About one in 12 Canadian adults currently has potentially heart-failure-inducing plaque buildup in their arteries. As a result, medications designed to limit the progression of this condition (called atherosclerosis) account for more than 6% of all prescription drugs dispensed in Canada.
That said, some healthy living behaviors — especially supplementing your diet with “nutraceutical” healing plants and natural herbs — can both amplify and replicate the effects of pharmaceutical medications.
What The Best Foods For Unclogging Arteries Have In Common
Atherosclerosis starts with the fat and cholesterol in your blood, but it doesn’t end there.
As it progresses, different types of cells and cellular processes contribute to building plaques, bulking them up, and making them stick to arterial walls. In fact, vascular inflammation, oxidative stress, immune system health, and even stress-induced nervous system activation all have a part in atherosclerosis risk, development, and treatment.
That’s why anyone with atherosclerosis should eat certain whole foods, healing plants, and heart-healthy natural herbs and spices. Each of these plays some role in stopping or reversing atherosclerosis by:
- Reducing fat/cholesterol in the blood;
- Inhibiting monocyte activation;
- Diminishing vascular inflammation;
- Protecting against oxidative stress;
- Limiting vascular smooth muscle cell migration; and
- Stopping plaque formation.
The 10 Best Foods to Clean and Unclog Arteries
1. Natural Herbs
A variety of herbal natural supplements and extracts have known benefits against atherosclerosis. This includes both medicinal herbs and common pantry herbs (like St. John’s-wort, black cumin, Chinese ginseng, basil, and some types of sage and rhododendron, among others).
2. Common Pantry Spices
Even though salt and common cooking fats should be off the table for people with atherosclerosis, the best heart-healthy diet isn’t bland. Common pantry spices flavor food and inhibit atherosclerosis. These include garlic, ginger, black pepper, chili pepper, and cinnamon.
3. Turmeric
Laboratory studies show that regularly turmeric, specifically, may shrink fatty deposits within the arteries up to 25%. What’s more, additional research shows that using turmeric as a natural supplement can help prevent the development of atherosclerosis in the first place.
4. Avocado (In All Forms)
When it comes to preventing atherosclerosis, avocado is something of a miracle food. Whether taken as natural supplements or an alternative to mayonnaise or butter or eaten on its own, avocado lowers blood pressure and helps keep arteries clear.
5. Pomegranate (& Other Stress-Reducing Foods)
Another wonder-food, pomegranate has been proven to prevent oxidative stress, lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, clear blocked arteries, and help reduce atherosclerosis-causing stress hormone release. All of these activities are essential to both prevent and reverse arterial plaque buildup.
6. Extracts Derived From Healing Plants
Normal digestion is enough to release the beneficial compounds in some heart-healthy foods, but others make more effective supplements. That includes some vegetables (like artichoke), berries (like hawthorne), flowers (like Chinese peony), and sugars (like cane sugar’s policosanol extract).
7. (Whole) Citrus Fruits & Supplements
Citrus fruits’ high vitamin C and fiber content slow atherosclerosis development and may aid in its reversal. Whole fruits or nutritional supplements are the most effective medium for citrus supplementation; peeling, juicing, and blending fruit removes much of both nutrients.
8. Whole Grains
Eating whole grains — like brown rice, whole wheat products, oatmeal, and quinoa — does more than just lower cholesterol. It may also help prevent the thickening of artery walls (“ventricular smooth muscle cell migration”) that enables arterial plaque buildup.
9. Cruciferous Vegetables
Though any increase in vegetable intake is beneficial, eating more cruciferous vegetables (especially broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussels sprouts) is especially important. Compared to other types of vegetables, more studies suggest that cruciferous vegetables both prevent and reduce arterial congestion.
10. Soy Milk & Meat Substitutes
Soy-protein — found in tofu and soy milk — may play a key role in preventing arterial plaque as well as supporting some of the best behavior changes for heart health. Remember: unclogging your arteries requires eating fewer unhelpful foods, too!
Canada Kratom Express
Improving our body, mind, and health is our main priority here at Canada Kratom Express. Our team is constantly scouring the web for new research, new tips, and new supplements that can help take our body to the next level. Take our research with a grain of salt, however, as not everything we say is applicable to everyone. Every individual is different and reacts to different herbs and supplements differently. Before you buy any new supplement online, make sure to do your research. And test it out a little at a time to record how your body reacts to it. This is the best way to know if a supplement is right for you!
