Heart Care and Maintenance From a WholeFood Perspective

If you’ve ever had a stroke, atrial fibrillation, tachicardia, lived through a heart attack, suffered vericose veins, or high blood pressure and went to a mainstream doctor about it, you may have been prescribed a blood thinner to reduce chances of blood clotting.

Various drugs have been created for this purpose, some with safer safety profiles than others, but more natural options have been in existence since Creation, but since the Flexner Report, mostly hidden from modern generations, particularly in the western world. Most of these options come from the plant world, but a few come from the animal kingdom. Fish oil for example, is one option that can help lower high fibrinogen levels, leading to reduction in incidences of blood clotting.

The earthworm produces an enzyme doing the same thing, known as Lumbrokinase, that according to a quote from one Mercola’s articles in June of 2023:

“… reduces coagulation by lowering blood viscosity, lowering the activity of clotting factors including fibrinogen, and degrading fibrin, a critical factor in clot formation. It has a stronger effect on reducing blood viscosity than other enzyme preparations.”

Unfortunately, from the perspective of medicine that is easily obtained from the wild, Lumbrokinase only comes in supplement form that you buy from the healthfood store. If shipping and importing goods was ever to grind to a halt, you’d hope there are manufacturers of this supplement in your area, or you’d have to look for something else to do the same job.

Others out there don’t like the idea of medicine coming from dirt-bound critters, so what does that leave them if they want to address a higher-than-normal propensity toward blood clotting?

Fortunately, some common plant-based options exist that you can either grow in your own garden, or find out in the wild. Ginger and cinnamon are the most common, with ginger capable of being grown in warmer western climates in your garden or in the house. I’ve come across how-to’s for growing your own turmeric as well, though it takes a fairly humid environment. If you live where pineapples grow, they assist in lowering high fibrinogen levels. Corn (non-GMO), eggs, grapes, and onions have anti-coagulant properties, as do pumpkin seeds, sage, yarrow, watermelon and walnuts.

The lowly potatoe that grows well in most western culture gardens, is known to lower high blood pressure. Spinach addresses high blood pressure and can be grown in your garden during the growing season, and then dried for use during the colder months. Dandelion, geraniums, hawthorn, honey, and nettle also assist with lowering high blood pressure. Hawthorn and Rosemary help with calming heart palpitations as well, something sufferers of Afib, anxiety, or tachicardia may appreciate. Rosemary can be grown in your kitchen herb garden. Do note that it can raise blood pressure, which is good for those suffering from low blood pressure, but it assists with heart palpitations as one of it’s many uses. Take this one with care depending on your pre-existing situation.

These are just examples of what you can grow or forage for, and many other foods that assist in these categories currently exist in your grocery store’s produce section as well, foods that might not grow so well in your climate zone.

If you are not adverse to eating meat, fish is a huge recommendation for maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system! Co-enzymeQ10, known simply as CoQ10, also occurs in pork, beef, chicken, spinach and peanuts. CoQ10 aids the cardiovascular system in maintaining healthy levels of nitric oxide. Arugula, also known as mustard weed or wild mustard, alongside beets, cabbage, celery, cress, garlic, kale and lettuce, also aid in maintaining healthy levels of nitric oxide to keep your blood vessels supple and prevent them from stiffening up. All of these vegetables can either be found wild, or be grown in most western gardens. CoQ10 and nitric oxide also help in lowering oxidative stress, which if left unchecked, can cause significant organ damage for the heart as well as other organs such as the liver and brain. To this end, CoQ10 is known as an anti-oxidant.

The list of anti-oxidants gets even longer and it doesn’t take much to find various superfoods that are listed as high in anti-oxidants such as blueberries, chokecherry, elderberry, almonds, etc. In general, if it’s high in anthocyanins, it is a strong anti-oxidant!

A well-rounded wholefood regular weekly diet will feature a wide list of foods that contain these compounds among a host of others. God in His wisdom, created the food He grows to be multi-purpose. Every food example given in this article, also aids in maintaining or regaining one’s health naturally, in other areas of the body too. When you come to me looking for assistance with a primary issue, the recommendations you get back will invariably assist with less-pressing issues as well.

Look after your heart, and your body at the same time.

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