10 Foods to Keep Your Arteries Clean

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are gripping the world like wild fire. Nutritionists believe that they are 'The Plague' of the 21st  century. One of the key risk for developing CVD is clogged arteries. This is not an overnight occurrence but a series of wrong choices in food and lifestyle.

Your arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of your body. They go to your brain as well as to the tips of your toes. Healthy arteries are flexible, strong, elastic and clear of any deposits, and blood flows through them easily. But as you age, deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium are formed on the inner walls of the arteries. This arterial plaque can reduce blood flow or, in some instances, block it altogether.

As plaque deposits grow, a condition called atherosclerosis results. This condition causes the arteries to narrow and harden. Clogged arteries in different parts of the body can lead to multiple medical conditions, including reduced blood flow to the lower legs and other extremities (due to clogging of peripheral arteries); angina (chest pain), heart disease or heart attack (due to clogging of coronary arteries); stroke (due to clogging of carotid arteries that supply oxygen to your brain).

The main cause for your arteries to clog up has been associated with eating a lot of processed foods added with saturated fats, chemicals and toxins. But you will be amazed to know that just as there are foods that will clog up your arteries, there are a few foods that will clean them as well. So if you are experiencing shortness of breath and pain in the chest, you should add these foods to your diet.

1. Garlic: Garlic has been used to treat heart diseases and hypertension since ancient days. According to a study published in Preventive Medicine, garlic can inhibit the coronary artery calcification (result of calcium deposition in the coronary arteries and serves as a marker for plaque formation). Another study conducted by a German scientist Professor Güautnter Siegel, found that powdered garlic reduced the formation of nanoplaque (the first building blocks of plaque) by up to 40% and reduced the size of the nanoplaque that has already formed by up to 20%.

2. Grapes: Benefit of grapes comes from flavonoids that give the vibrant purple color to grapes, grape juice and red wine. The flavonoids, quercitin and resveratrol, appear to be most concentrated in the skins, stems, and seeds of grapes rather than their juicy middle sections. These flavonoids have been shown to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) that leads to formation of plaque in artery walls. They can also lower the risk of developing the blood clots that lead to heart attacks.

3. Berries: Berries (such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries) are rich in antioxidant flavonoids (such as anthocyanins) that can help prevent artery hardening and help to scour plaque from the walls of the arteries.

4. Apples: Apples contain 'pectin', a soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol, probably by interfering with the intestinal absorption of bile acids, which forces the liver to use circulating cholesterol to make more bile. They also contain quercetin, potassium and magnesium which help in keeping your blood pressure under control. Other pectin rich fruits include pears and citrus fruits.

5. Spinach: Spinach is rich in lutein, a plant carotenoid, which not only protects against age-related macular degeneration, but may also help prevent heart attacks by keeping artery walls clear of cholesterol buildup. Spinach is also high in potassium and folic acid, both of which are main lines of defense against high blood pressure.

6. Fish: Especially oily fish like salmon and tuna which have Omega 3 fatty acid prevent clots from forming and cholesterol from becoming damaged or oxidized. A study conducted by researchers at Southampton University found that omega 3 oils stop the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries.

7. Olive Oil: Studies have shown that molecules of bad cholesterol when mixed with monounsaturated fats found in olive oil become less likely to be oxidized (only oxidized cholesterol is able to stick to your artery walls and form plaques).

8. Tomatoes: Tomatoes are rich in carotenoid lycopene, the compound that gives tomatoes their color. an antioxidant that can significantly lower your risk of atherosclerosis by 50 percent. According to a new study done by Korean researchers, lycopene may help to prevent hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis.    In the study, researchers found that the women with the highest lycopene levels in their blood had the least stiffness in their arteries and women with the lowest lycopene levels had the most.

9. Green tea: Green tea also contain powerful antioxidants called flavonoids that can improve the health of the delicate cells lining the blood vessels (endothelial cells) and helps lower your risk of heart disease. Endothelial cell dysfunction plays a key role in the development of clogged arteries. Researchers found that people who drink green tea experience significantly increased artery widening (dilation) - a sign of better blood vessel function, with the highest increase noted at 30 minutes.

10. Pomegranate: Pomegranate and its juice is high in antioxidant content which may help fight hardening of the arteries. A new study found that pomegranate juice not only appears to prevent hardening of the arteries by reducing blood vessel damage, but may also reverse the progression of this disease. The tests showed that pomegranate juice reduced the effects of stress on human blood vessel cells by stimulating the production of nitric oxide. This chemical is thought to help keep arteries open and keep blood flowing.

Apart from the above mentioned foods, you also need the following tips to clean your arteries quickly:

• Exercise keeps you and your heart healthy. So make sure you exercise on a regular basis.
• Reduce saturated fat intake by reducing the intake of processed food in your diet. In addition, reduce the intake of trans fatty acids and hydrogenated fats as they are known to raise your LDL cholesterol.
• It is also important that you drink plenty of water.

Plaque is detrimental for your artery's health. Eating junk food and living a sedentary life is a path to clogged arteries. Start eating the above mentioned foods along with an exercise program and you will be well on your way to squeaky clean arteries!