It’s clear that having a nutritious diet is essential for maintaining healthy arteries. But did you know some nutrients may promote clear arteries and lower your risk of coronary artery disease?
Plaque buildup is the body’s natural response to arterial damage. However, over time, this plaque can become calcified, leading to stiff arteries, elevated blood pressure, and an increased risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Discover the four nutrients that contribute to a healthy cardiovascular system and learn how to support optimal nutrient stores to promote heart health.
What is plaque?
Arterial plaque, also known as atherosclerotic plaque, is a buildup of cholesterol, proteins, and calcium in the walls of major arteries. This buildup can cause the blood vessels to harden and become less flexible, leading to atherosclerosis and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Arterial plaque formation stiffens and narrows blood vessels, reducing blood flow and interfering with the oxygen supply to vital organs and tissues. Continuous plaque buildup can cause arterial blockage, significantly increasing the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
Risk factors for developing arterial plaque include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity, and a family history of heart disease.
Conventional approaches to managing arterial plaque include dietary changes, increased physical activity, quitting smoking, and medication to manage cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol levels.
In some cases, surgery may be necessary to remove or bypass the plaque to restore blood flow and lower blood pressure.
Watch the video below to learn more about the steps you can take to decalcify your arteries.
What causes plaque in your arteries?
Arterial plaque formation is a natural response to damaged blood vessels. Factors including smoking, elevated insulin levels, excessive alcohol, and chronic inflammation can injure the lining of arteries and lead to lesions and leaks.
The immune system reacts to tissue damage and triggers the repair of the affected blood vessel. Your immune response involves using cholesterol and protein deposits to heal the damaged blood vessel wall.
Cholesterol and protein deposits form plaque similar to scar tissue, leading to stiff blood vessels that lower the body’s ability to regulate blood pressure.
“Arterial plaque also accumulates calcium and other substances naturally present in the blood,” explains Dr. Berg. “Plaque calcification narrows blood vessels, impedes normal cardiovascular function, and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.”
Cholesterol plays a vital role in healing damaged arteries. However, elevated levels of bad LDL cholesterol, in particular, small dense LDL cholesterol (sdLDL-c), have been found to accelerate plaque buildup and trigger inflammation in the arterial wall. This causes more tissue damage and subsequently worsens plaque formation.
In contrast, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), known as good cholesterol, can reduce plaque buildup and lower inflammation within arterial walls.
4 nutrients that help remove arterial plaque
A Healthy Keto® lifestyle paired with intermittent fasting helps support cardiovascular health by promoting circulatory health and helping reduce inflammation, a key driver of arterial plaque formation.
In addition to these core strategies, certain nutrients can promote healthy blood vessels by supporting calcium balance, blood flow, and balanced inflammatory responses.
Here are four nutrients that help maintain healthy arteries.
1. Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 is an essential vitamin involved in bone health and blood clotting, and prioritizing vitamin K2-rich foods may help support arterial health.
This fat-soluble vitamin activates a group of proteins that bind calcium into bone rather than releasing it into the bloodstream. This supports healthy calcium blood levels and directly reduces calcium deposition into arterial plaque.
A study published in Diseases highlights that maintaining optimal vitamin K2 levels may be linked to reduced coronary artery calcification, and deficiency was a common factor associated with the severity of coronary artery disease.1
Additionally, research published in Open Heart found that vitamin K2 may slow the progression of coronary artery calcification and improve the flow of oxygen-rich blood to tissues and organs by activating matrix Gla protein.2
Some of the best natural sources of vitamin K2 include natto, butter, egg yolk, goose liver, pepperoni, salami, sausage, sauerkraut, and grass-fed cheese, particularly Muenster cheese.
2. Vitamin D3
According to research published in Nutrients, maintaining healthy vitamin D3 levels may play a significant role in supporting blood vessel health.3
The researchers noted, “Physiological levels of vitamin D are capable of inhibiting calcification through modulating inflammation, with vitamin D deficiency leading to pro-inflammatory activity that subsequently drives calcification.”
Vitamin D also helps suppress inflammatory cytokines, a group of proteins linked to LDL oxidation, plaque calcification, and the stiffening of blood vessels.
It’s important to note that vitamin D stimulates intestinal calcium absorption, which increases calcium blood levels, and may contribute to arterial calcification if not properly regulated.
For this reason, it’s beneficial to consume foods rich in both vitamin D3 and vitamin K2, as these nutrients work together to support a healthy calcium balance.
Natural food sources of vitamins D3 and K2 include fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel, egg yolks, and certain aged cheeses.
In addition, regular direct exposure to sunlight remains one of the most effective ways to support optimal vitamin D3 levels.
Watch the video below to learn how vitamin D3 supports healthy blood vessels.
3. Magnesium
Including plenty of magnesium-rich foods may be an excellent strategy for those seeking to support vascular integrity and heart function.
Magnesium is an essential mineral that supports cardiovascular health by disrupting the movement of calcium into cells and by lowering calcium concentrations in the blood.
In addition, magnesium is crucial for muscle relaxation. Stiff arteries can lead to high blood pressure and an increased risk of injury and plaque formation.
Magnesium relaxes the smooth muscles of blood vessels, widening arteries and improving arterial flexibility, which supports cardiovascular health and lowers heart disease risk.
Some of the best dietary sources of magnesium include dark leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard, avocados, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, and fatty fish such as mackerel and salmon.
4. Phytic acid
Inositol hexaphosphate, commonly known as phytic acid, is a naturally occurring compound and potent antioxidant found in a wide variety of plant-based foods, especially in seeds and nuts.
As a natural mineral chelator, phytic acid binds to calcium ions, potentially preventing them from accumulating in blood vessel walls and contributing to arterial plaque formation.
Evidence published in Antioxidants notes, “Phytate has been shown to inhibit calcium salt crystallization and, therefore, to reduce vascular calcifications, calcium renal calculi and soft tissue calcifications.”4
These findings suggest that regularly consuming foods high in phytic acid may support arterial health and reduce the risk of vascular calcification and atherosclerosis.
Key takeaways
The calcification of arterial plaques significantly increases the risk of hypertension, heart disease, ischemic stroke, and heart failure.
Key nutrients found in whole foods, including vitamin K2, vitamin D3, magnesium, and phytic acid, may play a role in maintaining vascular health by helping manage calcium distribution and supporting normal blood vessel function.
A nutrient-rich diet featuring fatty fish, egg yolks, leafy greens, nuts, and seeds, along with regular sun exposure to maintain vitamin D3 levels, can naturally support calcium balance and promote cardiovascular health.
FAQ
1. What is artery plaque?
Arterial plaque is a buildup of cholesterol, calcium, and other substances within artery walls. As it accumulates, it can harden and narrow the arteries, potentially limiting blood flow and increasing the risk of heart-related events, including heart disease, stroke, and heart failure.
2. What vitamins help open clogged arteries?
Vitamins D3 and K2 work together to support healthy calcium metabolism, as vitamin D3 enhances calcium absorption, while K2 helps guide it into bones and away from soft tissues like the arteries.
When obtained naturally through sun exposure and whole foods such as fatty fish, egg yolks, and certain cheeses, these nutrients can help promote long-term cardiovascular health.
3. Can anything reverse plaque buildup in arteries?
Beneficial lifestyle changes–including healthy eating, intermittent fasting, and physical activity–have been shown to support normal blood flow and arterial flexibility, which may help the body manage existing plaque more effectively.
In addition, nutrients found in whole foods, including vitamin K2, magnesium, and phytic acid, may play a role in maintaining vascular health by helping manage calcium balance.
4. What vitamins remove plaque?
When obtained through natural sources like sun exposure and whole foods, vitamins D3 and K2 work together to promote healthy calcium balance.
Magnesium-rich foods may also play a key role by helping prevent excess calcium buildup in soft tissues and supporting overall vascular health.
5. Which vitamin stops calcium plaque in arteries and the heart?
Vitamin K2 and vitamin D3 support healthy calcium utilization by guiding calcium into bones.
These vitamins can be naturally obtained from foods like fatty fish, egg yolks, and certain cheeses, as well as from regular sun exposure for vitamin D3.
6. Can calcium cause arterial stiffness?
Excessive calcium intake may lead to an increased risk of arterial stiffness, particularly in postmenopausal women. It’s believed that elevated calcium in the bloodstream can accumulate in arterial walls, leading to arterial hardening and loss of flexibility.
7. Is calcium bad for your heart?
Consuming large amounts of calcium, especially when vitamin D3 and K2 levels are inadequate, may increase the risk of calcium deposits in blood vessel walls.
This can lead to rigid and narrow blood vessels, increasing blood pressure, and putting an excessive burden on the heart to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. Calcified blood vessels significantly increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, and heart failure.
8. Why is it important to get vitamin K2 along with vitamin D3?
Vitamin D3, obtained through sun exposure and foods like fatty fish and egg yolks, raises calcium levels by enhancing absorption.
Vitamin K2, found in foods like fermented vegetables and certain cheeses, helps direct calcium to bones rather than soft tissues. Together, these nutrients support healthy calcium balance and may reduce the risk of calcium buildup in arterial walls.
9. What are the best vitamins to remove plaque from arteries?
Vitamins D3 and K2 help support heart health by protecting blood vessels from inflammation and lowering the risk of calcium accumulation in arteries.
Vitamin C-rich foods and omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish have also been shown to support overall cardiovascular wellness.
10. Which herbs can stop the calcification of arterial plaques?
Certain herbs, such as turmeric and garlic, are believed to promote heart health. These herbs contain compounds that may support vascular health by reducing inflammation and promoting healthy calcium metabolism in the arteries.
