Heart Healthy Herbs

There are lots of ways to keep your heart healthy, and adding herbs known to benefit your heart is not just a way to make your body healthier – it's also a tasty way to spice up your meals.

Garlic

Garlic tops almost every list out there of good-for-your-heart herbs. Garlic is known to help lower bad cholesterol levels and even reduce plaque buildup in the arteries. Some studies even show garlic improves circulation and lowers blood pressure.

The best thing about garlic is that it's a very flexible herb and tastes good in just about any dish. Mince it and add it to stir fry, Italian dishes, or even a chicken or steak dish. If you don't like garlic, you can also take a garlic supplement instead.

Ginkgo

More widely known as an herb helpful for better memory, ginkgo also has properties that strengthen your heart. Most notably, the Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract has been shown in some studies to reduce blood clotting and help push through antioxidants to protect our hearts from free-radical damage.

Unfortunately, ginkgo is not as flexible an herb as garlic is when it comes to enhancing meals. However, it does make for a really good tea and the Ginkgo Biloba daily supplement is very popular as well.

Cayenne

This spicy little addition is a great way to tone your heart muscle. (Eating spicy foods, in general, are a great way to get your heart pumping!) Cayenne also calms heart palpitations, improves circulation, and can help reduce bad cholesterol.

Cayenne is easy to add to your diet! Add it to your next V8 or add it to just about any dish for a little extra kick! It is very spicy, so be sure to start by adding only a little to your dish and slowly work your way up to more spiciness. Your heart will love you for it!

Rosemary

Known mostly for being tasty on potatoes and proteins, rosemary is a great way to improve your heart health. It's been linked to a decrease in cholesterol and blood pressure and is generally all-around good for maintaining a healthy circulatory system.

Rosemary potatoes make for a fantastic side item, and rosemary is wonderful on chicken as well.