Natural Ways to Remove Arterial Plaque
Clogged Arteries Due to Plaque Accumulation
Removing Plaque Build-up in the Arteries
Healthy diet and exercise can help prevent plaque build up in the arteries, keep cholesterol-medication at bay or there's no need to increase their dosage. Arterial plaque raises your risk of getting heart disease and heart attacks. You can reduce plaque in the arteries by taking prescribed medications, however by adopting a simple diet and exercise program you can easily reduce them, will save you money and give you a more health-boosting benefits. If you're currently taking medications, these health improvements may also enhance their cholesterol-reducing effect.
Diet Adjustments Are Necessary
Maybe you have done much health-less eating for years, helping to make several adjustments in your diet can reduce plaque in arteries and boosts your heart's health.
Prefer health-boosting fats - Saturated fats, present in red meat and dairy foods increase your total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (bad cholesterol). Normally, it is important to get below 7% of your daily calories from saturated fat. Otherwise, consider leaner cuts of meat, low-fat milk and monounsaturated fats available in olive, nuts and canola oils for a health boosting benefits.
Avoid trans-fats – Trans-fat are available in fried foods and many commercially baked products, including biscuits, crackers and snack desserts. But don't count on products which are marked "trans-fat-free." In the US, if a food provides under 0 .5 grams of trans-fat per serving, it is normally labeled "trans fat-free." Despite the fact those amounts appear modest, it is possible accumulate them if you consume various foods that contain a good amount of trans-fat in them. Preferably, read the contents. You can tell if a food includes trans-fat in it if it comes with partially hydrogenated oil.
Eat food with less-cholesterol - Have around 300 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per day. People with heart disease or diabetes must have a lower intake of 200mg. The highest concentrated sources of cholesterol are organ meats (liver, kidney, heart, brain, tripe, and tongue), egg yolks and whole milk products. Consume lean cuts of meat, egg substitutes and skim milk alternatively.
Choose whole grains - Many essential nutrients present in whole grains give your heart a health-boost. Wholegrain foods helps to reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease, colon cancer, and diabetes. Popular whole grains foods include whole grain breads, whole grain cereals, whole grain side dishes, and whole grain pasta.
Stock up on fruits and veggies - Fruits and vegetables are abundant in dietary fiber, to help reduce cholesterol. Choose seasonal fruits as snack. Try out veggie-based dishes, soups and stir-fries. If you like dried fruit to fresh fruit, limit your consumption to only a handful (an ounce or two is enough). Dried fruit often have more calories than fresh fruit.
Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids - Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce your LDL (bad cholesterol). Several types of fish like mackerel, trout, and herring - are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Many other sources of omega-3 fatty acids are edamame, walnuts, wild rice, almonds, canola oil, and ground flaxseeds.
Exercise Reduce Plaque in the Arteries
Regardless if you're overweight or not, regular exercise helps reduce plaque in arteries. Best of all, moderate physical exercise helps boost high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (good cholesterol). With your doctor's approval, try a half an hour physical activity daily. Do not forget- including physical activity even just 10-minute intervals a few times a day, will be helpful to shed some pounds. Just make sure you can stick to the improvements you choose. Try the following changes:
- Try brisk walk every day
- Use a bike to go to work
- Have a few swimming lapses
- Play your favorite sports
To keep motivated, look for an exercise companion or be part of an exercise group. And keep in mind, almost every physical activity is useful. Even using the stairs instead of the elevator or performing a number of sit-ups while watching movies on TV can create a positive improvement.
Lose That Extra Weight
Having extra weight even only a few can cause artery plaque. Burning just 5 to 10 percent of your body fat can substantially help cut down cholesterol levels.
Begin by making an honest, comprehensive look at your diet and daily activities. Think about your weight loss problems and your method of choice to have a successful result.
Avoid consuming unhealthy foods any time you're bored or disappointed, rather go for a walk as a way to clear your mind. If you often eat take-out food for lunch every day, try to make something nutritious you prepare at home. If you're in front of the TV, nibble some carrot sticks than junk foods. Sit down and enjoy the carrot sticks instead of eating it quickly. Don't eat carelessly.
Also try to find a way to include extra activity into your routine, such as using the steps and not taking the elevator. Record what you presently eat and your daily routine and carefully try to make some changes.
Quit Smoking to Help Reduce Plaque Build-up in the Arteries
If you smoke, quit - Quitting greatly benefits your HDL cholesterol level. Usually the positive effects don't end there. Exactly 20 minutes after quitting, your blood pressure level goes down. Within one day, your risk of a heart attack reduces. Within one year, your chance of getting heart disease cut to half. Within 15 years, your health is similar to a person who never smokes at all.
Prevent Clogged Arteries by Reducing Alcohol Consumption
Reduced consumption of alcohol is associated with higher levels of HDL cholesterol but the benefits aren't adequate enough to endorse alcohol for those who don’t actually drink. If you choose to drink alcohol, try it moderately. For healthy people, it is suggested to drink one per day for most women and men above age 65, and up to two drinks per day for men age 65 and younger. Drinking excessive alcohol can lead to different health diseases, like high blood pressure, heart failure, heart stroke and even diabetes.
What to do aside from lifestyle changes?
There are cases where a healthy lifestyle changes aren't enough to reduce plaque build up in the arteries. See to it the improvements you choose are those that you can progress, and don't be discouraged when you don't see good results right away. If your doctor recommends medication to lower your cholesterol levels, take it as recommended, but still maintain your lifestyle corrections.
Good and Bad cholesterol (plaque accumulation)
Managing Your Cholesterol Levels
Our body has the ability to produce its own cholesterol when it needs it. The problem occurs if we eat food with excessive trans-fats so this will result in cholesterol imbalance. Having the right diet is recommended. Be selective when buying food, study the ingredient list, but many doesn't tell the truth.
There are products that contain low trans-fat; however by regulation the label can claim the product contains "no trans fat." You could think it is barely minimal amount though it can increase instantly if you ever already high in LDL cholesterol.
How can we manage our cholesterol levels? Just change the food you eat; the higher your bad cholesterol levels the better to eat fresh vegetables, fruits and dietary fibers.
There are many vegetables containing plant sterols like wheat germ, sesame seed, wheat bran to name a few. It’s all rich in plant sterols. When you are dieting be sure to have adequate amount of plant sterols for the body to use. During the digestion the body uses less cholesterol because plant sterols compete with cholesterol in the the blood stream. The body will do all the labor; all we should do is to provide some support. As an example, cholesterol or high density lipoprotein holds cholesterol off from the blood vessel so our liver can dissolve it properly. LDL (bad cholesterol) or low density lipoprotein takes bad cholesterol from the liver by that it may not be dissolve and the start of build up in the arteries. Because of this a balanced cholesterol is important for our health. The right supplements could help balance cholesterol. Heart disease remains one of the major causes of death in the world and in many cases caused by blocked arteries.
Regarding HDL cholesterol often called the good cholesterol, a higher number is a lot better; it means you will have a reduced chance of having heart disease. Mainly because HDL cholesterol protects the heart and the arteries by taking the bad cholesterol out of your blood and guard the arteries for a possible build up of LDL cholesterol. The table below explains what the numbers mean.
HDL (Good) Cholesterol Level
HDL Cholesterol Level
Less than 40 mg/dL (for men) Less than 50 mg/dL (for women)
Low HDL cholesterol. A major risk factor for heart disease.
The higher, the better
60 mg/dL and above
High HDL cholesterol. An HDL of 60 mg/dL and above is considered protective against heart disease.
LDL cholesterol can accumulate on the walls of your arteries and raise your chance of having heart disease. This explains why LDL cholesterol is called bad cholesterol. A lower LDL cholesterol number means a less risk of getting heart disease. The table below explains what the numbers indicate.
For people with heart disease or blood vessel disorders, some medical experts advice that it is important to maintain your LDL cholesterol below 70 . For those who have diabetes or other risk factors related to heart disease, the treatment objective is to make LDL lower than 100 , while some medical doctors are likely to advice to bring it down to a much lower level .
LDL (Bad) Cholesterol Level
LDL Cholesterol Level
Less than 100 mg/dL
100 to 129 mg/dL
Near or above optimal
130 to 159 mg/dL
160 to 189 mg/dL
190 mg/dL and above
Triglycerides are a type of fat which make up about 95 per cent of all dietary fats that exists in food and the body. An increased triglyceride level is associated with higher risk of coronary artery disease especially on women. Table below shows how to interpret your test results.
Less than 100 mg/dL
Less than 150 mg/dL
500 mg/dL and above
Your total blood cholesterol is measured by your overall LDL and HDL cholesterol levels along with lipid components. Medical professionals encourage having a cholesterol level below 200 to reduce the chance of getting serious heart condition.
Total Blood (Serum) Cholesterol Level
Total Cholesterol Level
Less than 200 mg/dL
Desirable level that puts you at lower risk for coronary heart disease. A cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or higher raises your risk.
200 to 239 mg/dL
240 mg/dL and above
High blood cholesterol. A person with this level has more than twice the risk of coronary heart disease as someone whose cholesterol is below 200 mg/dL.
At What Age A Cholesterol Check is Necessary?
For people over the age of 20 it is highly advised that their cholesterol level be check at least once every 5 years. The screening test which is generally conducted is a blood test called a lipid profile. Medical doctors suggest that men aged 30 and above and women aged 40 and above need to be frequently screened for lipid diseases. The American Academy of Pediatrics highly recommended checking the LDL cholesterol level of kids between 9 and 11.
The lipoprotein profile consists of:
- HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol considered as good cholesterol)
- LDL (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, considered as bad cholesterol)
- Triglycerides are fats transported in the blood from the food we consume. Unwanted calories, alcohol, or sugar in the body are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells all over the body.
Results of your blood test will be shown in numbers. Read the info below to understand how to interpret your cholesterol test::
Cholesterol Check Is Important
Cholesterol in the Body Their Importance
Identifying you're cholesterol sources is the best cure to reduce arterial plaque! This applies to most diseases in understanding what the course is. Quite often it's a lifestyle disease that unquestionably related to our diet. Excessive amounts of fats, largely trans-fats, are the primary reason for heart problems and hypertension. Cholesterol becomes active if there is a high level of LDL (bad cholesterol) in the blood. It will start plaque build-up making the walls of your arteries hardened and narrow. A type of hardening termed by the medical profession is atherosclerosis, decreasing the blood circulation to your heart. This is as we often know it: hypertension, which is often treated normally with drugs to thin the blood; it does not solve the problem.
Ordinary treatments are not the leading or only remedy, however there are plenty of options to manage cholesterol and prevent plaque build up in the arteries.
We need cholesterol - The body wouldn't operate without it. Certainly, we all need cholesterol, both good and the bad, to make our body function fully. It is advisable to have a blood test to check your LDL and HDL levels. Cholesterol is a fat vital for your body to function effectively. But once you have too much in your blood it can cause plaque in you artery walls. Thus the right amounts between LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol is very critical to prevent plaque in the heart.