4 Silent Signs You May Have Clogged Arteries And The Best Foods To Eat To Prevent It

What are clogged arteries? The central portion of the arteries – also known as the intima media – can, through various causes, become inflamed and gradually clog up with arterial plaque. This plaque is essentially “sludge” comprised of oxidized fats, immune cells, and their debris). This leads gradually to blocked arteries – a potentially fatal condition.

There are some surprising ways to recognize this condition. The human body is a highly advanced system with various warning signs that indicate the stages of serious disease. However, some of those signs are less obvious than others. Learning to recognize them and take appropriate action could save your life, since clogged arteries are a principal form of cardiovascular disease, aka heart disease – which is regarded as the cause of around 30% of all deaths!

So pay close attention to this tutorial because it might keep you alive.

4 Silent Signs Of Clogged Arteries:

1. Leg Pain And Numbness:

Pain or numbness in the calves while you walk can mean clogged arteries. ^[1] A notable hallmark of this condition is that you get relief from said pain and numbness when you put your feet up to rest, also called intermittent claudication.

2. Erectile Dysfunction:

Numerous studies have demonstrated that erectile dysfunction in men can be an indicator of an impending cardiovascular disease. ^[2] If you can’t get it up when you normally could, it might be time to consider that there could be an underlying health reason – instead of pinning the whole thing on mood or anxiety and popping a blue pill.

3. Hair Loss:

Losing hair, which is typically attributed to aging, may also indicate high levels of triglycerides in the blood stream. ^[3] High triglycerides (aka bad fats) in the blood stream may be impeding proper circulation and this can be a cause of hair loss – in both men and women.

4. Diagonal Earlobe Crease:

Most people don’t know about this one. A diagonal earlobe crease (DEC) isn’t a definite sign of clogged arteries. You could be born with it. However, a 2018 population-based study with 3,359 participants found that diagonal earlobe crease in one or both ears was associated with coronary artery calcification and a higher overall cardiovascular risk profile.

Participants with DEC were also found to have more frequent diabetes (26% vs. 17%, p<0.0001).

Check your earlobes and especially take note of a developing diagonal crease, because the study concluded that DEC in one or both ears “may serve as an excellent clinical marker of cardiovascular risk”. ^[4]

Best Food Choices To Prevent Clogged Arteries:

Studies have found that clogged arteries may be preventable and even reversible through healthy lifestyle and dietary choices.

“Prevention is always better than cure”, as they say, and some modifications to your diet may help you avoid arterial plaque and heart disease. Looking through the science, here’s what we found:

1. Say Goodbye To Soda

Sugar-sweetened beverages have been linked by science with obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension (aka high blood pressure), and significantly elevated cholesterol deposits. ^[5] All these conditions lead to arterial inflammation, hardening, or clogging. So cut sugared beverages out of your daily diet altogether and you’ll no doubt see a positive change in your health.

Try swapping out sugary drinks for filtered or still mineral water. You can add a squeeze of fresh juice – but if the drink has added sugar, it has to go.

2. Green And Black Teas

Consider replacing unhealthy soda with healthy tea instead. Flavonols and anthocyanins found in black, purple and oolong teas have been found by researchers to protect the heart and blood vessels. ^[6]

Tea may also lower blood pressure and prevent hardening and plaque buildup in the arteries. Numerous studies have confirmed that a high intake of black and green teas are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease: A 2014 meta-review of controlled trials that studied the effect of tea on blood pressure, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, determined that long term ingestion of tea could result in a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. ^[7]

The effects of tea on cardiovascular disease risk are regarded as long-term, with 2 or more cups per day over a prolonged period of time being suggested.

Note of course that for optimal health benefits tea should be taken without sugar!

3. Organic Vegetables And Fruits

Increasing both the quantity and variety of fruit and vegetables in your diet may have outstanding cardiovascular benefits. Dietary antioxidants – of the kind found in a variety of fruit and veg, have been strongly linked to a reduction in oxidative stress and hardening of the arteries. ^[8]

However the effect has been found to be enhanced for organic produce: A 2014 review of 343 peer-reviewed studies, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found “overwhelming evidence” ^[9] that key antioxidants are up to 20–40 % (and in some cases over 60%) higher in organic produce than non-organic. This increase over conventional fruit and veg is equivalent to consuming an additional 1 to 2 daily servings – with 5 being generally recommended as the target. ^[10]

This increase may have excellent health benefits because the overall quantity of fruit and vegetable intake has been found more important to arterial health than variety: A large-scale study of over 100,000 participants, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that the highest quintile of overall fruit and veg intake, with over 7 servings per day, had a 17% lower risk of coronary heart disease. ^[11]

That’s a lot of lives saved – so get that organic fruit and veg in!

4. Pomegranate Juice

This gets a special mention owing to an astonishing human trial reported in Clinical Nutrition journal which found that just one 50ml shot of pomegranate juice per day for a year reversed arterial plaque, improved blood pressure, reduced oxidative stress, improved LDL cholesterol factors and reversed clogged arteries in patients aged 65-75. ^[12]

The researchers administered pomegranate juice over the course of a year and found that it reversed plaque accumulation in the carotid arteries of patients with severe, though symptomless, carotid artery stenosis (which is defined as a 70-90% blockage in the internal carotid arteries).

In the study, the intima media thickness of the left and right common carotid arteries “was reduced after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of pomegranate juice consumption by 13%, 22%, 26% and 35%, respectively, in comparison to baseline values.”

This is an amazing result.

5. Herbs And Spices

Good news for herbalists: Scientific research is finding that many of the herbs and spices in the kitchen rack may be good for the cardiovascular system!

A 2014 human trial conducted by researchers in Pennsylvania State University found that the addition of spices and herbs to meals significantly decreased insulin (21%) and triglycerides (31%).

Make a note of the herbs and spices used in the study: Black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, garlic powder, ginger, oregano, paprika, rosemary and turmeric.

Of particular note was cinnamon. Cholesterol in the blood decreased by 7% to 30% just by adding 6g of cinnamon to the subjects’ daily diet. ^[13] That’s actually quite a lot of cinnamon.

Other studies have noted similar effects, as confirmed by a 2021 review ^[14] – however more research is still needed on long term benefits of increased spice consumption. However, work is being done: A clinical trial published in 2022 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that four weeks of a medium spice diet led to a reduction in inflammatory cytokines in adults at risk of cardiometabolic disease. ^[15]

6. Omega-3 Rich Fish

Regular consumption of fish and seafood has been consistently associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Studies have found that the omega-3 fatty acids found in abundance in fatty fish can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. Omega-3s help eliminate arterial blocks and improve cardiovascular health. ^[16]

Fatty fish include: anchovies, herring, mackerel, black cod, salmon, sardines, bluefin tuna, whitefish, striped bass and cobia.

The American Heart Association recommends 2 servings of fatty fish per week, with a serving being designated as 3/4 of a cup of flaked fish. ^[16]

You can also obtain omega-3s supplements, typically in the form of fish oil capsules.

That’s it! Be good to your heart, take care of your health – and follow Herbs, Health & Happiness for more free tutorials!

Image (under license) – © shutterstock.com

3 Comments

• 

  By Brian Shennan, January 9, 2015 @ 8:22 pm

  Pomegranate is exceptional for clearing your arteries.

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  By Irene, February 18, 2015 @ 5:59 am

  Wow!

• 

  By Gabriel HABIMANA, June 2, 2015 @ 9:52 am

  I’m incredibly thankful.

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