Blood thinners, such as aspirin, can reduce the incidence of a stroke or heart attack. However, a daily spoonful of vinegar made from the leaves, buds, and/or f lowers of any of the following herbs can give you the same health benefits of aspirin, while also helping calcium absorption and improving your digestion: alfalfa, birch, sweet clover, bedstraw, poplar, red clover, willow, and wintergreen.

Another blood-thinning herb is black haw (Viburnum). Use as a tincture. Try a 25-drop dose as needed.

Caution: Do not take blood-thinning herbs if you are bleeding heavily or require surgery.

To Lower Blood Pressure

The following supplements are believed to reduce blood pressure:

• Hawthorn. Use as a tincture, 10 to 20 drops three times daily.

• Motherwort. Use as a tincture, 10 to 20 drops three times daily.

• Dandelion root. As a tincture, use 10 to 15 drops with meals.

• Potassium. Among people who eat six portions of potassium-rich foods daily, 80 to 85 percent will reduce their need for blood-pressure-lowering medication by half or more.

• Raw garlic. Just 1/2 to 1 clove of raw garlic a day can dramatically reduce your blood pressure. Mince it raw into a variety of dishes, including eggs, rice, or potatoes.

• Ginseng (any amount)

• Seaweed (any amount)