These 9 foods damage your heart health and clog your arteries. Learn which foods are best at unclogging arteries and which are best at improving your heart health. If you’re experiencing some warning signs of heart disease this video will drastically help.
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Eating the wrong foods can clog arteries, increase blood pressure, and cause heart disease. Meanwhile, the right foods can actually help unclog arteries, lower inflammation, and improve the function of your heart. So today I want to go over the worst foods that you may be eating right now without realizing the damage it’s doing to one of your most valuable organs your heart. And also I want to give you some of the best replacement options to clean out your arteries and drastically improve your health.
So first let’s start with the commonly known issue associated with fried foods. These have been classified as a problem by the American heart association for some time now. This is because fried foods are high in unhealthy fats. That includes trans fats, which are created through a process known as hydrogenation. Trans fats can raise LDL cholesterol levels, or the bad cholesterol while reducing HDL cholesterol levels which is considered good cholesterol. This can directly cause the buildup of fatty deposits in your blood vessels, which increases the risk of heart disease by blocking arteries and impeding blood flow. Trans fat also increases inflammation throughout the body, which is also very bad for heart health. In fact, two large observational studies found that the more often people ate fried foods, the greater their risk of developing heart disease was (2). So, to protect your heart, limit your intake of junk fried foods like fried chicken, mozzarella sticks, and french fries. Instead choose healthier fat sources, such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
Next, we have high-sugar sodas which are inherently bad for heart health for various reasons. First, soda contributes to weight gain and obesity because it’s high in sugar, and you drink the calories. Both of these factors make soda ineffective at satiating hunger which causes the calories from sugar to typically go on top of the calories already consumed throughout the day. So this causes weight gain, and that in turn, increases blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and inflammation, which negatively affects heart function. The second reason is that high sugar intake can also lead to insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, which can affect the heart by damaging blood vessels. And third, excessive sugar consumption can cause chronic inflammation. That’s a problem because, as mentioned by a 2020 paper published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, “Chronic inflammation is currently considered as one of the key factors in atherosclerosis development.”(1) Atherosclerosis is a condition where fatty deposits build up in the arteries. That leads to a restriction in blood flow and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Therefore, to support a healthy heart, limit your soda and overall sugar intake and choose healthier beverage options instead like water, tea, coffee, or other unsweetened beverages.
Another food group that you want to avoid for better heart health is refined carbohydrate sources like white bread, pastries, and cakes. Research shows that these can be pretty bad for heart health. In fact, one study found that those who ate the most refined carbs were two to three times more likely to get heart disease than those who ate the least. (3) One reason is that refined carbs can produce a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. Rapid blood sugar fluctuations can cause insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, which is a significant risk factor for heart disease. Diabetes can damage blood vessels and nerves, which affects the heart as well as other vital organs. Another downside of refined carbs similar to simple sugar is that they’re not very filling. It’s easy to eat hundreds of calories in the form of white bread or cakes. The associated weight gain can cause hurts cardiovascular health by increasing blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and inflammation.
Another food you should stay away from is sugary cereal. While cereals are often considered to be a healthy way to start the day, that couldn’t be further from the truth, especially not if it includes high amounts of added sugars, which most cereals do. While consuming processed sugars, in general, is bad for heart health, it might be especially problematic if you consume it first thing in the morning. That’s because the blood sugar fluctuations it causes will make you feel hungrier throughout the day, which can cause an increased caloric intake and ultimately lead to weight gain. On top of that, cereals aren’t nutrient dense. Sure, they contain some fiber and a bit of vitamins and minerals…
