More Heart Herbs to Use with Caution

5. St. John's wort.

Cardiovascular disease is depressing, and antidepressants, including the herbal antidepressant St. John's wort, don't always work in every situation. St. John's wort taken in the right dosage, however, the right dosage being capsules standardized to deliver 900 mg of hypericin per day, is about as effect as any pharmaceutical treatment. You should not use St. John's wort if you have taken any antidepressant medication in the SSRI or MAO-I class (ask your pharmacist if you are not sure) in the last six weeks, because of the remote possibility of triggering a condition called serotonin syndrome. And you should not take St. John's wort if your doctor has prescribed a statin drug for cholesterol, since the herb interferes with the way the liver responds to the cholesterol drug.

6. Green tea capsules.

A cup or two of green tea a day won't do your body any harm, although small amounts of green tea won't do your body any good, either. Larger amounts of the catechins through which green tea exerts its healing effects are only available from green tea capsules, with or without caffeine. Most people who have heart disease benefit from green tea, but if you are on the anticoagulant drug warfarin, also known as Coumadin, you should not take green tea supplements because they are high in vitamin K. Other blood thinning medications work through a different process and are safe with green tea.

7. Ginseng.

One of the oldest (and most expensive) Chinese herbal remedies, ginseng has been used for thousands of years to build up stamina and to prevent infections, especially during winter. Used in the right dosage, it can also lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Overdosing ginseng, however, can cause sharp spikes in blood pressure. If you take the herb, check your blood pressure every day and discontinue if your blood pressure goes up.

8. Grapefruit juice.

Grapefruit juice is loaded with vitamin C and with plant chemicals that strengthen the linings of veins and arteries. It also is loaded with quercetin, a plant antioxidant that interferes with the action of an enzyme made by the liver that breaks down statin drugs. Drinking grapefruit juice on a regular basis when you are on a statin drug or the heart medication amiodarone can cause the drugs to build up in your system so that they cause stronger side effects.

9. Hong hua (safflower, the bloom, not the oil).

The Chinese herb hong hua, also known as Flos Carthamus, is a standard ingredient in many over the counter Chinese herbal combination remedies. If you don't know whether a product contains this herb, ask the seller. But if you take the high blood pressure medication metoprolol, avoid the herb, since it prevents the liver from making the enzyme that breaks it down. Excessively low blood pressure may result when the herb and the medication are mixed.

See Also: 10 Super Powerful Herbs And Spices Your Body Needs To Boost Immune System

10. Aloe vera juice.

Aloe vera gel, applied to the skin, does not pose any particular danger to heart patients. Aloe vera juice, drunk as a beverage or health drink, can lower potassium levels and endanger heart function, especially in people who do not eat enough fresh vegetables in their daily diets, or who do not take a magnesium supplement.