Did you know that certain kinds of food serve no purpose in building your health? On the contrary, these foods rich in bad cholesterol and fatty substances start accumulating on the arterial walls, shrinking them in the process. The blood flow to the heart is reduced or even stopped resulting in coronary heart disease, chest pain (angina) and even heart attack.
Processed foods laden with sweeteners, artificial flavoring, oils, chemicals and preservatives are stripped off the essential nutrients like the ‘good fats’, antioxidants and fiber which are vital for the digestive process. These types of packaged foods combined with various forms of additives can spell a lot of problems for the heart. So you have to make sure that you eat the right food which is good for your heart, and stay away from the ones that serve no purpose other than harming your heart and blood vessels.
Here is the list of the foods that clogs the arteries:
- Foods rich in Trans Fat: Fast food like French Fries, pizzas, burgers, muffins, crackers, microwave popcorns which are made from hydrogenated oils usually have trans fat in them. According to a Harvard study, ‘transfat is the biggest food processing disaster in the United States of America’. Research has shown that transfat is even more dangerous than saturated fat and is the biggest reason for premature heart diseases. Trans fats increases the levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and decreases ‘good’ HDL cholesterol, which is death-knell for your arteries. Compared to saturated fat, Trans fat increases the levels of artery clogging lipoprotein and triglycerides.
- Foods rich in Saturated Fats: Eating foods that are laden with saturated fats can increase the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, causing the ‘plaque’ build up in the arterial walls. Research conducted by The Heart Research Institute in Sydney, Australia in the Journal of American College of Cardiology has stated that even one meal rich in saturated fat can decrease the body’s ability to manufacture good cholesterol or high-density lipoproteins (HDL), which guards the inner lining of the arteries leading to the the creation of artery-clogging plaques. Examples include dairy products, biscuits, milkshakes, French fries, fatty beef, pork, cheese etc
- Refined grains: Refined grains like white bread, low fiber cereals, white pasta, rolls etc is believe to increase the heart attack risk by 30 per cent. Such kind of refined, processed stuff can increase the levels of bad cholesterol leading to clogging of the arteries
- Carbonated drinks: A can of soft drink (carbonated) or soda contains ingredients like sugar, caffeine, artificial coloring, preservatives and flavoring. Also the so-called ‘diet sodas’ have ‘aspratame’ which is a dangerous form of sweeter. If you wish to have a health heart, you need to stay away from carbonated drinks
- Refined Sugar products: Products that have refined sugar in them like biscuits, cookies etc, causes a rise in the blood sugar level when consumed. When the sugar is not needed by the body, it is stored in the body as ‘fats’
- Salt in packaged foods: Salt is hidden in processed foods like soups, canned vegetables, sauces, burgers, preserved meats like hams, bacon etc . Consumption of excess salt can lead to clogging of the arteries.