About this Episode
In the tenth episode of the Medicinal Herbs podcast, naturopath and medical herbalist Berris Burgoyne joins our host, Sara Le Brun-Blashka, MS, to talk about heart health and herbal support to address cardiovascular risk factors.
Heart disease is a major health issue all over the world. Some quick facts Berris highlights:
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States
- One in every four deaths in the U.S. is due to heart disease
- One person dies from some form of cardiovascular disease in the U.S. every 36 seconds
- In the U.S., there is a heart attack every 40 seconds
With heart disease as such a prevalent and deadly health issue in the U.S. and across the globe, Berris talks in this episode about reducing risk by avoiding risk factors through lifestyle choices. Often, people are aware of what they need to do to reduce their risk, but they still fall short. The sooner, the better, Berris says, when it comes to addressing the components of health that we can control ourselves.
Berris discusses several risk factors for heart disease, which are often avoidable and reversible: (4:09)
- First and foremost, high blood pressure (hypertension) (13:48) and associated cognitive decline (16:00)
- High cholesterol, especially when associated with other risk factors
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Type 2 diabetes
There are several key contributing factors to these risk factors: (5:15)
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Diet (i.e. low potassium, high sodium)
- Lack of exercise
- Stress
- Poor sleep habits and obstructive sleep apnea (12:31)
- Dysbiosis, especially in conjunction with obstructive sleep apnea
Herbs for Heart Health
Herbal support for hypertension: (16:44)
The effect of stress on heart health: (18:44)
- Lifestyle changes such as exercise, diet, and stress management can improve blood pressure
- Herbal support may include Ashwagandha, licorice, Korean ginseng, skullcap, saffron, and John’s Wort
Heart health is just as much of a concern in women as it is in men (22:35).
When considering the physiology of a heart attack, there are a few events on conditions that may be involved in initiation: (36:55)
- Ruptured plaque in arteries
- Stress
- Respiratory infections
- Chronic inflammation
- Low omega-3 levels
Berris’s key takeaways and other herbs for heart health: (39:48)
- Manage risk factors
- Support healthy endothelial and microvascular circulatory health (Herbal support may include Gotu kola, gingko, grapeseed, and garlic)
- Prevent plaque formation (Herbal and nutrition support may include gingko and omega-3s)
- Support Nrf2 (Herbal and nutrition support may include grapeseed, gingko, green tea, rosemary, garlic, cruciferous vegetables, and turmeric)
- Stress response and HPA axis (Herbal support may include Ashwagandha, astragalus, eleuthero)
- Nervous system and adrenal support
- Reduce chronic inflammation
