Lily of the valley herb strengthens the heart muscle and is therefore popularly used for mild cardiac insufficiency and heart failure caused by older age (old age heart).
Lily of the valley for heart weakness
The application is suitable for heart failure of stages I and II, that is, when the symptoms appear only with greater physical exertion. The symptoms, which are common in heart failure, are:
- An increased heart rate
- Shortness of breath
- Reduction in performance
- An enlargement of the heart
They are usually a sign that the heart can no longer provide the necessary blood ejection, or only to a limited extent. The active ingredients contained in lily of the valley herb strengthen the heart and promote cardiac work, which can improve the symptoms.
The use of lily of the valley preparations may also be beneficial in chronic cor pulmonale, which is a pressure load on the right heart due to an increase in pressure in the pulmonary vessels.
Application in folk medicine
In folk medicine, lily of the valley herb is used to treat epilepsy, dropsy, strokes, and labor pains. However, due to the toxicity of the herb (see Side Effects and Special Instructions), the folk medicine use of lily of the valley cannot be advocated.
Lily of the valley in homeopathy.
Homeopathically, the above-ground flowering parts of lily of the valley are used for cardiac arrhythmias, general heart weakness with water deposits in the tissues (edema), chest tightness and smoker’s heart.
Lily of the valley ingredients
Lily of the valley, with a content of 0.1 to 0.5 percent, contains numerous so-called cardiac glycosides, that is, substances that have a strengthening effect on the heart. The content of cardiac glycosides is highest at flowering time.
Cardiac glycosides include convallatoxin as the main component and, in addition, various similar substances such as convalloside, and convallatoxol.
Lily of the Valley: Indications for use
Lily of the valley may find medicinal application in the following cases:
- Mild heart failure (stages I and II).
- Age heart
- Chronic corpulmonale
