We often say, "Young arteries mean a young age," but after thirty, it's hard to find the time and energy to properly care for our own blood vessels. Here are some daily tips for maintaining healthy blood vessels...
Why do blood vessels get blocked?
Blood vessel blockage is mainly caused by the continuous buildup of "waste" products like fat and cholesterol in the blood vessels. This causes the walls of certain blood vessels to thicken, the passages to narrow, and blood flow to slow down. As blood flow slows, fat and cholesterol are more likely to accumulate on the vessel walls.
This vicious cycle can eventually lead to a complete blockage of the blood vessel. Alternatively, these waste materials can break off from the vessel wall, forming clots that travel with the blood and block other vessels elsewhere.
Four types of essential foods
1. Foods rich in fish oil
Fish is rich in methionine, lysine, proline, and taurine, which can improve the elasticity and compliance of blood vessels and promote the excretion of sodium. Fish oil, rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, also has the function of protecting vascular endothelial cells, reducing lipid deposition, and improving fibrinolysis.
2. Foods rich in arginine
They can tonify the kidneys and replenish essence, help regulate vascular tension, inhibit platelet aggregation, and reduce vascular damage. Examples include sea cucumber, loach, eel, sesame seeds, Chinese yam, ginkgo, tofu skin, and sunflower seeds. Also, eat more foods rich in folic acid. A deficiency of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 in the diet can increase homocysteine levels in the blood, which can easily damage vascular endothelial cells and promote the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.
3. Supplement with folic acid
It has a significant effect in reducing the incidence of coronary heart disease and stroke. It is recommended that middle-aged and elderly people, especially those with cardiovascular diseases, should consume more foods rich in folic acid, such as red amaranth, spinach, asparagus, beans, yeast, and apples, citrus fruits, etc.
4. Increase intake of natural anticoagulant and lipid-lowering foods
Consuming such foods helps reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. Black mushrooms, which inhibit platelet aggregation and prevent thrombosis, as well as foods containing pyrazine substances like garlic, onions, chrysanthemum, crown daisy, shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, and strawberries, pineapple also have certain anticoagulant effects. Tomatoes, grapes, and oranges contain small amounts of salicylic acid anticoagulant substances similar to aspirin. Lipid-lowering foods include spirulina, parsley, carrots, hawthorn, seaweed, kelp, walnuts, and olive oil, sesame oil, etc.
Recommendations
When at home or out socializing, you might consider drinking some green tea, as its catechins can reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood, increase the amount of good cholesterol, and increase the flexibility and elasticity of blood vessels, preventing them from hardening. Alternatively, drink a large glass (about 100-150 ml) of red wine every night. It has antioxidant effects, and drinking it three or four times a week can effectively soften the blood vessels.