Health

30 Best Foods That Help Unclog Arteries

24. Lentils Lentils contain a protein and fiber punch that your body needs to stay healthy. The lentil is a member of the legume family of… Simi - February 15, 2018

24. Lentils

Lentils contain a protein and fiber punch that your body needs to stay healthy. The lentil is a member of the legume family of vegetables. This includes beans and peas. Lentils grow in pods. You can get green, red, brown, and black lentils. They contain high amounts of folate and manganese. That’s why lentils are essential in reducing your risk of heart disease and other conditions such as obesity and diabetes.

The fiber in lentils reduces the LDL levels in the body. These ‘bad cholesterol’ levels can cause your arteries to clog up. The potassium, magnesium, and calcium in lentils are thought to reduce your blood pressure. You can substitute meat with lentils if you have really high cholesterol levels and you need to make radical changes to your diet. Another attractive factor about lentils is that they are inexpensive and easy to cook. They can also be incorporated into stews and soups to add fiber and flavor. And they help to ensure your arteries don’t get clogged up.

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25. Beans

Beans come in various forms. Among others, you get great northern beans, fava beans, kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, black beans, and chickpeas. Contrary to its name, the chickpea is a bean. It’s also known as the garbanzo bean. And let’s not forget the good old baked bean in tomato sauce. All of them are extremely healthy for you as they contain a lot of protein and soluble fiber.

The protein found in beans is essential for the unclogging of your arteries. Proteins contain all the amino acids your body needs. They are the building blocks of all the cells in your body. They also help to reduce the build-up of plaque in the arteries. Soluble fiber binds to your body’s bile salts which ensures your body doesn’t reabsorb them. It keeps blood sugar spikes under control. These episodes increase the amount of cholesterol in your body. The reason for this is that a blood sugar spike causes the liver to produce more cholesterol.

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26. Spices and herbs

To unclog your arteries, you can do something as simple as adding spices and herbs to your diet. Not only are they good for you, but they also add a special flavor to a meal and make it taste better. Spices and herbs are harvested from plants. These plants are able to protect their own cells from pests, etc. When the plant is converted into an herb or spice, it still has those protective powers. Except now, it’s protecting the cells of your body.

Examples of spices you should keep in your home and use in your cooking are plentiful. Here are just a few: Garlic improves cholesterol and lowers blood pressure. Both of these properties reduce your risk of heart disease. Turmeric’s main ingredient is curcumin. This spice reduces your cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as your blood sugar. Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties that thin the blood, preventing clots. Cinnamon improves your circulation and keeps your blood sugar under control. Other examples include nutmeg, allspice, nutmeg, and Italian seasoning.

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27. Chia Seeds

The chia seed is a plant-based food that has the highest concentration of Omega-3 oils. It contains more than salmon, which is widely believed to be the best source of Omega-3 fatty acids. They are also rich in calcium. In fact, they contain more calcium than milk. They also contain more magnesium than broccoli. And the fact that they’re packed with magnesium is also important for your overall health and well-being.

Chia seeds contain a lot of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is important in the fight against cholesterol. Your liver makes bile acid to digest foods. It needs cholesterol to make bile acid. Eating soluble fiber stimulates the need for bile acid. So, by eating foods such as chia seeds, you increase the need for bile acid and reduce cholesterol levels. The best part about chia seeds is that you can include them in just about any dish you serve as they have no taste. So, they won’t affect the flavor of your cooking.

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28. Tomatoes

If you’ve ever wondered why tomatoes are red, here’s your answer. They contain an antioxidant called proteinoid lycopene. It’s also found in green tomatoes or light red tomatoes as well. A diet that contains a lot of lycopene can lower the oxidation of bad cholesterol in your body. Bad cholesterol is what clogs up your arteries and causes atherosclerosis. It is the LDL cholesterol we must avoid. It also reduces the build-up of plaque in your arteries.

When we’re told about the important components in fruits and vegetables that are good for us, we’re told cooking them reduces the goodness. With tomatoes, this is not true. Their lycopene levels are stronger in tomatoes that have been cooked. In addition to the powerful antioxidant lycopene, tomatoes contain high levels of Vitamin A and C, as well as folic acid and beta-carotene. Tomatoes have anti-inflammatory properties which can lower the risk of heart disease. Increased inflammation in the arteries can lead to their susceptibility to becoming clogged.

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29. Apples

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, the saying goes. And it appears that it’s more than an adage, it’s the truth. Researchers at Ohio State University discovered that eating an apple a day reduced the hardening of arteries up to 40%. The magic ingredient in apples that makes it great for unclogging your arteries is called pectin. It gives the fruit its firmness, which allows us to enjoy a crisp apple. Pectin is a complex substance. It contains polysaccharides and a sugar residue called D-galacturonic acid.

Pectin seems to lower the levels of cholesterol in the body. It contains a lot of insoluble fiber. For this fiber to be digested, it needs bile acid. To make bile acid, the liver uses cholesterol. The more cholesterol used to digest insoluble fiber, the less there is to clog up your arteries. The LDL levels are lowered in the body when insoluble fiber such as that in apples is introduced to the digestive system.

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30. Flaxseeds

A study conducted and published in the American Journal of Physiology and Circulation Research looked at the effects of flaxseeds on rabbits. They found that introducing flaxseed into the rabbits’ diet slowed down the progression of atherosclerosis. This is the build-up of plaque in the arteries which can cause the blockage or constriction of an artery. This results in a heart attack. It’s not yet clear though if flaxseeds can reduce the build-up of plaque in the arteries that has already accumulated.

Flaxseeds are a source of Omega-3 fatty acids. This is essential to the metabolic process. It is not produced in the body and needs to be obtained from food sources. The soluble fiber in flaxseed is important as it stimulates the production of bile acids which help to expel waste from the body. There are lots of ways to include flaxseed in your diet. You can buy it ground to a fine powder. This can be included in a bowl of cereal or oatmeal.

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