What can hawthorn be steeped with to help lower blood lipid levels?
Generally, hawthorn can help lower blood lipids when combined with lotus leaf, chrysanthemum, cassia seed, gynostemma, and salvia in making herbal tea. The detailed analysis is as follows:
1. Lotus Leaf
Lotus leaf has effects of clearing heat, resolving dampness, and promoting the ascending of clear yang energy. Alkaloids in lotus leaf help clear heat and detoxify, strengthen the spleen, and stimulate appetite. When combined with hawthorn, it helps reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, suitable for patients with hyperlipidemia caused by internal phlegm-dampness blockage.
2. Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum functions to clear liver heat, improve vision, and detoxify the body. Combined with hawthorn, it dilates the coronary arteries, improves microcirculation, lowers blood lipids, and reduces blood viscosity. It is suitable for individuals with high blood lipids accompanied by symptoms of hyperactivity of liver yang.
3. Cassia Seed
Cassia seed can clear liver heat, improve vision, moisten the intestines, and relieve constipation. When used together with hawthorn, it can inhibit cholesterol absorption and synthesis, thereby lowering blood lipids. It is suitable for hyperlipidemic patients with constipation.
4. Gynostemma
Gynostemma has the functions of invigorating qi, strengthening the spleen, resolving phlegm, and relieving cough. When combined with hawthorn, it helps regulate lipid metabolism, reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, thus improving blood lipid levels.
5. Salvia
Salvia has effects of promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, and relieving pain by unblocking meridians. When used together with hawthorn, it improves blood circulation and lowers blood lipids. It is suitable for cases where elevated blood lipids are caused by internal blood stasis.
It is recommended to choose appropriate ingredients or herbs to combine with hawthorn based on individual constitution and lipid profile. Additionally, attention should be paid to moderate consumption to avoid excessive intake that may cause physical discomfort.