Supplements for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Certain supplements may be helpful in treating your abdominal aortic aneurysm 1. According to the Cleveland Clinic -- one of the top hospitals in the United States -- an abdominal aortic aneurysm is a potentially life-threatening enlargement of the lower part of your aorta that extends through your abdomen 1. Your aorta is the largest artery in your body. Before taking supplements to help treat your abdominal aortic aneurysm, talk with your doctor about possible side effects, proper dosage and potential drug interactions 1.

Hawthorn

Hawthorn, also known as Crataegus, is an herbal supplement that may be helpful in treating your abdominal aortic aneurysm 1. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, hawthorn is used to help treat many cardiovascular health problems, including heart failure, coronary artery disease and angina 2. Hawthorn may also be helpful in improving the integrity of your blood vessels, including your abdominal aorta. Hawthorn is a thorny shrub that grows throughout the world. A member of the rose family, hawthorn has a sweet, sour and astringent taste; possesses warming tendencies; grows to a maximum height of 5 feet; and thrives in sunny wooded areas. Ed Smith, an herbalist and author of the book "Therapeutic Herb Manual," states that hawthorn is an effective connective tissue tonic, or a substance that can improve the strength and integrity of your connective tissue, including the connective tissue in your arteries 3.

Gotu Kola

Dr. Sharol Tilgner, a naturopathic physician and author of the book "Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth," states that gotu kola, also known as Centella asiatica, is an herbal supplement that helps normalize the metabolism of your connective tissue and improves your connective tissue integrity by stimulating the production of glycosaminoglycans, or GAGs 4. GAGs are part of your extracellular matrix, which gives your tissues their rigid structure. By stimulating GAG synthesis, gotu kola helps decrease sclerosis and stimulates circulation, which may be helpful in treating your abdominal aortic aneurysm 1. Gotu kola is a perennial plant native to India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and several other countries. Gotu kola belongs to the parsley family; has a spicy taste; possesses cooling tendencies; and is an anti-inflammatory and vulnerary, or a substance that helps heal damaged tissue. Practitioners of botanical medicine use the entire plant medicinally.

Garlic

Garlic is a perennial plant that belongs to the lily family and is native to Central Asia. Garlic is now extensively cultivated throughout the world for culinary and medicinal purposes. The bulb of the garlic plant contains numerous cloves, which are the part of the plant used for medicinal purposes. Garlic, also called Allium sativa, has a warm and pungent taste; possesses drying, stimulating and heating tendencies; and may decrease the progression of your cardiovascular disease, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. According to Dr. Michael T. Murray, a naturopathic physician and author of the book "The Healing Power of Herbs," garlic helps protect you from cardiovascular disease by interfering in the process of atherosclerosis at many stages 5. Tilgner notes that garlic is an anti-thrombotic, an anticoagulant and a hypotensive that is used to help treat numerous cardiovascular health conditions.