Heart health is a significant topic for me. After I had covid in September 2021, my overall health deteriorated. I had an auto-immune disease and was lucky to live through nearly a month of severe illness, followed by long-haul covid.
My long-haul covid symptoms included fatigue, irregular menstrual cycles, cognitive impairment, respiratory decline, and heart health deterioration. Not to mention, heart disease runs in my family, and I have a 79% increased likelihood of hypertension, according to my genetic results. I wrote this original article pre-covid but dug even deeper while struggling with long-haul covid.
Pre-covid, I was pretty healthy despite a long list of illnesses I had overcome. My lifestyle was filled with healthier choices influencing my health. I genuinely believe this affected my ability to survive covid and manage my dreadful symptoms at home, naturally. Learn more about my experience with covid here.
For nearly a year after covid, my Apple Watch recorded my resting heart rate as low as 40 BPM with a heart variable in the teens. So I made some changes and will share them with you today.
What Is Heart Disease?
The heart beats about 2.5 billion times in the average lifetime and pushes millions of gallons of blood to every body part. As the heart moves blood throughout the body, it carries oxygen, fuel, hormones, and other essential compounds for everyday living (1).
When the heart stops working correctly, we often hear the diagnosis of heart disease. Heart disease usually refers to several heart conditions associated with their own set of symptoms (2).
Types of Heart Disease:
Coronary artery disease
Arrhythmia
Congenital heart defect
Heart valve disease
A disease of the heart muscle
Heart infection
Sometimes the blood supply that normally nourishes the heart with oxygen is cut off, and the heart muscle begins to die; this is called a heart attack (3). The most common cause of a heart attack is plaque buildup in the arteries, also known as atherosclerosis, preventing blood from reaching the heart muscle. Heart attacks can also be caused by blood clots or torn blood vessels and, less commonly, from a blood vessel spasm (4).
"It's estimated that every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a heart attack (5)."
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for one death every 36 seconds (6). Approximately 659,000 people die annually from heart disease in the United States (7).
Causes of Heart Disease (8):
Coronary artery disease
Diabetes
Drug abuse
Excessive use of alcohol or caffeine
Heart defects you're born with (congenital heart defects)
High blood pressure
Smoking
Some over-the-counter medications, prescription medications, dietary supplements
Stress
Valvular heart disease
Risk Factors For Heart Disease (9):
Advancing age, especially those 65 or older. While heart attacks can strike people of both sexes in old age, women are at greater risk of dying.
Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women.
Those with a parent with heart disease are more likely to develop heart disease.
African-Americans have higher blood pressure and heart disease risk than Caucasians. Heart disease risk is also heightened among Mexican-Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians, and some Asian-Americans–partly due to familial lifestyles and cuisines.
One similarity between nearly all of these is the ability to prevent them. Of course, heart disease can be caused by genetic and lifestyle factors, but our genetics load the gun while our lifestyle choices pull the trigger.
So what can we do to prevent these types of things from happening? Start by knowing your numbers!
Know Your Numbers
Knowing your numbers means knowing and understanding your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. These are known as metabolic factors. Studies have observed metabolic factors of cardiovascular disease, including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia (low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol or high triglyceride levels), and hypercholesterolemia (high total or low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol) (10).
Blood Pressure
Your blood pressure is recorded as two numbers-systolic blood pressure (the first number) and diastolic blood pressure (the second number). Systolic blood pressure indicates how much pressure your blood exerts against your artery walls when the heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure indicates how much pressure your blood exerts against your artery walls while the heart rests between beats. Standard blood pressure numbers of less than 120/80 mm Hg are considered within the normal range. If your results fall into this category, stick with heart-healthy habits like following a balanced diet and regular exercise (11).
Blood Sugar
Blood sugar, or glucose, is the primary sugar found in the blood. The body gets glucose from the food we eat. This sugar is an essential energy source and provides nutrients to the body's organs, muscles, and nervous system. The absorption, storage, and production of glucose are regulated constantly by complex processes involving the small intestine, liver, and pancreas. 80 to 99 milligrams of sugar per deciliter before and 80 to 140 mg/dl after a meal is typical (12).
Cholesterol
Cholesterol comes from two sources. Your liver makes all the cholesterol you need. The remainder of the cholesterol in your body comes from animal products. For example, meat, poultry, and dairy products contain dietary cholesterol. Cholesterol circulates in the blood. As the amount of cholesterol in your blood increases, so does the risk to your health. High cholesterol contributes to a higher risk of cardiovascular events like heart disease and stroke. That’s why it’s crucial to have your cholesterol tested so that you can know your levels.
The two types of cholesterol are LDL cholesterol, which is terrible, and good HDL. Too much of the wrong kind, or not enough of the good kind, increases the risk cholesterol will slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. The average LDL level for an adult man or woman is less than 100mg/dL. The average HDL level for an adult man is more than 40mg/dL and 50mg/dL for a woman (13).
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are not cholesterol but part of a lipoprotein panel (the test that measures cholesterol levels). Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) found in your blood. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn't need to use right away into triglycerides. The triglycerides are stored in your fat cells. Later, hormones release triglycerides for energy between meals. A normal triglyceride level is below 150 mg/dL (14).
After you have an understanding of your numbers, you can start working on lifestyle changes to promote optimal heart health.
How to Naturally Promote Heart Health
There are so many factors to consider when supporting heart health. Of course, not every option is possible for everyone, which is okay. Understanding moderation and taking steps to better your lifestyle choices is the best any of us can do. None of us are perfect; that’s what makes us human. Here is a starting point to supporting heart health naturally. These are the things I’ve found beneficial in my heart health recovery, backed by science.
1. If You Smoke Cigarettes, Quit
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable diseases and death here in the United States. Cigarette smoke is a toxic mix of more than 7,000 chemicals. When you inhale these chemicals, the blood that is distributed to the rest of the body becomes contaminated with those 7,000 chemicals and damages your heart and blood vessels, which can cause an array of health conditions like:
Coronary Heart Disease
Cardiovascular Disease
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
Heart Attack
Stroke
Aneurysms
Peripheral Artery Disease
When you quit smoking, there are short-term and long-term health qualities like:
Twenty minutes after you quit smoking, your heart rate starts to drop back to an average rate.
Twelve hours after you quit smoking, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops back to normal, allowing more oxygen to reach vital organs like your heart.
Four years after you quit smoking, your risk of stroke drops to that of a lifetime nonsmoker.
The worst part is that this isn’t just for smokers; this is also for those exposed to second and third-hand smoke (15).
2. Choose Real, Plant-Based Foods
Whole foods include natural foods that are not heavily processed. Natural food products are real, unrefined, or minimally refined (i.e., whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes). . I choose plant-based, whole foods because a plant-based diet can be good for your heart. There are several types of plant-based lifestyles, but not all of them are healthy. To learn the benefits of adopting a plant-based lifestyle, check out my article Why Adopt A Plant-Based Lifestyle, here.
“If you’re eating mostly or only fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains, and meat substitutes… you may cut your odds of getting heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, compared to a diet that includes a lot more meat (16).”
3. Reduce Salt Intake
Extra sodium (salt) in the bloodstream pulls water into your blood vessels, which increases the total amount (volume) of blood inside them. With more blood flowing through your blood vessels, blood pressure rises. Over time, high blood pressure may overstretch or injure the blood vessel walls and speed up plaque build-up leading to a heart attack.
“Eating less sodium can reduce your risk for high blood pressure and bloating and stave off other effects of too much salt. And did you know that reducing sodium in the food supply could save money and lives? One study suggested that if Americans moved to an average intake of 1,500 mg/day of sodium, it could result in a 25.6 percent overall decrease in blood pressure and an estimated $26.2 billion in health care savings. Another study projected that achieving this goal would reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease by anywhere from 500,000 to nearly 1.2 million over the next 10 years (17)."
The approximate amounts of sodium in a given amount of salt is:
1/4 teaspoon salt = 575mg sodium
1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,150mg sodium
3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,725mg sodium
1 teaspoon salt = 2,300mg sodium
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,3000mg of sodium per day and is leaning more towards an ideal limit of 1,500mg per day for an adult (18). If you're going to use salt, personally, I recommend sticking to pink salt since it's minimally processed.
4. Cut Down On Saturated Fats
Saturated fats are fat modules with no double bonds between carbon molecules due to their saturation of hydrogen molecules. Eating foods that contain saturated fats can raise your cholesterol levels and lead to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
The American Heart Association recommends aiming for a 5-6% caloric intake from saturated fats (i.e., if you eat 2,000 calories per day, no more than 120 calories should come from saturated fats) (19).
Some foods that contain saturated fat:
Lamb
Pork
Poultry (with skin)
Beef fat
Lard and cream
Butter
Cheese
In other words, avoid or limit animal products to help cut down on saturated fat intake.
5. Limit Processed Foods
Processed foods are loaded with sodium and phosphorus. Studies have shown that high phosphorus and sodium intake may harm the kidneys (20). Processed meats have been linked to chronic diseases such as high blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (21). Additionally, ultra-processed foods such as packaged snacks, sugary cereals and drinks, chicken nuggets, and instant soup have been linked to poor heart health and a 12 percent increased risk of cardiovascular events (22).
6. Limit White Bread
Studies have linked grain intake in refined carbohydrates like white bread and white rice to lower the risk of heart disease. Unfortunately, refined carbohydrates are highly processed, and in that process, nutritional components like whole grains, fiber, and minerals are removed (23).
7. Limit Fast Food
Fast food is usually nothing but processed garbage. A study found that consuming fast food as little as once a week increased the risk of dying from coronary heart disease by 20 percent. That same risk can increase up to 50 percent if you eat fast food two or three times a week (24).
It may be fast and convenient now, but it also may be fatal later!
8. Understanding Heart-Healthy Foods
There’s so much controversy over heart-healthy foods. One source says to avoid eggs, while the next states to eat them frequently. Some older studies back this up, but eggs are not as heart-healthy as we once thought. Recent studies have found eggs to increase the risk of coronary artery calcium scores, a measure of heart disease risk, an increased risk of obesity and diabetes, and hypertension (25,26).
So why does the American Heart Association have nearly 40 recipes on their “Healthy Recipe” tab with egg ingredients?
Maybe it has something to do with Eggland’s Best being one of the American Heart Association’s proud national supporters, which means the American Heart Association is in their pockets (27).
If you’re looking for actual heart-healthy foods, aside from good old fruits and vegetables, keep reading.
9. Eat More Nuts
Besides being a healthy snack packed with protein, nuts are also packed with unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamin E, plant sterols, and L-arginine. There are several potential ways eating nuts may positively impact your overall heart health, including:
Lowers your LDL cholesterol levels
Lowers your triglyceride levels
Improves the health of your arterial lining
Decreases levels of inflammation associated with heart disease
Reduces your risk of developing blood clots, which in the end lowers your risk of death from a heart attack (28).
10. Eat More Dark Chocolate
Quality dark chocolate is rich in polyphenols, providing health benefits like reduced inflammation, better blood flow, lower blood pressure, and improved cholesterol and blood sugar levels (29). Studies show that people who eat dark chocolate have a healthier cardiovascular system (30). Dark chocolate can aid in heart health because it:
Is linked to heart disease prevention
Is rich in antioxidants, which affect the cells of the heart and blood vessels
May boost your circulation
May calm your blood pressure
May lower stroke risk
Can help you lower cholesterol levels
Relieves stress on your heart
Check out the article I wrote for Modern Alternative Mama about the health benefits of chocolate here.
11. Eat More Grains
Refined carbohydrates are highly processed, removing nutritional components like whole grains, fiber, and minerals. Studies have linked grain intake in place of refined carbohydrates like white bread and white rice to lower the risk of heart disease (31). Common types of heart-healthy grains include:
Whole wheat
Oats
Brown rice
Wild rice
Quinoa (32)
12. Eat More Beans
The consumption of beans has been linked to decreasing the risk for cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and high blood pressure by at least 10 percent (33). These benefits result from the high protein, fiber, and minerals content without saturated fat. Some common types of beans include:
Black beans
Kidney beans
Pinto beans
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
Navy beans
Cannellini beans
13. Eat More Seeds
The consumption of plant seeds has been found to influence cardiovascular health. These benefits result from the macro-and micronutrients, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals in plant seeds, reflecting their role in nourishment (34). Some common types of seeds include:
Pumpkin seeds
Flaxseeds
Chia seeds
Hemp seeds
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Looking for healthful recipes? You can find plenty of recipes in Earthley’s free Nourished Living Cookbook.
14. Drink More Water
Our body comprises about 60% water; every cell and organ needs water to function correctly, especially the heart. The heart is constantly working as it’s responsible for pumping about 2,000 gallons of blood daily; water helps this essential organ function properly. On average, a woman needs about 11 cups of water daily, and men need about 15.5 cups daily (35).
15. Drink Tea
A cup of tea a day could help keep the doctor away and even increase your lifespan! According to research, drinking three or more cups of tea a week can lead to improved cardiovascular health and longer life. Green tea is most beneficial due to its polyphenol power, as polyphenols are known to improve the function of the blood vessels, increase good cholesterol, and even reduce inflammation (36). Learn more about the benefits of drinking tea here.
16. Drink Black Coffee
Higher consumption of coffee – caffeinated and decaf alike – was associated with a lower risk of total mortality, including deaths attributed to heart disease, nervous system diseases, and suicide? Better yet, and more specifically, habitual coffee drinking has been linked to a lower risk of coronary heart disease in women (37).
So, especially if you’re a woman, get your coffee on but skip the sugar and cream as sugar and dairy can negate these health benefits.
17. Enjoy Your Red Wine
Red wine, in moderation, has been thought of as heart-healthy. Although the link between red wine and fewer heart attacks isn’t completely understood, it may be because there are antioxidants in red wine. Antioxidants provide the benefit of increased levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol, which protects against cholesterol build-up (38). Although it’s not recommended that you start drinking alcohol for heart benefits because too much can be detrimental to your health, it is excellent to know that if you enjoy a glass of red wine with your dinner, it appears to help your heart’s health. A safe rule of measure for alcohol consumption is up to ONE drink per day for women and TWO drinks for men.
18. Get Adequate Sleep
Most adults need 7 hours of sleep each night, but most report not even getting that? Better yet, did you know those who get less than 7 hours of sleep each night are more likely to have health problems like heart attack, asthma, and depression? Actually, insomnia is linked to high blood pressure and heart disease (39).
Sleep doesn’t come easy for some people. I’ve found this is most common in people who are deficient in magnesium. Magnesium performs over 300 essential functions in the body! Most people are low, leading to many common health issues like sleepless nights, headaches, restless legs, constipation, anxiety, depression, and more. Don’t cover up the symptoms with OTC meds with nasty side effects. Instead, address the root issue and care for your body naturally with something like Earthley’s Sleepy Time or Good Night Lotion.
Most people don’t know this and are quick to grab melatonin, which may be natural to our body, but the pills found in the stores are synthetic and filled with nothing but fillers. Melatonin is a hormone that our bodies naturally produce. If you genuinely need additional melatonin, try finding it in natural sources like:
Tart cherries
Pistachios
Goji berries
Oats
Rice
Mushrooms
Corn
Bananas (40)
If you struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep, I highly recommend Earthley’s The Secret to a Good Night’s Sleep guide.
19. Lose Excess Belly Fat
According to research, excess belly fat is linked to a higher risk of heart disease. In a study done in 2018 involving 500,000 people ages 40-69, they found that women who carried more weight around their middles (measured by waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, or waist-to-height ratio) had a 10-20% greater risk of heart attack than women who were heavier overall (measured by body mass index). The analysis showed that compared with BMI, the waist-to-hip ratio was 18% stronger as a heart attack predictor in women versus 6% more robust in men (41).
20. Be Intimate With Your Partner
Studies suggest that men who have sex at least twice a week and women who report having satisfying sex lives are less likely to have a heart attack. This is because sex is a form of exercise and helps not only strengthen your heart but also helps lower your blood pressure, reduce stress, and improve sleep while also improving your bond between yourself and your spouse with a solid social connection and reducing feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety, which have all been linked to a higher risk of heart disease (42).
21. Keep It Moving
When I say keep it moving, I mean keep your heart rate going and exercise. Exercise comes in many forms; even doing simple household chores can set the mark for exercising. But remember, the benefits of physical activity depend on the intensity, duration, and frequency of the physical activity. You absolutely cannot exercise once a week and expect to see a difference.
"In a report that included findings from multiple well-done studies, researchers found that walking reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 31% cut the risk of dying by 32%. These benefits were equally robust in men and women. Protection was evident even at distances of just 5½ miles per week and at a pace as casual as about 2 miles per hour. The people who walked longer distances walked at a faster pace, or both enjoyed the greatest protection (43)."
22. Practice Yoga
Yoga is said to have many benefits for heart health. Why is that? Yoga is a stress outlet and a way to exercise and boost heart health. It’s said that practicing yoga may help lower blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood glucose levels.
"A large number of studies show that yoga benefits many aspects of cardiovascular health (44)."
You can find my top ten favorite yoga poses here.
23. Take The Stairs
There are a few reasons why you should take the stairs when you have the option to. For instance:
Stair climbing burns more calories than jogging does.
Stair climbing reduces your risk of stroke, according to one study.
Stair climbing improves cardiovascular fitness and can help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Stair climbing strengthens your leg muscles (45).
24. Dance To Music
An Australian study of 48,000 people found that moderate-intensity dancing is linked to a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. In this study, dancers were found to have a 46 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who rarely ever danced (46).
25. Step Up Your Housework
A study done in 2013 found that people who achieve total physical activity levels several times higher than the current recommended minimum level significantly reduce the risk of several diseases that researchers studied, including heart disease and stroke (47).
Physical activity was defined in this study as beneficial to heart health were:
Recreational physical activity
Transportation physical activity
Household chores, physical activity
Occupational and physical activity
So next time you’re doing some household chores, step up your game, put some music on to dance and get the full health-hearty effect of cleaning, plus a clean home.
26. Get a Dog
Studies show that dog owners may live longer, are 31% less likely to die from a heart attack or stroke, face one-third the risk of diabetes, and are more likely to reach their fitness goals than non-dog owners. Dogs can even help with chronic conditions and even help prevent them (48).
27. Practice Mindful Meditation
Meditation activates your body’s “rest-and-digest” functions, which in turn counteracts its “fight-or-flight” responses? Daily mindful meditation has been linked to lowering heart rate and blood pressure, which may reduce your risk of heart disease (49).
To learn how to meditate, check out my article 10 Reasons to Meditate For Self-Care, here.
28. Brush Your Teeth Regularly
Brushing your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes may lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.
In a study conducted where researchers asked 682 people about their toothbrushing habits, they found that those who brushed their teeth less than twice a day for less than two minutes had an increased risk of having or dying from a heart attack or heart failure, or stroke by three-fold.
"Poor oral health, based on daily teeth-brushing behavior, is associated with poorer heart health (50)."
29. Have A Skin-Care Routine
Researchers believe that moisturized skin might prevent age-related ailments, including heart disease. A study of 33 older adults (58-95 years old) had them moisturize their bodies twice a day. After one month, they measured their blood levels of 3 cytokines; they found that those who used the lotion had levels nearly equivalent to people in their 30s (51).
If that’s the case, imagine what can happen if you adopt an entire skin-care routine!
30. Laugh Out Loud
Laughter triggers a chemical response in the brain that leads to pleasure and a sense of well-being; this allows the arteries to respond healthily, improving blood flow and long-term health. At the University of Texas, researchers asked 17 healthy adults to watch a humorous 30-minute video of their choice. They did before and after tests of blood flow. They found the most significant difference in artery function measurements as they improved immediately and remained steady for almost 24 hours (52).
In other words, the saying is true; laughter is the best medicine.
31. Find A Relaxing Hobby You Can Enjoy
It’s said that having a hobby that can relax you can help fight everyday stress and anxiety by calming the mind and enjoying what you’re doing. As you calm your mind and combat your daily stressors, you’re also improving your blood pressure, which in turn is improving your heart health (53).
32. Avoid Pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceuticals are often handed out like candy. Every year in the U.S., more than 4 billion prescriptions are administered. The number of retail drugs filled every year is expected to increase by 2024 substantially. Data indicates that the average number of medications taken is four among those who take prescription medications. More than 131 million Americans take at least one prescription medication. In 2015, the U.S. consumed about 30% of the world’s supply of opioids. In 2019, The United States spent $511 billion on medicines. In 2021, about 66% of U.S. adults will take prescription drugs (54).
Some drugs classes that can cause or exacerbate heart failure include:
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Anesthetics
Diabetes mellitus medications
Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors
Antiarrhythmic medications
Antihypertensive medications
Calcium channel blockers
Peripheral vasodilators
Anti-infective medications
Anticancer medications
For a complete list of drugs that have been found to cause or exacerbate heart failure, click here.
This list isn’t even considering the thousands upon thousands of reports from the recent covid vaccine causing myocarditis, pericarditis, and other heart conditions.
Herbs to Promote Heart Health
Herbal medicine dates back more than 5,000 years (55), so why wouldn’t we trust herbal supplementation to support heart health? I recommend the following herbs:
Hawthorn Berry
Hawthorn berries are tiny fruit that grows on trees and shrubs belonging to the Crataegus genus. Hawthorn berries are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Traditional Chinese Medicine has used Hawthorn berries as an herbal remedy for digestive problems, heart failure, and high blood pressure. Several animal studies have shown that hawthorn berries can act as vasodilators, relaxing and constricting blood vessels and lowering blood pressure (56). In a 16-week human study, 79 people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure took 1,200 mg of hawthorn extract daily, resulting in significant improvements in their blood pressure compared to those in the placebo group (57). Learn more about hawthorn berries here.
Turmeric
Turmeric, a relative of ginger, has compounds called curcuminoids (curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric) and is known for its medicinal properties that have been used in India for thousands of years (58). Curcumin could be considered important for the health of your heart! Along with its ability to reduce inflammation (59), it is also helpful in lowering blood pressure by improving the health of the vascular system in the body (60). Learn more about turmeric here.
Amla Berry
Amla berry or Indian Gooseberry has several culinary and herbal medicine uses. Amla’s antioxidant properties may protect against oxidative damage associated with heart injury (61). The anti-inflammatory properties can significantly reduce inflammation, which is considered a critical factor in the development of heart disease (62). Additionally, amla berry can lower blood pressure (63), normalize blood fat levels (64), and has an anti-platelet effect (65).
Cinnamon
There are two main types of cinnamon: Ceylon and Cassia. Cassia is what you find in the store, but Ceylon is the true cinnamon from a small tree native to Sri Lanka (66). Always choose Ceylon when you can. Ceylon cinnamon has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (67,68). Ceylon cinnamon may cut the risk of heart disease due to its ability to reduce levels of bad cholesterol (69), increase levels of good cholesterol (70), and lower blood pressure (71).
Reishi Mushroom
Reishi mushroom is known for its variety of potential health benefits in eastern medicine. Reishi mushrooms are an adaptogenic herb with anti-cancer properties that can boost your immune system while fighting fatigue and depression. Additionally, reishi mushrooms can help control blood sugar (72) while increasing good cholesterol and decreasing triglycerides (73).
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper or Capsicum annuum is a chili pepper belonging to the nightshade family. Cayenne peppers have a moderately hot, spicy flavor stemming from a compound called capsaicin (74). Capsaicin may help reduce inflammation and oxidative damage, helping protect against certain health conditions, including heart disease (75). One study associated the consumption of chili peppers, such as cayenne pepper, with a lower risk of death from heart disease (76).
The great news is that you don’t have to take six different herbal supplements. Earthley’s Healthy Heart has all these ingredients in a tincture that helped me normalize my heart problems post-covid. This herbal supplement supports the heart and a proper immune response. This tincture is rich in anti-inflammatory properties and vitamin C. It can help lower blood sugar and blood pressure, increase insulin activity, and can even help with symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Naturally, nourish your heart and body with the power of herbs!
Earthley’s Nourish Him Naturally has two of these heart-supporting herbs. This tincture is curated with a man’s specific needs in mind! We use herbs to support heart health, prostate health, and energy levels to make this vitamin powerhouse. You could see an improvement in overall health and wellness through this natural and organic herbal supplement!
⚠️ Warning: The Holistic Hipppie is not a functional medicine practitioner. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is not medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or replace medical guidance. The Holistic Hipppie assumes no liability for the application of the information discussed.
What's your favorite way to support heart health?
