When someone has heart trouble, the medical establishment has no shortage of drug options to prescribe to them. The problem is, they all have side effects and downstream effects on the body’s many other symptoms. Luckily, for every heart medication, there is a natural alternative. Let’s take a look at the many types of heart medications, their side effects and how you can get the same benefit from something safer and more natural.

Aspirin

Background & Usage – This medication has been around since the Ancient Egyptians discovered the bark of the Spiraea shrub helped relieve pain. It is still a common OTC pain reliever and is often prescribed as a daily therapy for patients who have had a heart attack, stroke or are at risk of these events.

Side effects – As it prevents blood from clotting, there is a risk of what’s called a hemorrhagic stroke. This is when an artery leaks or becomes permeable and since aspirin is preventing blood clotting, the victim bleeds out internally. Daily aspirin use increases your risk of developing a stomach ulcer. And, if you have a bleeding ulcer or bleeding anywhere else in your gastrointestinal tract, taking aspirin will cause it to bleed more, perhaps to a life-threatening extent. A 201 study in the American Journal of Medicine found a link between long-term aspirin use and gastrointestinal bleeding. And although the numbers of people who suffer from aspirin allergies or sensitivity are difficult to come by, some are unable to process it properly, which can cause classic allergic reactions like hives, itchy skin, runny nose, red eyes, swelling, coughing and sneezing and sometimes anaphylactic shock.

Natural Alternatives – Stop eating inflammatory foods like sugar, grains and vegetable oils. Eat anti-inflammatory foods like cumin, turmeric, ginger, thyme, rosemary and tarragon. To prevent clotting, eat Omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in fatty, cold-water fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines), grass-fed butter, coconut oil, etc. Eat foods high in resveratrol for their anti-platelet properties (dark chocolate, red wine). Pycnogenol, an anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting, antioxidant compound, can be found in maritime French pine bark (which is available in supplement form). A 2003 study published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy even found it to be more effective than aspirin at preventing excessive clotting.

Beta blockers

Background & Usage – These drugs are prescribed to people with high blood pressure because they block epinephrine (adrenaline), therefore keeping the heart rate and blood pressure down.

Side effects – Can make asthma attacks significantly worse. They can raise triglyceride levels and can cause fatigue, cold hands and feet, weight gain, shortness of breath, depression and can prevent you from sleeping.

Natural Alternatives – Alternative therapies vary depending on your goals. Beta blockers are prescribed for several issues, including anxiety, Atrial Fibrillation (a type of heart disease where the electrical signals between the chambers of the heart are irregular and cause irregular heartbeats), and blood pressure.

• For Atrial Fibrillation, you can avoid like coffee, energy drinks, tobacco, OTC weight loss drugs and excessive alcohol consumption. Make sure you have enough calcium, potassium and magnesium. These minerals are used to conduct electrical impulses in the body (collectively called electrolytes) and can improve signaling between heart chambers if you have enough of them (or worsen if you don’t). Eat cold water fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, herring) as it strengthens and bolsters the heart muscles. Eat more dietary fiber. Dietary fiber. A 2011 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that those who ate high fiber diets had between a 14 and 36 percent less risk of developing Atrial Fibrillation.
• For anxiety, there are several useful supplements which help to have a calming effect on the heart and mind. Kava extract , the amino acid L-Theanine, Ashwagandha, the Indian herb Bacopa Monnieri, the Scandinavian herb Rhodiola Rosea and Lavender.
• For blood pressure, adjust your lifestyle as 90% of blood pressure issues are caused by a combination of a high saturated fat and LDL cholesterol diet, sedentary lifestyle, high stress levels, obesity and over-consumption of alcohol and caffeine. Reducing these food and habits will go a long way in controlling blood pressure. You can also control high blood pressure by increasing good cholesterol (HDLs), Vitamin D, Magnesium, Potassium and Calcium.

Diuretics

Background & Usage – People with heart problems are often prescribed diuretics because they stimulate the removal of water and sodium from the body, which lowers swelling and water retention, particularly in the legs and ankles.

Side Effects – There are a range of side effects, from hives, confusion, dry mouth, irregular heartbeat, muscle cramps, numbness, loss of appetite, stomach aches, nausea, sensitivity to sunlight and trouble breathing.

Natural Alternatives – There are several natural diuretics that do the same job without the same risk of side effects, particularly herbs like dandelion, Hawthorne, horsetail, juniper, parsley and hibiscus. Green and black tea also do the same job, plus with the added benefits of high doses of antioxidants.

Ace Inhibitors

Background & Usage – These drugs are often prescribed alongside diuretics, and for high blood pressure. They relax the muscles around blood vessels, which allows for more flow and lower blood pressure. They get their name because they inhibit a natural chemical in the body called Angiotensin II, which is used to narrow and constrict blood vessels.

Side Effects – Cough, blood pressure becoming too low, dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, muscle weakness, rash, chest pain, sun sensitivity and if it gets too bad, kidney failure, pancreatitis, liver dysfunction, decreased white blood cells (doom for the immune system), and a condition called angioedema where tissues throughout the body swell up.

Natural Alternatives – As Ace Inhibitors are often prescribed for blood pressure, the same lifestyle changes apply. Green tea and rooibos tea act as natural ace inhibitors, as do hawthorn and garlic (however, you shouldn’t take hawthorn if you are also taking Lanoxin, as your blood pressure may drop too low. Garlic can also have the same effect.

Cholesterol Medications (particularly Statins)

Background & Usage – 20 million Americans take statins for high cholesterol. There isn’t enough room to go into their story here, but check out this link for a healthy dose of controversy and corruption.

Side Effects – Headache, difficulty sleeping, muscle aches, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps, bloating and gas, diarrhea, and constipation. Side effects can also be as bad as memory loss, confusion, high blood sugar and its consequence, Type II diabetes.

Natural Alternatives – Lower or eliminate consumption of saturated fats/vegetable oils. Eat good cholesterol (LDLs from coconut oil, butter, ghee, fatty fish, avocados, etc.). Lose excess weight. Take plant sterol supplements (difficult to eat in large enough quantities, hence the supplement recommendation). Eat more dietary fiber.