Your arteries are responsible for delivering oxygen and essential nutrients to all of your organs. That’s why keeping these vessels clean and well-maintained is necessary for health and well-being.
A good and controlled diet can help you avoid the plaque buildup that threatens to clog your arteries. Did you know that ordinary foods that you probably have in your kitchen right now can be a game changer in this matter? Some of them can literally help sweep your arteries.
What Causes Plaque Buildup in Arteries?
High cholesterol is a well-known bad actor and one of the main reasons for plaque buildup in the arteries. But this is only a part of the big picture. There are other major contributing factors like smoking, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension that lead to clogged arteries.
Best Foods to Clean Your Arteries
The clogged artery is a significant threat to health, but you can slow the formation of or even prevent blocked arterieswith the help of a balanced diet. Eat more of the foods in the list below to balance your blood sugar, help lower your blood pressure, and promote weight loss.
1. Berries
1. Berries
Dark, richly colored berries such as blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries are associated with tremendous health benefits. They are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fibers, and other compounds essential to reducing inflammation and improving heart health. A regular diet of berries can help naturally reverse the process that contributes to clogged arteries including fibrin formation and cholesterol accumulation.
2. Flax Seeds
2. Flax Seeds
Flax seeds are excellent sources of lignans (antioxidant plant compounds), plant-based omega-3, and essential fibers. A diet rich in flax seeds can help control blood sugar levels by improving insulin sensitivity in overweight people, moderate inflammation, and lower risk of heart disease.
3. Fatty Fish
3. Fatty Fish
Oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, and salmon are natural sources of omega-3 fats. These are valuable unsaturated fats with anti-inflammatory properties to prevent vascular inflammation. Fatty fish are also well-known for effectively reducing platelet aggregation and cholesterol, which helps sweep arteries.
4. Citrus Fruits
4. Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits such as grapefruits, oranges, lemons, and limes are loaded with flavonoids which is another phytonutrient that has antioxidant properties essential in fighting against plaque accumulation. It prevents bad cholesterol, or LDL cholesterol, from transforming and doing harm to the artery walls.
According to research, consuming a grapefruit daily minimizes cholesterol as well as triglyceride levels in the body of people who just underwent bypass surgery. So, adding citrus fruit to a daily diet can maintain overall good heart function.
5. Okra and Eggplant
5. Okra and Eggplant
These two vegetables have properties that help sweep your arteries naturally. A regular diet of Okra and Eggplant stops cholesterol from accumulating and eventually clogging your arteries because they are packed with soluble fibers, the kind of fibers that help promote optimal blood flow to maintain a healthy and strong artery system and heart. Check out this list of other foods rich in soluble fibers.
Conclusion
Artery clogging is the major cause of heart attacks nowadays. So, instead of making a junk food choice, add one of the above foods to your diet instead. These nutrient-rich foods can play a crucial role in reducing plaque accumulation in arteries. Try a couple of days where fish, berries, and oats are the main ingredients in your daily diet. It’s never too late to start to sweep your arteries.
