Health Habits That Reduce Plaque Build-Up in Your Arteries

Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to your body. When arteries get clogged, blood flow is reduced, depriving your body of oxygen-rich blood. Over time, arteries can become so clogged, that a stroke will result.

Types of Arteries:

• Carotid Arteries – Arteries that carry oxygen-rich blood to the brain. Symptoms: Breathing problems, sudden weakness, confusion, severe headaches, loss of consciousness, blurry vision, trouble with speech,, dizziness, unexplained falls, and loss of coordination or balance.
• Coronary Arteries – Arteries that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart. Symptoms: chest pain (angina), pressure in chest, jaw, arms, shoulders or back.
• Renal Arteries – Arteries that carry oxygen-rich blood to the kidneys. Symptoms: loss of appetite, nausea, tiredness, concentration problems, numbness, itchiness and swelling of feet or hands.
• Peripheral Arteries – Arteries that carry oxygen-rich blood to arms, legs and pelvis. Symptoms: pain or numbness in arms, hands, shoulders, mid-section of body.

The buildup of plaque in these arteries is known as atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Plaque narrows these arteries, making it difficult for blood to flow inside these arteries, leading to damage of the endothelial cells that line the arteries.

How to Reduce Plaque in Your Arteries

While the exact cause of clogged arteries is still a mystery, there are certain things you can do to reduce plaque:

• Aerobic Exercise – Forces widening of the arteries by increasing the volume of oxygen-rich blood that flows throughout all of your arteries.
• Tumeric – The primary polyphenol in turmeric called cur cumin has cardioprotective effects on your arteries by reducing LDL (bad cholesterol). Always take turmeric with pepper.
• Garlic – Studies have shown that garlic can help unclog your arteries.
• Ginger – Ginger has anti-inflammatory effects and anti-oxydative effects. Ginger has artery-protective compounds such as likeshogaols and gingerols, which act to reduce plaque buildup inside your arteries.
• Cayenne Pepper – The compound capsaicin, found in cayenne pepper has been found to help unclog arteries. Cayenne pepper has also been found to lower your risk of stroke or heart attack.
• Lemon Juice – Drinking lemon juice every morning is a Rich Habit that will help reduce blood cholesterol levels and prevent oxidative stress.
• Vitamin C – High doses of vitamin C have been found to strengthen arteries, reduce total cholesterol, increase LDL levels (good cholesterol) and reduce inflammation.
• Cinnamon – In a 2003 study published in the journal Diabetes Care, one gram or more of cinnamon was found to lower triglycerides, LDL, and total cholesterol in the arteries.
• Ground Flaxseed – Helps unclog arteries with its high fiber content. Also helps to keep arteries free from plaque. by 46%.
• Fermented Cabbage – Also known as Kimchi, this Korean recipe of fermented cabbage and hot peppers was found to slow the atherosclerotic process that leads to clogged arteries.
• Sesame Seed – The fatty acid content of sesame seeds was found to help reduce progression of atherosclerosis, reduce overall blood cholesterol, reduce triglycerides and LDL.
• Pomegranate Juice – The punicic acid in pomegranate juice is an antioxidant that helps reduce plaque formation, unclogs arteries and contains nutrients for good heart health, such as magnesium and selenium.

Your daily health habits can either reduce plaque buildup in your arteries or increase it.

Tom Corley is an accountant, financial planner and author of “Rich Kids: How to Raise Our Children to Be Happy and Successful in Life”, “Effort-Less Wealth”, “Change Your Habits Change Your Life”, “Rich Habits Poor Habits” and “Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals.”