Food for arterial health

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Arterial health is directly related to diet. Some dietary components are harmful to the arteries, while others are beneficial.

Harmful substances for the health of arteries: sodium (primarily in the form of table salt), saturated fat and cholesterol, which is found only in animal products.

Beneficial ingredients: antioxidants, found mainly in fruits and vegetables, soluble dietary fiber (fruits, vegetables and legumes) and unsaturated fatty acids (nuts, seeds and vegetable oil).

Cholesterol is the main enemy of the arteries

Cholesterol is essential for the body and should not be considered a poison in itself. The body is able to produce enough cholesterol for its needs without the need for external sources.

Cholesterol is harmful only because it accumulates on the walls of arteries, causing arteriosclerosis. When the critical level of cholesterol in the blood is reached, the risk of arteriosclerosis and heart attack increases.

Cholesterol is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for the onset of arteriosclerosis. This disease occurs as a result of several factors:

Increased blood cholesterol levels.
Lack of antioxidants such as provitamin A, vitamins C and E, flavonoids and other phytochemicals due to a diet poor in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts.
Excess saturated fat from a diet rich in milk, eggs, shellfish, meat, and meat products.
Lack of physical activity, smoking, stress, hormonal abnormalities, genetic predisposition.

Therefore, it is not enough to worry only about not exceeding the permissible level of cholesterol. Some doctors prescribe medications and recommend a diet to lower cholesterol levels, but such half-hearted measures are not enough to avoid arteriosclerosis and its complications. Heart attacks are more common in people with normal cholesterol levels.

There are two types of cholesterol, distinguished by the lipoproteins that transport them:

Harmful cholesterol. Combines with low density lipoprotein (LDL) and causes arteriosclerosis.
Good cholesterol. Combines with high density lipoproteins (HDL), which protect against arteriosclerosis. Olive oil and physical activity increase HDL levels.

The expression "blood cholesterol level" refers to the total amount of cholesterol.

To have healthy arteries and reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis and its complications (heart attack, stroke, poor blood circulation), you need to lower your total cholesterol and increase your blood antioxidant levels.

The above requirements are easily achievable if you include fresh plant-based foods in your diet.

Arteriosclerosis

It is a degenerative process that can affect all arteries. It begins with the deposition of cholesterol on their inner shell - intima. The thickening and hardening of the arteries, coupled with a decrease in their inner diameter, reduces blood circulation through them. The worse the blood circulation, the weaker the vital functions.

Smoking and poor diet are two of the main causes of arteriosclerosis.

Diet is perhaps the most important factor in arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis practically does not occur among the underdeveloped or leading a primitive lifestyle groups of the population who eat rougher and more natural food. Conversely, in Western countries, arteriosclerosis is becoming more common, as the use of refined and artificial food there is increasing.

Increase	Reduce or eliminate
Fruits	Meat
Whole Grain Products	Eggs
Legumes	Salt
Vegetables	Dairy products
Nuts	Hard cheeses
Alimentary fiber	Coffee
Garlic	White sugar
Vegetable oil	Alcohol
Folic acid

Stroke

A stroke is also called paralysis or stroke. This is the result of a part of the brain being suddenly deprived of blood supply due to:

rupture of an artery and subsequent cerebral hemorrhage;
blockage of an artery by a blood clot formed directly in the brain or got there.

Arteriosclerosis is the main cause of stroke because it causes arteries to rupture and blood clots. Hypertension, smoking, and diabetes also increase the risk of stroke.

Increase	Reduce or eliminate
Fruits	Meat
Vegetables	Eggs
Garlic	Salt
Olive oil	Dairy products
Fish fat	Hard cheeses
Selenium	White sugar
	Coffee
	Alcohol

Vascular fragility

It is the weakness of small blood vessels leading to hemorrhages and hematomas from minor injuries.

The reason is a general hereditary weakness of the connective tissue, which make up the walls of the arteries and veins. Deficiency of a number of vitamins, in particular vitamin C, can worsen it.

Increase

Lemon

Citrus

Vitamin C

Flavonoids

Hypertension

A certain blood pressure must be maintained in the arteries for proper blood circulation to all tissues. A diagnosis of hypertension is made if one or both of the following are present:

Systolic (upper) pressure above 140 mm Hg.
Diastolic (lower) pressure above 90 mm Hg.

Hypertension occurs without symptoms and is characterized by a gradual deterioration in the condition of the arteries and various organs.

Diet can play an important role in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. The more you eat simply cooked fruits and vegetables, the lower your risk of hypertension.

Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor (constricts the arteries). Therefore, smoking causes an increase in blood pressure, which is recorded after a single cigarette.

Increase	Reduce or eliminate
Diuretic products	Salt
Leafy green vegetables	Meat
Legumes	Ham
Fruits	Sausages
Celery	Alcohol
Pumpkin	Coffee
Garlic	Mature cheeses
Guavu	Eggs
Pear	Pepper
Grapefruit	Stimulating drinks
Alimentary fiber
Potassium
Calcium
Magnesium
Fish fat

Raynaud's syndrome

A disease characterized by sudden spasms of the peripheral arteries, usually in the hands, which first turn pale, then turn blue, and finally redden as the spasm subsides.

This syndrome is much more common in postmenopausal women.

Known circumstances that trigger Raynaud's syndrome:

smoking,
emotional stress,
hypothermia
using vibrating appliances such as hair dryers or kitchen blenders.

Although medical treatment or surgery may be necessary in some cases, certain foods can help prevent Raynaud's syndrome from developing.

Increase	Reduce or eliminate
Garlic	Alcohol
Nuts	Stimulating drinks
Vitamin E
Flavonoids
Fish fat

Frostbite

Frostbite, or chills, is a consequence of insufficient blood circulation in the small capillaries that supply the skin. Hypothermia or tight shoes can cause or worsen this disorder. Tobacco also contributes to frostbite by narrowing the arteries and reducing circulation.

Symptoms are swelling in damaged areas of the skin, most often the arms or legs, itching and burning. The inflammation usually goes away on its own, although sometimes the sites of inflammation ulcerate and become infected.

The disease requires local treatment in the form of compresses or herbs. Certain foods can also improve capillary health and blood circulation.