Having clogged arteries makes you more susceptible to getting a stroke or a heart attack. However, there are foods you can eat that will clean the gunk from your arteries and lower your risk for some cancers. Here are eight foods that will unclog your arteries and prevent them from hardening.
Asparagus
Asparagus is chock-full of antioxidants that fight the free radicals (atoms that damage cells) that can cause build-up in your arteries. According to Jillian Levy, CHHC of Dr.Axe.com, “It helps to prevent hardening of the arteries, including keeping calcium out of your artery linings and other body tissues, where it can cause damage.”
Avocado
Avocado has 20 vitamins and nutrients in it that support your heart and immune system, and it can even lower your risk of some cancers. This superfood is loaded with monounsaturated fat that can unclog your arteries and lower your cholesterol level. According to a small study in the Journal of American Heart Association, “People on a moderate-fat diet who ate an avocado every day had lower bad cholesterol levels than those on a similar diet without an avocado a day or those who were on a lower-fat diet.”
Watermelon
A popular summertime fruit, watermelon does more than quench your thirst. It can also help your heart and arteries. According to a study published in the journal Menopause, “Watermelon supplementation reduces arterial stiffness and aortic [systolic blood pressure] by reducing pressure wave reflection amplitude in obese postmenopausal women with hypertension.” This means that watermelon softens arteries and reduces their risk of getting clogged.
Spinach
Spinach supports your hair, skin, and nails. It can also prevent certain cancers and clear your arteries. Spinach contains lutein, a vitamin which helps your heart and unclogs your arteries. According to a study published in the journal Atherosclerosis, “Lutein by itself has the potential to exert significant anti-inflammatory effects in patients with CAD, thus revealing one mechanism by which lutein can contribute to atheroprotection.”
Whole grains
Whole grains give your body health-boosting antioxidants and they clean your arteries. According to Michael Greger, M.D., Fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine who discussed a 2005 study on heart disease, “The arteries of women eating less than a serving of whole grains a day significantly narrowed, whereas the arteries of women who ate just a single serving or more also significantly narrowed, but they narrowed less.”
Broccoli
Broccoli has lutein, antioxidants, and key vitamins that regulate your body and help your heart. According to a study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, “Broccoli consumption may result in reduction in plasma LDL-C levels…due to a combination of dietary components found within broccoli.”
Fatty fish
Eating fatty fish that are full of fatty acids and omega-3 like salmon, tuna, or anchovies, will help your heart and unclog your arteries. According to WebMD, “EPA (Eicosapentanoic acid) has anti-inflammatory effects that might help counter the hardening and narrowing of arteries that can lead to a heart attack.”
Nuts
Nuts are packed with protein, fiber, and fats that make you feel full. They can also clean your arteries by lowering the LDL cholesterol level in your body. According to MayoClinic, “One way nuts may help your heart health is by lowering the low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or ‘bad’) cholesterol levels.”
Sources:
https://draxe.com/asparagus-nutrition/
https://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/news/20150108/avocado-ldl-bad-cholesterol#1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23615650
Chung, R. W S, Leandersson, P., Lundberg, A. K, Jonasson, L., (2017), Lutein exerts anti-inflammatory effects in patients with coronary artery disease., Atherosclerosis, 262, 87-93. http://liu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1110688/FULLTEXT01.pdf
https://nutritionfacts.org/2017/05/30/can-oatmeal-reverse-heart-disease/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4692095/
https://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20180517/eat-fish-twice-a-week-to-ward-off-heart-disease#1
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/nuts/art-20046635
