Congestive Heart Failure and Terminalia arjuna
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: Harry
Posted on: August 31, 2004

About 3 years ago I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF). I take all the medications. Recently, a friend told me about a herb called Terminalia arjuna that was giving great relief to people with CHF. I tried looking up the herb on the internet but the information is limited, do you have any information about the herb? Its toxicity and interaction with other medicines?.

Congestive heart failure is a chronic condition when the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood. Terminalia arjuna is an Indian herb that has been used for CHF in Ayurvedic medicine since the 6th century B.C. A study done in 1997, administering 500 mg of the dried extract of the plant bark to CHF patients every 8 hours, shows the herb to be safe and effective with conventional CHF medications. I do not know this herb and have not used it. I recommend that you look for an experienced Ayurvedic doctor who will do a full health assessment and can give you complete diet and herbal recommendations for your individual condition.

From the internet, two sources of Terminalia arjuna information that I trust are from the herbalist Michael Tierra at

1. www.planetherbs.com/articles/Arjuna.htm

and from the American Botanical Council at

2. www.herbalgram.org/youngliving/herbmedpro/herbtemplates/viewherb.asp?varHerb_ID=126

and

3. www.herbalgram.org/youngliving/ herbalgram/articleview.asp?a=2513

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