Clogged arteries, also known as atherosclerosis, are mainly caused by poor diet, smoking, stress, obesity, and lack of physical exercise.
Atherosclerosis can significantly increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can support healthy blood vessels and unclog your arteries.
Discover the top foods that support cardiovascular health and learn how to clean your arteries naturally by following a healthy low-carb diet, practicing regular exercise, and incorporating stress-reduction techniques.
What causes blocked arteries?
Atherosclerosis is characterized by the formation of plaque inside arterial walls. This arterial plaque is typically caused by a buildup of calcium, cholesterol, and proteins which impairs the normal function of the endothelium—the innermost layer of cells that line the walls of blood vessels.
Plaque stiffens and narrows artery walls, which reduces blood flow and interferes with the oxygen supply to vital organs and tissues.
If left untreated, atherosclerosis can lead to coronary artery disease, significantly increasing the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes.
Several risk factors are linked to developing arterial plaque, including:
- High blood pressure
- Imbalanced cholesterol levels
- Smoking and vaping
- Diabetes
- Insulin resistance
- Obesity
- Family history of heart disease.
Watch the video below to learn how to support arterial health naturally.
At what age should I be worried about blocked arteries?
While the risk of blocked arteries increases with age, it’s essential to understand that heart disease can start when you are a child.
According to a study published in the Korean Circulation Journal by Young Hong, pediatric MD, “The existing evidence indicates that primary prevention of atherosclerotic disease should begin in childhood.” 1
Your metabolic health, dietary choices, and lifestyle habits significantly impact cardiovascular health.
A poor diet and lack of physical activity during childhood and adolescence can substantially increase your risk of clogged arteries and coronary heart disease later in life.
How to test for artery plaque
A coronary artery calcification (CAC) test is a non-invasive test performed using a computed tomography scanner to measure the amount of calcium deposits in arterial walls.
The presence of calcium buildup in coronary arteries is a reliable indicator of atherosclerotic plaque buildup and can be used to diagnose the severity of atherosclerosis.
A CAC test is significantly more accurate in determining cardiovascular health than a cholesterol test, as blood cholesterol levels provide little indication of plaque development or arterial narrowing.
Are there natural ways to clean your arteries?
Most risk factors for arterial plaque formation are related to diet and lifestyle. As such, making beneficial dietary and lifestyle changes can prevent plaque buildup and even reduce the progression of plaque formation.
In fact, research published in Circulation found that adopting a nutritious low-carb diet can improve metabolic health and may help improve blood flow and circulatory functions.2
Here are natural ways to clean your arteries.
Reduce stress
Stress has been found to be a major risk factor in the development of atherosclerosis.
During periods of stress, the adrenal glands release the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which increase heart rate, blood pressure, and inflammation. This can damage the epithelial lining of the arteries, making them more susceptible to plaque buildup.
In addition, cortisol impacts how your metabolism utilizes fats and sugars. Chronically elevated cortisol can cause insulin resistance, a metabolic disorder that leads to high blood sugar levels and an increase in the production of triglycerides, a type of fat linked to coronary artery disease.
Therefore, it’s crucial to manage stress with restful sleep, exercise, and relaxation techniques such as nature walks and breathing exercises.
Managing your stress can help reduce blood pressure, support heart muscle health, and make it easier to avoid stress eating and follow a heart-healthy diet plan.
Avoid unhealthy foods
A diet high in processed foods, refined carbs, and sugars significantly increases your risk of clogged arteries.
Refined carbs and sugars spike blood sugar levels, triggering the release of large amounts of insulin. Insulin is a crucial metabolic hormone that influences how your body produces energy and stores fat.
Prolonged periods of elevated insulin can result in insulin resistance, a serious metabolic imbalance linked to an increased risk of arterial plaque formation.
Insulin resistance increases inflammation in the arterial epithelium, promotes the production of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as the bad cholesterol linked to atherosclerosis, and triggers the release of hormones that can thicken the blood and increase the risk of clogged arteries.
In addition, processed and fried foods often contain trans fats and other unhealthy fats that raise your bad cholesterol, such as corn, soy, canola, or cottonseed oils. These fats increase inflammation and are directly linked to arterial plaque.
To reduce inflammation, it’s important to avoid processed foods. These include fast food, canned foods, snack foods, cereal—even with whole grains—and microwave dinners.
Healthy Keto® and intermittent fasting
The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that pushes your body to burn fat instead of sugar to generate energy.
This metabolic shift supports weight loss and helps balance several factors linked to arterial plaque formation, including insulin resistance, obesity, and poor lipid profiles.
You may have heard that a high-fat diet increases the risk of heart disease by raising cholesterol. However, this view stems from outdated studies that have since been revised or debunked.
Following a nutritious low-carb diet, such as Healthy Keto®, which emphasizes nutrient-dense foods, such as grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish and game, and full-fat dairy, helps increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL), known as good cholesterol.
HDL plays a crucial role in removing low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as bad cholesterol, from the bloodstream. This supports clean, flexible arteries and helps reduce plaque accumulation.
What’s more, the ketogenic diet is one of the most effective ways to promote balanced insulin levels, which can significantly lower the risk of insulin resistance and, as such, may help prevent clogged arteries.
Pairing Healthy Keto with intermittent fasting may help further enhance these cardiovascular benefits.
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that alternates between fasting and eating. It gives your body time for cellular repair and encourages it to burn stored body fat for energy, promoting faster weight loss and sustainable weight management.
“Maintaining a healthy weight is important to promote a healthy cardiovascular system and lower your risk of clogged arteries,” says Dr. Berg.
Exercise
Exercise can help lower the risk of arterial plaque in several ways.
Regular physical activity helps increase HDL cholesterol and improve insulin sensitivity, which is linked to healthy blood vessels and a lower risk of atherosclerosis.
To promote cardiovascular health, it’s best to combine muscle-strengthening activities with moderate-intensity exercise such as walking, swimming, cycling, or hiking.
Six foods that clean your arteries
Eating a nutritious and healthy diet plays a fundamental role in maintaining the normal function of blood vessels and can prevent the development of atherosclerosis.
In addition, some specific foods contain vitamins, minerals, and other heart-healthy compounds that have anti-atherosclerotic effects and may help unclog arteries.
Here are six foods you should eat regularly to help support arterial health.
1. Green leafy vegetables
Green leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, spinach, arugula, and bok choy are rich in nitrate, an organic compound that’s converted into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is needed to dilate blood vessels, which improves blood flow and helps reduce the risk of plaque buildup.
In addition, leafy greens and most other vegetables are rich sources of potassium, an essential mineral for cardiovascular health.
Potassium helps control vascular calcification and has been found to lower the risk of atherosclerosis by keeping arteries soft and flexible, which reduces arterial calcification.
2. Oily fish
Fatty fish, including salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines, are rich sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are unsaturated fats that have cardioprotective properties. They help reduce inflammation, promote healthy blood pressure, and improve the function of the endothelium, thereby decreasing the risk of arterial plaque.
3. Natto
Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans and is a rich source of the enzyme nattokinase.
Nattokinase has potent anti-atherosclerotic properties by breaking down fibrin, a protein responsible for blood clots that can contribute to the formation of arterial plaque.
In fact, a study published in the Chinese Medical Journal found that nattokinase not only can lower the risk of atherosclerosis but may also help dissolve existing arterial plaque. This highlights how including natto in your diet can help support overall cardiovascular health.3
4. Pomegranates
Pomegranates are rich sources of polyphenols that may help support healthy blood flow and vascular function. These compounds also assist in nitric oxide production and help protect against oxidative stress and inflammation, critical factors in the development of arterial plaque.
A study published in the European Journal of Sport Science found that pomegranate enhanced blood flow and blood vessel diameter after intense exercise.4
5. Garlic
Garlic has impressive cardiovascular health due to its rich content of anti-inflammatory phytochemicals.
Garlic also supports balanced cholesterol levels and has potent antiplatelet effects that help prevent blood cells from sticking together and forming blood clots, a significant risk factor for clogged arteries.
6. Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and pumpkin seeds, are rich sources of vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin that has been extensively studied for its potential to help reverse atherosclerosis.
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that reduces the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Oxidized LDL is commonly found in arterial plaque and significantly contributes to the narrowing and stiffening of arteries.
Complications of clogged arteries
Clogged arteries can cause impaired cardiovascular functioning and lead to serious health complications.
Atherosclerosis increases the risk of several health issues, including:
- Coronary and peripheral heart disease
- Cardiac arrest
- Strokes
- Aneurysms
- Kidney disease
- Vascular inflammation
- Hypertension
- Erectile dysfunction
Atherosclerosis is a serious medical condition, and it’s essential to consult with a healthcare provider if you have concerns about your cardiovascular health.
Conventional treatment for atherosclerosis typically includes diet and lifestyle changes, weight loss, and cholesterol-lowering medication.
In some severe cases, surgery may be necessary to remove or bypass arterial restrictions to mitigate heart disease risk, increase blood flow, and lower blood pressure.
How long does it take to clean your arteries?
How long it takes to clean your arteries depends on several factors, including the extent of plaque buildup, your metabolic health, and how disciplined you are in making beneficial dietary and lifestyle changes.
A low-carb diet, intermittent fasting, regular exercise, and stress management can help reduce plaque buildup and benefit cardiovascular health. However, it may take several months or even years of sustained effort to see significant improvements in arterial health.
It’s recommended to perform a CAC test once or twice yearly to track progress and determine how successful dietary and lifestyle changes are in clearing clogged arteries.
Key takeaways
Clogged arteries can lead to serious complications, including stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular problems.
If you’re wondering how to clean your arteries naturally, start by limiting sugar and refined carbs while following a nutrient-dense ketogenic diet such as Healthy Keto paired with intermittent fasting.
Regular physical activity, stress reduction, and eating foods with anti-atherosclerotic properties, such as natto, seeds and nuts, garlic, oily fish, pomegranate, and green leafy vegetables, can help lower the risk of arterial plaque and may support healthier, more flexible blood vessels.
FAQ
1. What causes artery plaque?
Arterial plaque is caused by a buildup of calcium, proteins, and fatty deposits in the arterial wall. This causes stiff and narrow arteries, which can reduce blood flow and increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems.
High blood pressure, elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, smoking, obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes are significant risk factors for arterial plaque formation.
2. When do arteries start clogging?
Arterial plaque buildup can start as early as childhood or adolescence.
3. Can you reverse plaque buildup in your arteries?
Yes, it’s possible to help reverse plaque buildup.
Following a nutrient-rich ketogenic diet, such as Healthy Keto®, in combination with intermittent fasting, maintaining a healthy body weight, regularly exercising, and consuming foods that support cardiovascular health, may help clear clogged arteries.
4. How do you flush plaque out of your arteries naturally?
A healthy lifestyle and maintaining balanced insulin levels by following a low-carb diet and intermittent fasting are crucial to help unblock clogged arteries.
It’s equally critical to exercise, maintain a healthy weight, and regularly consume foods such as seeds and nuts, natto, oily fish, garlic, pomegranate, and green leafy vegetables. These foods contain anti-atherosclerotic nutrients that can help dissolve plaque and flush arteries.
5. What can dissolve artery plaque in a blocked artery?
Natto, a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans, contains a unique enzyme called nattokinase, which has been studied for its role in supporting healthy blood flow and maintaining normal clotting function.
6. What are the best foods to clean your arteries?
Foods including green leafy vegetables, natto, nuts, seeds, oily fish, olive oil, garlic, and pomegranate have been found to support circulation and vascular health.
Additionally, a diet rich in anti-inflammatory whole foods can help maintain clean, flexible arteries.
7. Can intermittent fasting help unclog arteries?
Yes, intermittent fasting supports arterial health by promoting balanced insulin levels, reducing inflammation, and improving overall cholesterol balance.
8. How long does it take to clean a blocked artery?
How long it takes to clean your arteries depends on the severity of the arterial plaque buildup, your metabolic health, and your body weight.
While some people see noticeable improvements after a few months, others may need a year of sustained effort to see improvements in arterial health.
9. How do I test for clogged arteries?
The most reliable test for clogged arteries is the coronary artery calcium (CAC) test. This non-invasive scan measures how much calcium buildup is present in the arterial wall, which is directly linked to arterial plaque severity.
10. What is the fastest way to reduce artery plaque?
The fastest way to reduce artery plaque and unclog your arteries is to follow a nutritious low-carb diet, such as Healthy Keto, in combination with intermittent fasting, physical exercise, stress reduction, and a healthy body weight.
To unclog arteries naturally, it’s essential to regularly consume heart-healthy foods that support the process, such as natto, garlic, nuts and seeds, oily fish, olive oil, pomegranate, and green leafy vegetables, while avoiding inflammatory processed foods.
Sources
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2812791/ ↩︎
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circulationaha.109.879254 ↩︎
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28763875/ ↩︎
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5563971/ ↩︎
