Arteries Are the Key to Good Health
---Keep Your Pipes Clear
Natural Remedies to Unclog Your Arteries
Foods That Reduce Blood Pressure
Blood Pressure Linked to Erectile Dysfunction
Ideal Breakfast for Diabetics
Diet and Exercise-Simple Plan
Bad Sleep Linked to Heart Attack and Stroke
Snoring Linked to Stroke
My Heart Attack-personal stories from survivors
By Samantha Landry
February 9, 2008
What do arteries have to do with your general health? Everything. The
health of your arteries will directly affect your heart, your risk of stroke,
even your risk of developing erectile dysfunction.
To see why, ask yourself this question. Quick test. If you wanted to know
whether our economy is healthy, which of the following companies would
give you the best overall indication? Amazon.com, Walmart, UPS?
I would argue that even though Walmart is a giant mega-retailer and
Amazon is a giant mega click-and-mortar retailer, that the correct answer
is Number 3--UPS. Why?
Almost all companies have to ship in order to get their goods to you. If
the number of shipments overall is up, then, the companies that ship
through the shipping service like UPS must be doing okay. It's the
shipper, the distributor, that is the key to the whole works. Which is all a
roundabout way to ask--if you want to know whether a human is healthy
overall--check the shipper.
Arteries are pipes. Complicated pipes, but pipes nonetheless. To keep them
healthy, keep them clear of gook. Gook, in the case of our bodies, takes
the form of fat left there from the body's inability to use all the grease we
consume from burgers, fries, chicken--you know the culprits. Again, blood
vessels are pipes. If a pipe is squeezed --which is what happens when
your vessels constrict, either because you smoke or you are overweight
--the pressure increases. Same thing would happen if you squeezed on a
garden hose. Here is what a healthy arterial pipe looks like:
Eat enough excess fat or sugar and streaks develop--early gook. Age,
fatty diets and sedentary living can deposit fatty streaks in our arteries.
Over time, the fat can develop fibroids, turning
streaks into a more permanent layer of fat, called an atheroma. Now,
you're in trouble. Article Continues Below.
So, let's suppose your pipes are pretty clogged. Is there anything you can
do short of surgery (the dreaded balloon procedure or worse) to help
unclog them? It turns out that, some foods act as, well, pipe cleaners.
Walnuts are among the best pipe cleaners in nature. Studies have shown
that those who consume a handful of walnuts daily decrease their risk of
arterial and heart disease. Walnuts decrease inflammation and reduce
levels of substances that promote the clogging of your arteries. How?
Studies have shown that adding walnuts to a healthful diet can decrease
CRP (C-reactive protein) levels.
CRP is a measure of inflammation. Since inflammation damages arteries,
adding walnuts lowers the level of daily damage to your arteries which in
turn reduces the risk of a blocked arteries. Walnuts also help to patch up
your arteries. Another study has shown that walnuts reduce levels of
VCAM-1, a substance that encourages white blood cells to stick to
damaged artery walls.
Now, here's the key point. Arteries are arteries are arteries. They are all
the same. They are all just pipes. Wonderfully engineered pipes, mind
you, but pipes nonetheless. What makes them different is their location
and where they lead too. In other words, Interstate 101 is the same as
Interstate 202 but 101 leads to your heart and 202 leads to your brain.
The pipes that lead to your heart are called coronary arteries. The pipes
that lead to your brain are called carotid arteries.
If a blood clot or additional thickening causes the arteries to become
totally blocked, then a stroke (in the case of the carotid arteries) or a
heart attack (if the blockage occurs in the coronary arteries surrounding
the heart) can occur. If the arterial system supplying your penis get
clogged by fat, you will develop erectile dysfunction. That is the reason the
lifestyle changes you make to reduce your risk of heart attack are the same
ones that reduce your risk of stroke. And that's the reason any activities
or foods that increase your risk of heart attack also increase your risk of
stroke. Do you know your blood pressure numbers? Where do you
stand? The chart on this page can help.
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The Same Foods Which Clog Your Arteries
and Lead to Heart Disease Also Can Lead to
Stroke
and Lead to Heart Disease Also Can Lead to
Stroke
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