Q&A: Preventive Health with Herbs

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I’m looking for some guidance. My father died of an aneurysm of the heart and my mother was diabetic. What kind of herbs will help to prevent these conditions in my life?
—J. P., Brussels, Belgium 

Keville responds: I admire people who look to preventive medicine. My first thought is dietary, to keep your heart strong and your blood sugar well regulated. To ward off both conditions, avoid eating too much fat, and flavor your food with heart-healthy garlic. For diabetes, keep your blood sugar stable. Medical doctors tend to say unstable blood sugar doesn’t promote the development of diabetes, but I’m in the camp with holistic practitioners, who say erratic blood sugar can promote either type of diabetes. One way to keep blood sugar stable is by avoiding sugars of any kind and also refined carbohydrates, which quickly break down into sugar in the body. Many foods, such as green beans and onions, are blood sugar regulators and can be part of your diet. Try sweetening your food with stevia (Stevia rebaudiana). Full-strength stevia carries a bitter taste, but you can usually replace at least half of another sweetener with stevia. It is sold in health-food stores and comes in several powdered and liquid forms, so follow the directions on the container for the correct replacement proportions. The trace mineral chromium is another blood sugar regulator.

A good herb for the heart and circulation is eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus), which also helps maintain blood sugar levels. Various studies have shown that hawthorn flowers and berries (Crataegus spp.), ginkgo leaf (Ginkgo biloba) and reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) increase the flow of blood to the heart, lessen its demand for oxygen and increase the breath. Assuming you aren’t on any standard medications, you can take a formula like this in any form you wish as a heart tonic. A typical plan would be to take this combination twice daily for 10 consecutive days every month. My nonherbal suggestion is to get plenty of aerobic exercise to build your heart and regulate your blood sugar. Doctors and natural practitioners alike agree that it’s best for everyone to maintain a healthy weight, but especially when there is diabetes or heart disease in your family.

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