Wellness
8 Foods that can clean your arteries and prevent a heart attack
Some of these might surprise you. đź’—
Ma Fatima Garcia
12.15.20

If we want to reach for our goals and live our lives to the fullest, then we have to take care of ourselves.

Now, for us to do this we also need to be aware and knowledgeable of our body and how it works. Take our arteries for example. We’ve heard about them, we know them, but do you know how they work or how we would be able to take care of them?

What are Arteries?

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Each body part has its function, such as our arteries. According to WebMD, our arteries are the blood vessels that allow blood to flow throughout our bodies. The blood, rich in oxygen, travels throughout our bodies from our brain to the tip of our toes, but did you know that arteries can suffer if we have poor health as well?

Some people can develop clogged arteries.

What are clogged arteries? Well, a clogged artery is a result of a buildup of a substance in the inner wall of the arteries. This substance is called ‘plaque’ and if a person develops plaque in their arterial wall, this will greatly reduce the blood flow or the main function of arteries.

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In some cases, the arteries get blocked totally.

What does this mean? Clogged arteries can cause heart attack, stroke, and can even cause untimely death. That is the reason why we should pay attention to our health. We don’t want to discover the importance of our health when it’s too late, right?

Signs of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis happens when plaque or fatty deposits, calcium, cholesterol, and even substances start to accumulate along your artery walls. It’s more commonly known as clogged arteries or the hardening of the arteries which causes angina, and claudication.

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What’s scary is that most people are unaware that they already have clogged arteries until they experience a heart attack or even stroke.

Some of the symptoms of Atherosclerosis are:

  • shortness of breath
  • chest pain or angina
  • muscle weakness
  • pain in your arm, leg, or any part of the body with a blocked artery
  • fatigue
  • confusion
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Foods that Can Prevent Heart Attack/Stroke

Your diet plays a significant role in your health. We’ve read and heard about this so many times, but most people just disregard this warning if they feel ‘okay,’ but should we wait until we see signs of diseases before we take care of ourselves?

We’ve gathered 8 foods that will help your body clean your arteries naturally, thus reducing bad cholesterol, which in turn would greatly reduce the risk of a heart attack.

By keeping our arteries healthy, we avoid heart attacks and strokes – and we live healthier and longer.

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1) Pomegranates

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Pomegranates are tasty, fun to eat, and can help your arteries as well. Based on several clinical studies, pomegranate has been proven to help clear clogged arteries.

It can help because it has high levels of antioxidants, which can greatly increase the production of nitric oxide in our blood. It also improves blood flow and arterial plaque build-up.

Enjoy your serving of this delicious fruit.

2) Flax-seed

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Flax-seed may be tiny, but it is packed with benefits. Did you know that aside from the long list of benefits that flax-seed can offer, it can also be beneficial for your arteries?

According to NCBI, flaxseed is a great alternative to marine products. In fact, it has been found that it’s one of the richest sources of plant-based omega-3 fatty acid and ALA or alpha-linolenic acid.

Go ahead and add a tablespoon of ground flax-seed to your cereal.

3) Walnuts

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Walnuts aren’t just tasty; they can also help our arteries by improving their flexibility. It also helps us by maintaining a healthy cholesterol level and can also decrease a person’s blood pressure, thus preventing the major risk factors that lead to heart attack and stroke.

Walnuts are a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. Walnuts contain 2.5 grams of ALA per ounce – that’s amazing, right?

Now, who wants a serving of carrot walnut cake?

4) Fish

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Who loves fish? We do! Aside from being delicious and healthy, fish can also do wonders for your arteries. According to studies, fish oils can prevent the accumulation of cholesterol and fats in the aorta (the main artery that carries our blood away from our heart), thus preventing heart attacks.

Also, fish has plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, and as we all know, these can do so much for us, such as enhancing our cardiovascular health.

You might want to start eating more herring, salmon, mackerel, tuna, and trout.

5) Turmeric

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Are you familiar with Turmeric? If not, then it’s time to start studying this herb/spice.

Turmeric has been a staple spice and medicinal herb in India, and now, scientists are amazed by how amazing this plant is. Curcumin, the main active ingredient in Turmeric, packs powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.

Now, for the health of your arteries and even for your heart, you should start incorporating Turmeric into your diet.

The current studies involving curcumin showed a drastic change in people who consume Turmeric. In fact, it even shows that it can slow down the development of atherosclerosis.

Try Turmeric tea or start searching for recipes too.

6) Green Tea

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For those of you who love Green Tea, then you can add this to your list of benefits. According to studies, there have been several results that indicate how green tea can help our arteries.

According to health.harvard.edu, green tea may work wonders for your heart and arteries. It can aid in lowering LDL cholesterol and even triglycerides, which then prevents stroke, heart diseases, and atherosclerosis.

So drink up and enjoy your green tea.

7) Citrus Fruits

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Eating your favorite citrus fruit doesn’t just give you vitamins; it can also aid in improving your heart health. Did you know that citrus fruits can effectively reduce systolic blood pressure?

In a study by the University of Southern California, Department of Preventive Medicine, eating grapefruits and oranges, in particular, can protect your arteries from clogging because they’re high in viscous fiber.

What’s your favorite citrus fruit?

8) Cinnamon

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Cinnamon is a very delicious spice, no doubt about that.

This aromatic spice doesn’t just give you delicious flavors; it also helps you in so many ways. First, it’s loaded with antioxidants that protect you from free radicals. It’s also packed with anti-inflammatory properties, and can greatly reduce the risk of stroke and heart diseases.

It can reduce your level of total cholesterol, the “bad” LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, but it doesn’t intervene with your “good” HDL cholesterol.

Don’t forget to stock up on this aromatic spice.

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By watching what we intake and what we eat, we can dramatically alter our health. These amazing foods aren’t that hard to find, they may already be in your pantry.

We just have to have a healthy mindset for us to be more disciplined. Which one of these is your favorite?

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

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