Top 10 Natural Remedies to Unclog
Your Arteries
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June 29, 2010, Updated July 7, 2010
By Louise Carr, Contributing Columnist, and Susan Callahan,
Health Editor
You probably never noticed it happening, but plaque built up in
your arteries over time and now there’s a real blockage.
Artery plaque is made up of cholesterol, inflammatory cells, fat
and other waste materials. When it hardens, artery plaque
prevents blood circulating efficiently and puts strain on the heart
muscle, eventually causing high blood pressure and heart
disease.
You may feel perfectly healthy but this snarl-up isn’t going to
clear on its own.
Your aim is an empty freeway-- smooth, clean arteries that
enable blood to speed around your body. Surgery is an option
but there are also other natural alternatives to both reduce LDL
cholesterol and remove the existing plaque from the walls.
Foods That Clog Your Arteries
We have all heard that saturated fat is bad for your health. But
do you know exactly why that is true? Saturated fat, pure and
simple, is animal fat. Butter, lard. Saturated fat --also called
cholesterol when it exists inside your body -- is a solid at room
temperature. When saturated fat enters your body, it causes
inflammation. Literally, your artery walls become inflamed.
Saturated fat also causes your arteries to "spasm".
Oils that are better for your health-- unsaturated fat-- are liquid
at room temperature. These include olive oil, canola oil,
grapeseed oil. These oils do not cause inflammation inside your
body.
But, as bad as saturated fat is for your arteries, there is a special
type of saturated fat that is even worse. The worst type of fat of
all for your arteries is saturated fat that is "oxidized".
How do you oxidize saturated fat? By frying it.
According to a landmark 2009 study from the Chinese University
in Hong Kong, eating fried, fatty food is the most effective way
to clog your arteries.
In the study, hamsters were fed diets high in saturated fat --
pure cholesterol. A second group of hamsters was fed the same
high-cholesterol food only it was first exposed to heat by frying.
Same calories, same food, only difference was that the second
group ate the food fried.
Result? The hamsters on the fried cholesterol diet had 12 to
22% more cholesterol in their arteries. As the study reported
"oxidized cholesterol produced more artherosclerotic plaque and
worsened arterial function compared with non-oxidized
cholesterol".
Why does frying fatty food make it so much worse for your
arteries? Frying changes the chemistry of fatty food. When you
fry fatty foods, the cholesterol mixes with oxygen to create
particles called "oxicholesterols". These oxidized cholesterol
particles stick to the walls of your arteries better than other
particles.
Bottom line: fried meat is the worst food you can eat to clog
your arteries. Fried steak, fried chicken, fried hamburgers, fried
ham, even fried egg yolks. They are all have animal fat in the
form of cholesterol even when they are cold and, once you fry
them, they all contain heaps of the dangerous "oxicholesterols".
So, now that you know the types of foods that clog your
arteries, what are the types of food that can undo the damage?
What foods are best at unclogging your arteries?
Your best defense is a diet high in fresh vegetables and fruit, low
in saturated fats and free from tobacco. Take regular exercise to
strengthen your heart. And try the following 10 natural remedies
to unclog your arteries.
1. Walnuts
The humble walnut has been shown to be a real super-power
when it comes to unclogging arteries. Quite simply, walnuts can
unclog your arteries.
A 2006 study from the University of Barcelona's Hospital Clínico
showed eating walnuts helped maintain the elasticity of the
arteries. The study provided 24 adults with two high-fat meals,
eaten one week apart. For one meal, the researchers added 40g
of walnuts and for the second, 25ml of olive oil.
Both olive oil and walnuts decreased the inflammation in the
arteries caused by eating high-fat foods but the walnuts had an
added benefit-- they helped preserve the elasticity of the arteries
which allows them to expand and contract in order to reduce
clogs and distribute blood around the body.
2. Garlic
Garlic isn’t just for keeping vampires away and making your
breath a bit unsociable. Garlic can help lower blood pressure,
reduce cholesterol and prevent and remove clots.
Garlic is effective for clogged arteries because it widens blood
vessels and encourages good circulation. A 2007 study from the
University of Alabama at Birmingham found fresh garlic,
equivalent to two cloves, caused up to 72 percent more blood
vessel relaxation than a placebo. In other words, garlic improved
blood circulation by 72%. Other studies have found that garlic
helps to lower blood pressure as well.
Breaking the cells of the garlic by crushing or chopping helps
release the beneficial nutrients; try a lemon and garlic solution
by processing three lemons and 15 cloves of garlic plus water.
Bring the mixture to the boil, simmer and pour the result
through a strainer.
3. Folate
Folate, a B vitamin found in dark, leafy vegetables, citrus fruits,
peppers, and watercress, is a recognized compound that helps
improve artery health. In a 2006 study published in the scientific
journal Circulation Research, researchers from The Montreal
Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre found
low folate diets increased the production of homocysteine, an
amino acid, which lowers the ‘good’ cholesterol in the blood.
Increasing your folate intake helps stop this artery clogging
process and can help reverse damage that has already been
done.
4. Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo biloba can really jump start your circulation, aiding
effective blood flow and reducing claudication (painful legs
resulting from clogged arteries).
The herb has been shown to improve blood circulation by
dilating blood vessels and reducing blood ‘stickiness’. According
to one 1998 study by Peters H, Kieser M and Holscher U, 11
patients started treatment with ginkgo and at the end of the trial
those taking the supplement instead of a placebo experienced a
40 percent increase in pain-free walking.
5. Omega-3 Oils
Adding Omega-3 oils to your diet can help remove the blockages
in the arteries that cause serious problems for the heart.
Research in 2009 by the LSU Health Sciences Center, New
Orleans School of Medicine found that unstable carotid artery
plaques, those plaques that are liable to rupture and cause
stroke, contain more inflammation and much less Omega-3 fatty
acids than non-dangerous artery plaques.
Omega-3-rich foods include fish such as salmon and tuna.
Omega-3 can also be taken in supplement form. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stroke is the third
leading cause of death in the United States, as well as a main
cause of serious long-term disability.
Of all strokes, carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques account for
over 33% of them. Omega-3 could be of real benefit, although
further research is necessary.
6. Pomegranate Juice
Sipping a glass of pomegranate juice every day can help flush
out your arteries and improve blood flow.
The Mayo Clinic suggests that pomegranate juice can slow the
buildup of cholesterol which causes arteries to clog though it is
unclear whether the juice can remove clogs once they are
present.
Pomegranate juice is very high in antioxidants, which can help
reduce ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. A report in the April 2007 edition
of Harvard Men's Health Watch found the juicy pomegranate
decreased carotid artery thickness and improved blood flow.
Israeli researchers in 2006 found pomegranate juice had a
beneficial effect on lowering heart disease in people with
diabetes. Patients who consumed 50ml of pomegranate juice for
three months had a reduced uptake of LDL (bad) cholesterol as
well as reduced levels of other heart disease indicators.
7. Whole Grains and Fiber
Fiber acts like a broom in your arteries, brushing away plaque
that forms on the arterial walls.
Foods high in fiber get great results in heart health according to
the American Heart Association. Eat whole grains such as barley,
oats and wheat, brown rice, beans and lentils, fresh leafy
vegetables and soy foods such as tofu and soy beans.
8. Hawthorn
The herb hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) is said to stimulate
the heart and promote good circulation by relaxing blood vessels
and making the muscle beat more powerfully, therefore creating
a difficult environment for clogs to form. A group of Cochrane
Researchers looked at 14 randomized control trials that
compared the effects of hawthorn extract to placebo or
conventional therapies. The trials studied a total of 855 people
and researchers concluded that hawthorn extract improved
maximal workload of the heart, increased exercise tolerance,
reduced oxygen consumption by the heart, and reduced
shortness of breath and fatigue.
9. Herbs That Can Unclog Your Arteries
Herbs such as cayenne, which can help improve blood circulation
and increase the action of the heart, and horsetail, which
strengthens artery walls, can both have a place in an artery-
clearing strategy.
Skullcap is another herb that has been said to increase the levels
of ‘good’ cholesterol in the body. Valerian and lemon balm relax
blood vessel walls and enhance blood flow and bilberry is known
for its ability to fortify artery walls for smooth blood flow around
the body.
10. Red Yeast Rice
Red yeast rice, a herbal therapy that closely resembles the statin
drug Mevacor, is though to be effective at lowering cholesterol.
In a review of 93 randomized trials from China involving around
10,000 patients, scientists concluded that red yeast rice can
significantly lower levels of LDL cholesterol and raise levels of
HDL compared with placebo.(2006, Liu J, Zhang J, Shi Y, et al.
“Chinese red yeast rice ( Monascus purpureus) for primary
hyperlipidemia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials”.)
According to another 2006 study from the Chinese Academy of
Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing red
yeast rice can reduce cholesterol levels and benefit the arteries.
According to the research into 5,000 people with heart disease,
red yeast rice reduced heart attack rate by around 45 percent.
Red yeast rice is widely used in Chinese medicine but its effects
have not been fully tested in the US. It could also react with
statin medication so check with your physician before using the
supplement.
You're just getting started. Learn more about the relationship
between your diet and your risk for other diseases and
conditions: Urine Color-What It Means / Bowel Color-What It
Means /Fish Oil Health Benefits / Salmon Health Benefits/ Ideal
Breakfast for Diabetics /How to Lose Weight After
Menopause/Best Breakfast to Fight Arthritis/ Health Dangers of
Milk / Lose Weight by Lowering Thermostat / Lose Belly Fat
After the Baby/ Foods That Shrink Your Waist/ Drinking Cold
Water Burns Calories / Six Pack Abs-A Guided Tour /Top 10
Foods That Fight Anemia / How Much Is Too Much Salt? /Sugar-
The Disease Connection / Are Diet Sodas Bad for Your Health? /
Ideal Breakfast for Diabetics / Ideal Breakfast for Arthritis
/Healing Foods Links / Foods That Shrink Your Waist / Foods
That Lower Cholesterol/ VLDL-The Other Cholesterol/ Foods
That Reduce Blood Pressure
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