having a regular and proper consistency is vital. If the stool is too hard or too soft, it is a sign of poor movement through the large intestine. For example, if the stool is too soft or is watery it means that the stool passed through the large intestine too quickly and enough water was not absorbed back into the body.  This is getting you on the track of diarrhea. With long term loose or watery stool can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. On the other hand, an extremely dry and hard stool means that it took too long to pass through the large intestine and too much water was absorbed back into the body. Hard stools can cause many issues with your health. Dry stools often cause pain and bearing down which lead to hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and pain. Pain will often make you put off eliminating your stool even more. Worst of all, the large intestine is mainly an organ of absorption. This means there is fecal matter in there that is beginning to rot and overgrow with bad bacteria, these toxins can then start to absorb into your body.

One of the best things to do for maintaining proper stool properties is to have a diet with plenty of fiber. Fiber can be found in many foods including whole grain breads, crackers, cereals, and pasta. Additionally, many food products are fortified with fiber. Another popular choice for people are supplements like psyllium and flax. These bulking agents contain lots of fiber and are great at absorbing toxins and such in order to be eliminated. Flax seed also contains essential Omega-3 fatty acids. This makes flax seed itself a double action supplement that is great for daily use!

Maintaining a well balanced diet and eating regularly is vital to having regular bowel movements. If eating is sporadic and inconsistent, the body will be digesting foods at different times. For example, if you happen to eat a big meal late at night some days but not others, the food that is eaten late at night will be moving through the digestive tract at a different time than on days when you eat at regular intervals throughout the day. In addition to eating at consistent times, maintaining a balanced diet will do wonders for maintaining regular bowel movements. Skewing a diet too far in one direction will have an adverse affect on the entire digestive tract. For example, eating too much dairy and fats will result in a tight, soft, and oily stool when compared to a balanced diet. Optimum health is found with consistent eating habits (especially when time is taken to sit and enjoy your food, not eating while driving or working etc.) and eating a wide diverse amount of foods.

Lets talk about some herbs and various usages. There are a few different categories for herbs when it comes to producing regular stools. Here are the different ways you can categorize the herbs:

Purgatives: Purgatives are herbs that we use to induce bowel movements. Herbs have different ways of doing this like: strongly stimulating peristalsis or flooding the large intestine with water. Purgatives are commonly used for short term issues and should be prescribed by herbalists or used only when needed and for short term use. Purgatives can cause dependency and other issues if used incorrectly. When used in balanced formulas in small amounts some purgative herbs can be used long term.

Non-dependant Laxatives: Non-dependant laxatives are just as the name says. Unlike purgatives, non-dependant laxatives provide help to the bowel to help keep you regular. These herbs have a little bit of many different functions like moistening the bowels, lightly inducing peristalsis, providing bulk and more. When used correctly these herbs can be used to create a regularity of the bowel.

Moistening Herbs: Moistening herbs are the safest of all the herbs. Most of these ‘herbs’ are seeds and therefore many foods do the same actions as the herbs. These seeds and herbs have oils and other properties to them that moisten your large intestine. This is the most important category for elderly people.

These 3 categories can typically categorize all the different herbs used for constipation and promoting bowel movements. Here are some popular herbs for each category:

Rhubarb Root / Da Huang: Rhubarb root is a strong purgative and is very effective at promoting bowel movements. This is the number one herb used in Chinese Medicine for excess constipation that needs a quick remedy. When the problem is related to dryness with the stool, then more herbs need to be used to increase water in the large intestine for a bowel movement to avoid pain, like Mang Xiao. Da Huang is not recommended for long term especially by itself or with few herbs. As this herb has other good functions it is used in smaller amounts in formulas for bowel health for longer periods of time and is often an ingredient in colon cleansers.

Cascara Sagrada: Cascara Sagrada is a famous western herb used as a laxative. I categorize this as a non-dependant laxative. Cascara Sagrada effectively moistens the bowel, provides some bulk and light peristalsis to be a reliable herb for bowel movements and creating regularity. This herb is easily found and should be a main ingredient in most formulas. Since it isn’t as strong it is a perfect fit to be a main ingredient when taking a formula longer term.

Huo Ma Ren / Canabis Seed: I am using Huo Ma Ren as an example for moistening the large intestine herbs because it is by far the most prescribed medicinal herb for this purpose. In my opinion Flax Seed would be the closest food that people take on their own. These herbs are important in long term stool regularity and should be used to create continued results. As I have previously stated, these are the most important herbs for the elderly as dryness is the issue here.

A note on Senna Leaf / Fan Xie Ye: I would like to put a note in here regarding Senna Leaf as it is widely used and popular. Senna is a very dependant herb and a strong laxative. Additionally, Senna has recent research showing it has cancerous properties. Although this is also a Chinese Herb it is highly discouraged from use due to recent research on the herb. I highly recommend not taking this herb, ESPECIALLY long term.

Remember that bowel movements are the major way that your body gets rid of waste out of your body. Not only can a daily bowel movement encourage the removal of toxins from your body, but also prevent the stool from actually adding toxins into the body.

For those looking for quality premade formulas on the market. Whether you have any kind of issue with bowel movements you want to correct, taking pain medication that is causing constipation, or wanting to easily kickstart off a clean colon you should look at a well balanced formula with proven results and is safe, I recommend a Bowel Tonic. Additionally, a bowel flush or colon cleanser may be needed to clear the intestines of old waste so you can start fresh.