Tag Archives: Blood Pressure

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Vitamin E

Useful For:  Decrease in risk for hayfever, supports healing, good for skin and hair, increases heart health, regulates blood pressure.  As an antioxidant, it helps to protect against cancer.  It can also assist with lessening the effects of female hormonal issues (hot flashes and difficult menses).

Herbal Sources:  Alfalfa, Bladderwrack, Dandelion, Dong quai, Flaxseed, Nettle, Oatstraw, Raspberry Leaf, Rose Hips

Food Sources:  Wheat germ, whole grains, expeller-pressed vegetable oil, nuts and seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, sweet potatos, and brussel sprouts

Warnings:  High dosage Vitamin E (600-800 IU) should not be done without the oversight of a medical professional if you are on blood-thinners, have a bleeding disorder, or a Vitamin K deficiency.

 

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Hawthorn (Cratageus Oxacantha)

Name:  Hawthorn

Latin:  Cratageus oxacantha

Other Common Names:  Whitethorn, Ladies’ Meat, Quickthorn, Maytree, Mayblossom

Family:  Rosaceae

Parts Used:  Leaves, flowers, and fruit

Vitamins/Minerals:  Antioxidants

Used for:  Due to the antioxidants found in this herb, the medicinal uses for it are fairly expansive.  It is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, supports the immune system and the liver.  However, hawthorn’s particular strength is in what it does for the heart.  It has both a strengthening and a regulatory action, making it useful for a wide variety of heart conditions:  aging, weakened, damaged, angina, hypertension, arrhythmia, heart valve disease, arterial spasms, etc…  It can also be used to regulate blood pressure, aiding with both high and low.  It can help to prevent miscarriage.  It can also lessen the chance of strokes.  If used as a poultice, it has good drawing out properties.  The broad range of benefits and the fact that there is no overdose of it for practical use, when combined with the tasty flavour, makes this one of my favorite ingredients for teas.  Historically, hawthorn is an herb thought to increase longevity, and that is quite understandable, given the conditions it fights and the systems it supports.

Use in tandem with:  Oatstraw, Rose

Directions & Warnings:

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Cayenne (Capsicum)

Name:  Cayenne

Latin:  Capsicum

Other Common Names:

Family:

Parts Used:

Vitamins/Minerals:

Used for:  Cayenne is one of the “miracle herbs,” falling into the same category of niftiness as garlic and turmeric.  It is good for your digestion, and quite an assist to the circulatory system as well.  It helps to regulate your heart and blood pressure.  Used in conjunction with ginger, it can help to clear your sinuses and bronchial tubes; garlic increases the effects on blood pressure.  It helps to mitigate shock, and can help with clotting (internally).  It can also be used as a liniment for headaches and muscle aches.  It is also an intensifier when used with other herbs and spices, making them more effective.  Cayenne can also stimulate salivation, which can help with dry mouth.  It also increases metabolism, making it a good thing to include in foods when working on weight loss.  And rolling on through the myriad effects of cayenne, it is a healthier stimulant than caffeine, doing so through nutrition and a systemic revitalization rather than agitation.  The way in which it acts as a stimulant can also help with the emotional responses to stress.

Use in tandem with:  Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric

Directions & Warnings:

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Garlic (Allium sativum)

Name:  Garlic

Latin:  Allium sativum

Other Common Names:

Parts Used:  Bulb

Vitamins & Minerals:

Used for:  Garlic is one of the “magic” plants as far as its health effects and uses.  It mitigates the physical effects of stress.  It can lower high blood pressure.  A tea is good for sore throats, and can be used to lessen inflammation and infection in tonsilitis.  If used as a poultice on your chest (often in conjunction with onion), it can help with bronchitis and other chest ailments.  Along with being capable of lowering blood pressure, it can help to reduce your cholesterol, strengthen your heart, increase immune response, reduce stroke risk, and stabilize blood sugar.  Garlic and its relatives are a source of phytoestrogens, which not only reduce the risk of cancer, they can assist with the passage through menopause.  Garlic also has an antibiotic effect similar to penicillin, with the added benefit of not killing off the beneficial bacteria in the body.    Used in a cold poultice, it can help to lower swelling; as a hot poultice, can be used to help snakebites and wasp or hornet stings.  Crushed and packed in near a tooth, it can assist with toothache.  Most of the folkloric and historic beneficial effects of garlic have been proven scientifically.

Use in tandem with:  Hawthorn and Cayenne

Directions and Warnings:  As garlic is a natural blood-thinner, you should consult with a doctor before increasing the amount of garlic you consume, or using it in supplement form if you are on blood-thinning medication.