Is your heart getting the love it deserves?
Valentine’s doesn’t have to be about grand gestures or roses once a year - real love is quieter, deeper, and lives in the everyday care we give to our hearts. Read on to discover insights and advice from Lorraine, our heart herb specialist.
Roses are red, hawthorn is too.
We don’t do Valentine’s here. I haven’t been a fan of the performative aspect of Valentine’s for years. That’s not to say I’m not a fan of love - if you love someone, show them every day through your everyday actions. Don’t save it for one day a year.
So, we’re going to take another look at how you can celebrate love (after all, it’s the most important thing in the world) in a way that feels more Herbs of Grace!
I love roses, and their involvement in romantic love has been around for centuries. We all recognise red roses as the ultimate symbol of love, and we can thank the Victorians for this with their popularisation of the language of flowers (floriography), explaining that the red rose is the ultimate symbol of love. But is there more to the rose?
Research shows that cardiovascular disease kills more women than cancer. It’s not a “man’s disease”, and so I urge you to consider your heart health seriously.
This piece from the BHF website highlights the issue:
"Decades of research have transformed the likely outcome for someone suffering a heart attack. Yet if you are a woman, the odds are stacked differently."
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, Associate Medical Director, British Heart Foundation
The briefing shows that:
Women having a heart attack delay seeking medical help longer than men because they don’t recognise the symptoms.
A woman is 50% more likely than a man to receive the wrong initial diagnosis for a heart attack.
Women are less likely than men to receive a number of potentially life-saving treatments in a timely way.
Following a heart attack, women are less likely to be prescribed medications to help prevent a second heart attack.
Information source: https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-public-affairs/influencing-change-in-healthcare-systems/tackling-inequalities-in-heart-health-and-care-our-policy-initiatives/download-bias-and-biology-briefing
In herbalism, the rose has a strong association with the heart, and the language of the rose is all about the health-giving properties of the plant itself. So, in this month of “love”, I’m urging you to consider your own heart health - or that of a loved one - or, better still, both.
Here’s how these amazing plants can help you:
Rose (especially rose hips & petals)
- Rich in antioxidants (especially vitamin C in rose hips)
- Supports blood vessel health
- Helps calm the nervous system, which directly affects heart rhythm and blood pressure
- Traditionally used for emotional heartache, grief, and stress.
Its partner as a heart-supporting herb is Hawthorn.
Hawthorn (Crataegus)
This is one of the most respected heart herbs in Western herbalism. The berry, flower, and leaf are all used interchangeably for the physical heart and circulation, and it is considered the best herb for heart health.
- Supports heart muscle strength
- Helps improve circulation
- Gently supports blood pressure balance
- Rich in flavonoids that help blood vessels relax and function better
It’s slow, steady, and cumulative - perfect for long-term support as we age.
Our heart herbs capsule, The Circuit, contains hawthorn.
Both plants are in the Rosaceae family and share their genes with others such as apples, pears, cherries, and raspberries. So, what about planting a tree? It can be a pot-sized one if space is an issue. Benefits all round - for you, your loved ones, and Mother Nature.
If cholesterol is your concern, then our herbal cholesterol control capsule The Guardian could be the help you need.
In addition to Hawthorn, The Guardian contains:
Red Rice Yeast (Monascus purpureus)
Research shows it may lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the blood, as it contains the same chemical compounds as lovastatin, a patented medication derived from the Aspergillus species of fungi.
NB: Do not take if you are on cholesterol-reducing medications such as statins.
Co-Enzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone)
This is used to support heart health, including high blood pressure, and is best taken with food to enhance absorption.
Levels we produce naturally decline with age, and it cannot be stored in the body, so it’s best taken in supplement form if needed.
About The Author
This article was written by Lorraine Bellis, owner of Herbs of Grace, whose passion for women’s health, herbal support and holistic living is rooted in years of personal experience, natural wellbeing practices and a deep belief in the healing power of nature.