The Green Pharmacy for Stroke

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The " Green Pharmacy " for Stroke

 

www.mothernature.com/library/Bookshelf/Books/41/

 

Here's a quote from one of the thousands of letters I have received over

the years, written by people disillusioned enough with their physicians

to seek an alternative: " My husband, age 57, suffered a stroke a year

ago. The doctors believe he still has a blood clot somewhere in his

brain, though they can't seem to dissolve it.

 

He is currently taking many, many drugs, but they don't seem to be doing

much to help him. Can you suggest anything herbal he might take? "

 

That's the usual loaded question, the one that always prompts me to

remind everyone that I'm a botanist, not a doctor.

 

Strokes are very serious--the nation's third leading cause of

death--and anyone who has had one should certainly be under a

physician's care and follow their doctor's advice.

 

With that said, however, there are, indeed, quite a few herbal

approaches to preventing stroke and stroke recurrence, at least the type

caused by blood clots in the brain (ischemic strokes).

 

Brain " Attack "

 

Approximately 500,000 Americans have strokes annually. Eighty percent of

those strokes are ischemic: A blood clot lodges in a brain artery,

cutting off the supply of oxygen and nourishment to part of that

essential organ.

 

Wherever the blood clot forms, the area around it dies or becomes

damaged, and the body function controlled by that area becomes impaired.

While such a stroke often causes death, it might lead instead to severe

disability, such as loss of the ability to speak or paralysis of part of

the body.

 

Ischemic strokes are often preceded by mini-strokes known as transient

ischemic attacks (TIAs). TIAs last anywhere from a few seconds to

several hours and cause stroke symptoms that eventually resolve on their

own.

 

Those who suffer TIAs typically make full or almost full recoveries. But

TIAs indicate a real risk of future catastrophic stroke and often signal

the start of aggressive preventive treatment.

 

The other 20 percent of strokes are hemorrhagic. In this kind of stroke,

a cerebral blood vessel bursts, and the result is the same as in

ischemic stroke--impairment of the part of the body that the damaged

area controls.

 

Whether you're talking about mainstream or herbal medicine, stroke

prevention and treatment are tricky, because many of the approaches that

help prevent ischemic stroke may actually increase the risk of the less

common but equally disabling or deadly hemorrhagic stroke.

 

To prevent the more common ischemic stroke, physicians try to prevent

arterial blood clots by prescribing anticoagulant (blood-thinning)

medication. But when that is done, the risk increases that any bleeding

in the brain won't stop, thus increasing the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

So stroke prevention involves a complicated balancing act.

 

 

Green Pharmacy for Stroke

 

Because the vast majority of strokes are ischemic, most of the

suggestions in this chapter relate to preventing cerebral blood

clotting. But I reiterate that hemorrhagic strokes are also a

possibility, especially for those with a personal or family history of

hemorrhagic stroke or aneurysm (a dangerously dilated blood vessel).

 

If you have high blood pressure, which is the major risk factor for

stroke, see a doctor and have it treated. (You can also enlist the help

of the herbal alternatives suggested in the chapter on high blood

pressure on page 254.)

 

Please remember: It's important to follow any stroke-preventive medical

advice that comes from your doctor. In fact, if you've had a stroke or

know that you are at risk, it would be a really good idea to discuss any

stroke-preventing herbs that you'd like to try with your doctor.

 

That said, here are a number of good herbal approaches to stroke

prevention and treatment that you should be aware of.

 

Garlic (Allium sativum).

 

Garlic is the best anti-clotting herb. According to my database, it

contains more anticoagulant compounds than any other herb--nine, to be

exact. It is a major herb for heart attack prevention because of its

blood-thinning effect and its ability to help control high blood

pressure. These same effects also help prevent ischemic stroke.

 

If I were at risk for stroke, I'd increase my use of garlic in cooking

and also take garlic capsules, which are available at health food stores

and many drugstores. Garlic's close relatives, onions, scallions, leeks,

chives and shallots, have similar benefits.

 

On the other hand, if I had reason to be concerned about hemorrhagic

stroke, I'd steer clear of garlic and its other anti-clotting herbal

relatives. (If you're not absolutely sure which category you fall into,

ask your doctor to help you make this decision.)

 

 

Garlic

 

A powerful healing herb, garlic was used to treat infected wounds and

amebic dysentery during World War I.

 

 

 

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba).

 

Ginkgo is widely used in Europe to treat complications of stroke,

including memory and balance problems, vertigo and disturbed thought

processes. Many studies show that this herb increases blood flow to the

brain. Varro Tyler, Ph.D., dean and professor emeritus of pharmacognosy

(natural product pharmacy) at Purdue University in West Lafayette,

Indiana, endorses this herb as a stroke treatment in his excellent book,

Herbs of Choice.

 

Ginkgo also helps reduce fragility of the capillaries, the tiny blood

vessels that fan throughout your body, which can help prevent

hemorrhagic stroke. In Europe, many elderly people take ginkgo

regularly. I wouldn't be surprised if this herb doesn't soon become

increasingly popular with elderly folks in the United States as well.

 

To take this herb, you'll need to buy a standardized extract. Ginkgo

extracts are widely available in health food stores and drugstores. You

can try 60 to 240 milligrams a day, but don't go any higher than that.

In large amounts, ginkgo may cause diarrhea, irritability and

restlessness.

 

Pigweed (Amaranthus, various species)

 

and other foods containing calcium. A six-year Harvard study of more

than 40,000 health professionals showed that compared with those who

consumed the least calcium, those who got the most had just one-third

the risk of succumbing to heart attack. Personally, I believe these

results also apply to ischemic strokes, because they are biologically so

similar to heart attack.

 

Pigweed is an excellent plant source of calcium, with 5.3 percent on a

dry-weight basis. According to my calculations, about one-third of an

ounce of fresh pigweed leaves would provide 500 milligrams of calcium.

(The Daily Value is 1,000 milligrams.)

 

You can use the young leaves in salads or steam the more mature leaves

like spinach. You might also try pigweed pesto. To make the sauce,

prepare your favorite pesto recipe, but use pigweed instead of basil.

 

Pigweed is not the only good herbal source of calcium. Here are some

others, in descending order of potency (on a dry-weight basis)

lamb's-quarters, stinging nettle, broadbeans, watercress, licorice,

marjoram, savory, red clover shoots, thyme, Chinese cabbage (bok choy),

basil, celery seed, dandelion and purslane.

 

Willow (Salix, various species).

 

Willow bark is herbal aspirin, and has been shown in several studies to

reduce the risk of ischemic stroke by about 18 percent. (Herbal aspirin

cuts heart attack risk by about 40 percent in men and 25 percent in

women.)

 

I personally prefer the herbal route: teas made from willow bark,

meadowsweet or wintergreen.

 

I add a teaspoon or two of any of these dried herbs to either hot

herbal teas or cold lemonade and drink two to three cups a day.

 

willow bark and the other aspirin-like herbs should be used to prevent

and treat ischemic stroke. They are powerfully anticoagulant.

 

Carrot (Daucus carota).

 

In a Harvard study of 87,245 female nurses, consumption of carrots (and

to a lesser extent, spinach) significantly reduced stroke risk. Women

who ate five servings of carrots a week suffered 68 percent fewer

strokes than those who ate carrots less than twice a month.

 

Carrots are rich in beta-carotene and other carotenoids, all members of

the vitamin A family. Other studies show that people can reduce their

risk of stroke by as much as 54 percent if they eat lots of fruits and

veggies that are rich in beta-carotene and vitamins C and E.

 

The message is clear: Eat more carrots. I munch them as snacks, include

them in my vegetable soups and juice them, too, sometimes with garlic.

 

English pea (Pisum sativum).

 

It turns out that nearly all legumes contain genistein, which appears to

be a cancer-preventive nutrient. Scientists now believe that a diet high

in genistein-rich tofu, a soy product, is an important reason that Asian

women have such a low rate of breast cancer.

 

In addition to guarding against cancer, genistein also appears to have a

significant anti-clotting effect, meaning that it may also help prevent

ischemic stroke and heart attack. I like English peas more than I like

soybeans, so this relatively new information was welcome news to me. I

also eat lots of other beans and legumes. I suggest that you do, too.

 

Pineapple (Ananas comosus).

 

Pineapple contains a compound known as bromelain that is best known for

its ability to break down proteins. It's a key ingredient in meat

tenderizers. But bromelain also has an anti-clotting action that might

help prevent ischemic stroke and heart attack. The bottom line: Eat more

fresh pineapple.

 

Scurfy pea (Psoralea corylifolia).

 

These peas also contain genistein. After four long years of searching

and researching, I finally have data to show that scurfy peas, consumed

as a food (and reputed to be an aphrodisiac) in Asia, contain much more

genistein than soybeans. I thank my colleague, Peter Kaufman, Ph.D., at

the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, for helping me to determine the

genistein content of scurfy peas.

 

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus).

 

Bilberries and their close relatives, blueberries and huckleberries,

contain compounds known as anthocyanidins. Good European studies show

that these compounds help prevent blood clots and also break down plaque

deposits lining the arteries. In addition, some evidence suggests that

bilberries help to maintain capillaries.

 

For all of these reasons, bilberries and their relatives might help

prevent ischemic stroke without increasing the risk of hemorrhagic

stroke. Medical anthropologist John Heinerman, Ph.D., author of

Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs, says that one

glass of huckleberry juice taken twice a week can help prevent stroke.

I'm not as convinced as he seems to be, but these berries are delicious,

and if they do help prevent stroke, so much the better.

 

Evening primrose (Oe-nothera biennis).

 

The oil of this herb is rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which has

potent anti-clotting and blood pressure & shy;lowering actions. I think it's

probably quite useful in the prevention of stroke and heart disease.

Borage oil is also rich in GLA. You can purchase both of these oils at

health food stores. To use them, follow the package directions.

 

Ginger (Zingiber officinale).

 

This is another herb with proven anti-clotting ability. In one Indian

study, taking about two teaspoons of ginger a day for a week neutralized

the blood-clotting effect of 100 grams of butter. (But please don't

think you can continue to eat butter if you up your ginger intake.

Butter is very high in cholesterol, which contributes to strokes.)

 

You might try using more ginger in cooking, or you could brew ginger tea

using one to two teaspoons of fresh grated root per cup of boiling

water. Steep until cool.

 

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

 

and other foods containing folate. A good deal of evidence shows that

nutritional approaches can help prevent stroke. Studies at Tufts

University in Boston and the University of Alabama in Birmingham, for

example, have demonstrated that folate can help prevent both heart

disease and stroke. Compared with people who consumed little folate,

those who ingested the most were only half as likely to show narrowing

of the carotid artery, the artery that leads to the brain.

 

Folate is not plentiful in plants, but according to my database,

spinach, cabbage, endive, asparagus, papaya, okra and pigweed all have

this important nutrient, so the more of these veggies you get in your

diet, the better.

 

Turmeric (Cucurma longa). M

 

any studies show that the compound curcumin, which is found in this

herb, helps prevent the formation of blood clots.

 

Turmeric is a key ingredient in most curry spice blends. You might

consider eating more curry dishes or even ma king your own turmeric

capsules. Many health food stores sell empty gelatin capsules.

 

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