arteries are the blood vessels that transport oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body as you know our bodies relies on oxygen for survival which means that the arteries serve a pretty important purpose wouldn't you say but sometimes our diet and lifestyle choices can cause arteries to become clogged which increases the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke this is a term that is referred to as atherosclerosis and it often goes unnoticed until symptoms such as chest pain start to arise there are definitely some foods that many of us eat that can
increase the likelihood of a blockage however with that said there are also some foods that work to cleanse your arteries and keep them open as well and that is exactly what we are going to talk about in this video be sure to watch until the end because there's one food that always seems to surprise everyone so if you're ready let's get into it just a quick reminder we are not doctors this video is for informational purposes only but the first food that we need to talk about is flaxseed flax seeds are one of the most
popular superfoods because they offer several health benefits for the human body they're great for your arteries because their components work to decrease cholesterol levels which can lower blood pressure and decrease the likelihood of a blood clot forming green tea is another superfood that can be beneficial for your arteries studies found that those who drink green tea regularly tend to have a healthier cardiovascular system than those who don't green tea is loaded with polyphenols which researchers believe to offer multiple health benefits of course including your heart and blood vessels one study found that those who drink
green tea were 20 percent less likely to experience heart disease or have a stroke they were also 22 less likely to pass away from heart related conditions next we need to talk about walnuts in general whenever you eat a meal that is high in fat content it puts your arteries in a state of shock over time this causes them to stiffen and become hearted one study found that if you eat walnuts along with a meal that is high in fat it results in effects that are much less severe you should strive to limit saturated fat
consumption however you can consider adding walnuts to your diet in order to mitigate some of the negative effects another healthy food to consider is beets beets are known to be high in nitrates when you eat beets your body transforms their properties into nitric oxide which is a molecule that performs a number of important roles in the body when blood vessels become inflamed it can cause a decrease in the amount of nitric oxide that your body produces eating foods that are loaded with dietary nitrates like beets can offset these negative effects that are caused by inflammation
in fact research found a link between consuming nitrates and a lower risk of dying from heart problems the next food that can offer benefits for your arteries is fish that is because fish is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids studies found that the components of omega-3s work to decrease the manifestation of cellular adhesion this means that they can decrease the buildup of plaque that occurs in the arteries and when you decrease plaque buildup it lowers your risk of other heart related problems as well [Music] next up is beans beans are rich in fiber and are known
for being a heart-healthy food like other foods that we've mentioned beans also work to decrease plant buildup as well several studies have shown that eating beans can decrease the amount of bad cholesterol in the body not to mention they have been shown to lower blood pressure levels as well moving right along another healthy food is citrus fruits not only is citrus fruit very tasty it also contains vitamins minerals and antioxidants that may provide benefits for the cardiovascular system as well one of the primary constituents that i need to mention is flavonoids because they work to
decrease inflammation and free radicals in the blood they help decrease plant buildup while lowering cholesterol and this is likely why eating citrus fruits is linked to a lower risk of stroke and other heart problems as well next up is turmeric turmeric is the bright yellow spice that is often found in indian cuisine it wasn't until recently that medical experts discovered its positive health benefits it contains antioxidants that work to prevent fatty deposits from developing in the arteries it contains anti-inflammatory properties as well that work to prevent the arteries from hardening over time another spice that
can provide a boost to your cardiovascular system is cinnamon it contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are responsible for improving cholesterol and blood pressure levels a study found that eating one half teaspoon of cinnamon per day can decrease your blood sugar triglycerides and ldl cholesterol levels another healthy food that we need to talk about is oats oaks contain antioxidants that inhibit inflammatory proteins which can lower ldl cholesterol levels and prevent atherosclerosis also note that oats are loaded with fiber which offers other health benefits as well studies found that the majority of americans do not get
enough fiber in their diets fiber is important because it can help decrease the risk of developing diabetes stroke heart disease and cancer so do your cardiovascular system a favor and try to eat more oats and fiber in your diet so now that we've covered some of the foods that can be beneficial for your arteries now let's take a look at some of the foods that you should avoid if you want to improve the health of your cardiovascular system as a general rule of thumb we should always try to avoid foods that are high in cholesterol
because it combines with fat calcium and other substances in the blood to form plaque which can cause blockages in the arteries also try to avoid foods that are high in saturated fat and trans fat because they are culprits when it comes to plaque buildup in the arteries as well i get it guys it's unfortunate because many of the tasty foods that we enjoy contain these components that are bad for the cardiovascular system but when it comes to improving our overall health i think it's a sacrifice that we have to make here are some examples of
the type of foods to avoid in general try to avoid meat with a lot of fat high fat cheese butter egg yolks whole milk and cream processed meats fried foods ice cream soda baked goods and really just foods with a lot of salt and foods that are high in sugar any food that is high in cholesterol saturated fat and or trans fats will likely have negative effects on your entire cardiovascular system instead you can opt for the healthier options that we talked about earlier in this video real quick guys do me a huge favor and
hit the like button it really helps support the channel and i greatly greatly appreciate it and while you're down there go ahead and click the subscribe button as well because we have a ton of other videos on our channel that i think you will enjoy i hope you like the tips that were shared in this video and hopefully you're now one step closer to improving your diet keeping your arteries clean and improving your overall health as always to be safe be sure to speak with your doctor for medical advice and treatment because they will know
more about your individual condition we are not doctors in this video is for informational purposes only and just a reminder we do have a full guide on this topic on our website i will drop a link to it right below this video down in the description thank you so much for watching all the way to the end have a blessed day and as always breathe easy my friends [Music] [Music] you
