Atherosclerosis is a condition where the inner walls of your arteries become damaged and blocked by a hard substance called plaque. This plaque can narrow your arteries, blocking normal blood flow. This leads to poor circulation and increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots.
What is really going on?
Your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood through your arteries to keep your body alive and healthy. When the inner cell layers of your arteries become inflamed and damaged, small cracks or lesions appear due to stress, poor diet, smoking, and other causes.
LDL cholesterol then begins to accumulate around these cracks in an attempt to repair these pockets of damage, much like a bandage. However, if you don’t correct your lifestyle, your arteries can continue to deteriorate, leading to a buildup of plaque composed of scar tissue called fibrin, hardened calcium, cholesterol, and other waste products.
This plaque transforms into a rigid, cemented substance that hardens like bone, obstructing your arteries and blocking normal blood flow. This can cause a heart attack and potentially death if the main coronary artery is completely blocked.
Symptoms of blocked arteries
You may experience pressure or pain in your chest, especially during emotional stress or exercise, which disappears when you relax. This feeling of pressure is often caused by high blood pressure and poor blood flow to and from the heart.
Another sign is referred pain or swelling on the left side of your body, such as your left shoulder or arm. You may have difficulty breathing, especially when walking, because not enough oxygen is circulating in your arteries.
In some people, there are no symptoms, and plaque can continue to form in the arteries for decades undetected until a blockage occurs. If left untreated, arterial plaque can thicken, significantly increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clot, or death.
6 vitamins to unclog arteries
In this article, we’ll explore six vitamins that can help unclog your arteries and improve blood flow throughout your body. You’ll also learn some simple lifestyle changes you can make to address the underlying causes of blocked arteries.
1. Vitamin K2 (Mk-7)
Vitamin K2 is one of the most important nutrients when it comes to clearing blocked arteries and preventing plaque buildup. It activates a protein (MGP) that prevents calcium from forming inside your blood vessels and directs it to the bones where it belongs.
If you wish, you can start taking a daily 200mcg vitamin K2 (Mk-7) supplement. You can also obtain it from food sources such as sauerkraut, natto, and beef liver.
2. Krill Oil (Astaxanthin)
Whether you’re looking to clear blocked arteries or protect them from future blockages, krill oil is one of the most powerful supplements. It contains astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant that protects your arteries from inflammation and oxidative damage, helping blood flow freely and maintaining stable blood pressure.
You can take 1000mg to 4000mg of krill oil per day in capsule form.
3. Vitamin E (Tocotrienols)
Vitamin E is essential for protecting your heart and cardiovascular system. A vitamin E deficiency can increase your blood pressure, stressing the arterial walls and making them more susceptible to damage and plaque buildup.
To help unclog your arteries, take up to 300 mg of tocotrienols daily. Tocotrienols, which are part of the vitamin E complex, are significantly more potent than the tocopherols found in regular vitamin E supplements.
Also consume foods rich in vitamin E such as sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, avocados, olive oil, chard and green leafy vegetables.
4. Aged garlic extract (Allicin)
Garlic is one of the most beneficial foods because it contains allicin, a natural sulfur compound that helps reduce arterial calcification. Consume raw garlic daily to help control your blood pressure, lower high blood sugar, and prevent arterial calcification.
If you don’t like the taste of garlic, you can take up to 2400mg of aged garlic extract daily.
5. Vitamin C (Complex)
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