A simple recipe for a healthy heart - can a natural cardio tonic help unclog arteries?
by Ask a Healer
Ask a Healer Recommended:
Unclogging Your Arteries
Suggested Reading:
Heart Disease Symptoms
This cardio health recipe has been around for a long time. There seems to be a synergy that happens when four common ingredients are used together and users report this formula beneficial in cases where they had high cholesterol or arterial plaque. However, just because it's natural doesn't mean it is without potential interactions and side effects so please read more about those below the recipe.
The tonic recipe I'm sharing consists of only lemon juice, ginger juice, garlic juice and apple cider vinegar or ACV. Please note that if you are under a doctor's care for heart disease, high cholesterol, clogged arteries, etc, you should always check with your doctor before adding anything new to your cardio health regimen, even if it's a natural remedy.
Heart Tonic Recipe:
1 cup lemon juice (make from fresh lemons rather than purchasing reconstituted lemon juice
1 cup garlic juice (juice made from crushed fresh garlic bulbs is best - hand crush then use juicer. Do NOT add water to juicer)
1 cup ginger juice (juice made from crushed fresh ginger root is best - use juicer. Do NOT add water to juicer)
1 cup apple cider vinegar (raw and organic, with mother, is best -- it will say this on the label)
Add all ingredients (don't add water) into a pan and simmer down, from 4 cups to 3 cups. Remove from heat. Add organic agave to sweeten to taste. If diabetic, may add stevia or other sweetener approved for diabetic use.
Dosage: From what I've read, the typical daily dosage most people take is 1 tablespoon.
Potential Benefits that users of this cardio tonic recipe have reported include lowering of cholesterol and/or arterial plaque.
Potential interactions, partial list only:
Both ginger and garlic may increase risk of bleeding so if on blood thinners, definitely check with doc before taking or eating too much garlic or ginger and particularly with this recipe, which contains both.
Ginger also may lower blood sugar and there are some studies that suggest garlic may lower blood sugar as well. However, other sources I checked said that garlic had no effect on blood sugar. If you have blood sugar levels, monitor closely just in case there is an impact.
Ginger Drug interactions are numerous as well and include most anticoagulants used in the U.S. as well as Phenprocoumon (used in Europe), Calcium Channel Blockers and several diabetic drugs. In addition, ginger may help lower blood pressure so if you are already on medications for that, your blood pressure might end up being too low.
The Webmd website used to have information which stated that ginger should not be used at all with heart conditions but that link became outdated and since then, I haven't been able to locate that information again on their site. Also, I've grown to distrust the information on WebMD due to information I've read about their ties with Monsanto. Just noting here in case you are under a doctor's care for heart disease because you might actually be advised by your doctor to leave it out of this recipe.
Prescription drug interactions include some drugs given for HIV/AIDS as well as Isoniazid (a drug that used to be routinely given if a person had a positive TB skin test. I'm not sure if it's still as widely used but that's what they were giving when I was a child), Saquinavir (binds to and inhibits protease - given to HIV patients), Cyclosporine (an immunosuppressant drug which is often prescribed when one gets a transplant, to reduce risk of rejection), etc. Partial list only. Numerous interactions. Check with doctor.
Both lemon juice and Apple cider vinegar contain potassium. Be sure to check with doctor if on any type of potassium-sparing medication. A partial list of symptoms of too much potassium may include nausea, diahhrea and muscle weakness. Lemon juice is detoxing for the liver so you might notice some detox symptoms. Apple Cider Vinegar drug interactions include Insulin, Digoxin, Potassium-Sparing Diuretics, etc. Check with doctor.
Heart Health Disclaimer:
Supplementation with cardiac tonics like the one shared on this page have brought about very beneficial results for some who have tried them. However, you should always check with your doctor and also rule out any allergic reactions or prescription drug interactions with any of the following: lemon juice, ginger juice, garlic juice or apple cider vinegar.
