“3H” Heart Healthy Herbs

According to, well, a lot of organizations (National Institutes of Health, Center for Disease Control, etc), February is American Heart Health Month. The American Heart Association indicates that then-President Lyndon Johnson first made this proclamation in 1964, after which every President since then has kept the tradition.

As it happens, there are a number of herbs that promote heart health and cardiovascular function. In honor of American Heart Health month, I thought I’d spotlight some of my favorites.

Hawthorn

The very top of my list of heart healthy herbs is hawthorn (Cratageous spp.). Hawthorn is a thorny shrub-like tree in the rose family native to America as well as northern Asia and Europe, reaching between 6-20 feet high. As there are myriad species of hawthorn, the leaves can take on a number of shapes including simple, toothed, lobed, or cut.11 Medicinally, the 5-petaled white or pink flowers, leaves, or fruits (known as “haws”) can be used. For a super tasty, therapeutic treat, try Herbalist and Alchemist’s Hawthorn Solid Extract – you’ll be licking the spoon clean!

heart healthy hawthorn tree and berries
Hawthorn tree and berry

Hawthorn is well known to strengthen the heart muscle. That is, it has an effect of increasing the force of the muscle’s ability to contract, thereby increasing coronary blood flow. It also promotes a more regular heartbeat, protects against heart (and blood vessel) tissue damage, and modulates blood pressure. If that weren’t enough, it’s also anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and may also help to lower cholesterol levels.2 Hawthorn LOVES your heart!

Hibiscus

For me, a close second to hawthorn for heart health is hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa). Hibiscus is a tropical plant in the mallow family that can reach a couple of feet high. In the Caribbean islands it is sometimes called Jamaican sorrel. The flowers are showy, typically red or pink, but the actual part used in medicine is what is known as the ‘calyx’. The calyx is basically the ‘cup’ of the flower that holds the petals. It is typically harvested just after the petals are spent/wilted.

heart healthy hibiscus calyx
Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx

Hibiscus, with its bright, red color, is very high in antioxidants. In the cardiovascular system, this translates to improving firmness and definition of blood vessels. As such, like hawthorn, hibiscus can help to lower blood pressure, reduce blood vessel damage (which inhibits atherosclerosis), and may also lower blood cholesterol. In terms of contrasting the two herbs, I think of hawthorn as specific to the heart muscle while hibiscus is more of a systemic cardiovascular tonic. Hibiscus is also very cooling, which can soothe hot tissue (or temper!).

Hibiscus tea has a distinct, tangy/tart/not-quite-sweet taste that people tend to either love or hate (I’m on the “love” side, while Mom is on the “not-so-much” side). It is often used in herbal tea blends – if your tea has any sort of red tone to it, there’s likely hibiscus in it.

Holy basil

I like alliteration, so I’ll sneak holy basil in as a third heart healthy herb. I wrote extensively about holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) in a previous blog post, but I can summarize here. Holy basil (sometimes called tulsi) is a mint-family herb that, in the right conditions, can grow to a few feet tall and get very bushy. Its seeds spread easily and thus the plant can become invasive (e.g., in my own garden!). But the bees love the tiny flowers on the stems, and the plant smells so good, that I welcome any volunteers.

heart healthy holy basil
Holy basil from my garden

In general, holy basil is an overall body tonic – adaptogenic (stress modulator), neuroprotective, hepatoprotective (liver), anti-inflammatory, immuno-supportive, as well as cardioprotective. With it’s distinctive, refreshing taste – not quite like mint but still has some zing – I like to pair it with the hawthown and hibiscus into what I like to call my “3H Heart Healthy Tea”. I also add a little stevia leaf (with its own blood sugar regulating action) to sweeten the blend a little and cut the tart hibiscus.

Other Heart Healthy Herbs

While those 3 are my favorite heart healthy herbs, I’ll briefly list a couple of runners up that also have positive effects on the cardiovascular system in various ways:

  • Garlic (Allium sativum) – Garlic is a great anti-inflammatory, circulatory stimulant, and cholesterol-lowering herb. Cook with it liberally, just be sure to crush the cloves to release the active constituents.
  • Cinnamon (Cinnamomum ssp.) – Cinnamon, with its warming characteristics, also promotes good circulation and tonifies blood vessels through its slight astringency. Cinnamon is also helpful in regulating blood sugar. I wrote about various different species of cinnamon in a previous blog post.
  • Motherwort (Leonarus cardiaca) – Like holy basil, motherwort is also in the mint family. With “cardiaca” right in the name, this is a great herb that soothes a nervous body by calming the heart muscle. I use motherwort for people experiencing stress through heart palpitations. By the way, “Leonarus” comes from the “lion’s tail”-like stem (see below).
heart healthy motherwort
Motherwort from my garden
  • Linden (Tilia spp.) – Lovely linden trees have tiny white flowers in the spring time. This is a mild tasting herb that is useful for relaxing the small blood vessels in the extremities, improving circulation. Therefore, linden may be useful for people with cold hands and feet.
  • Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) – Ginkgo trees are among the oldest trees around. Their distinctive leaves are useful for promoting circulation, particularly in increasing oxygen to the brain. That’s why you often see ginkgo used in formulas that promote brain health.
  • Prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) – Bark from prickly ash trees is overall stimulating – it’s warming “zing” can stimulate digestion as well as poor circulation. A “hotter” option than calming linden, prickly ash can also be useful for people with cold hands and feet, Raynaud’s disease, or even for nerve pain.
  • Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) – This tree’s seeds (nuts) are specifically indicated for what is called “venous insufficiency” of lower extremities. This is when the veins in the legs lose their muscle tone (in particular the valves that serve to move blood along), thereby reducing the ability to circulate blood back up toward the heart. Horse chestnut promotes healthy venous tissue to restore function, and is useful for people with varicose or spider veins.

Those are just some of my favorite heart healthy herbs, in a nutshell. If you’d like any more detailed information about any of them, have any questions, or would like additional support in improving your own cardiovascular health, drop me a line.

Happy American Heart Month!

  1. Mars, B. (2016) The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine. The Ultimate Multidisciplinary Reference to the Amazing Realm of Healing Plants, in a Quick-Study, One-Stop Guide (Second Edition). Basic Health Publications, Inc. ↩︎
  2. Braun, L., Cohen, M. (2015) Herbs and Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Guide (Fourth Edition). Elsevier. ↩︎

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