5. Vitamin C (Complex)
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient to consume regularly through plant-based foods such as salad leaves, vegetables, berries, and fruits. It helps strengthen collagen in your arteries, keeping them flexible and allowing for normal blood flow.
Eat foods rich in vitamin C, such as cabbage, sauerkraut, strawberries, bell peppers, and cruciferous vegetables. Avoid store-bought “ascorbic acid” vitamin C supplements, as they contain only a small portion of the true vitamin C complex. If you do take a supplement, choose whole-fruit powders like acerola cherry or rosehips.
6. Evening Primrose Oil (GLA)
Evening primrose oil is extracted from the seeds of the evening primrose plant and contains a type of healthy fat called GLA (gamma-linolenic acid). This oil helps heal artery walls by reducing inflammation and transporting arterial plaque to the liver for elimination.
You can take between 3000mg and 4000mg per day. Evening primrose oil is often used by women to reduce the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and menopause.
Causes of blocked arteries (atherosclerosis)
- Eating too many refined foods such as sugar, processed grains, and flour leads to inflammation of the arterial walls and plaque buildup.
- High levels of ongoing emotional stress increase a hormone called cortisol, which narrows your arteries and raises your blood pressure.
- Consuming too many inflammatory omega-6 vegetable oils such as corn, cottonseed, rapeseed, soybean and margarine oils.
- Taking poorly absorbed calcium supplements that get trapped in the bloodstream and form calcium plaque in the arteries.
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Smoking, vaping, or being exposed to pollutants depletes vitamin C and makes arteries less flexible.
How to unclog your arteries
- Eliminate processed foods from your diet such as sugar, cereals, bread, soft drinks, cookies, pastries, pasta and sweets.
- Eat high-quality protein such as wild salmon, sardines, grass-fed beef, organic pork, as well as antioxidant-rich plant foods such as sunflower seeds, nuts, celery, tomatoes, rocket, garlic, avocados, and all leafy green vegetables.
- Take 200mcg of vitamin K2 (Mk-7) and 500mcg of vitamin D3 daily. These work together to direct calcium to the bones and prevent its calcification in the arteries.
- Take solitary walks in nature for at least an hour a day to reduce stress and bring more oxygen into your bloodstream.
- Eliminate all inflammatory omega-6 vegetable oils from your diet and cook with extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil. Consume healthy omega-3 fats from cod liver oil, wild-caught fatty fish, nuts, and seafood.
- Consume 2 to 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast daily to obtain B vitamins, especially niacin, which dilates and opens your blood vessels to prevent blockage or blood clot.
