When a person has cholesterol buildup in the arteries it is a lot like driving your car with the parking brake on. You will not be able to go as fast and eventually either your brakes or your engine will stop working. While maybe not the best analogy, the bottom line is that when there is a cholesterol buildup in the arteries your heart must pump harder to accomplish the same amount of work.
On a average day your heart must beats an astounding 100,000 times sending 1,800 of blood racing through 60,000 miles of blood vessels. Not an easy task even on a good day. But when cholesterol buildup in the arteries occurs all of the sudden the natural balance of things is upset causing your heart muscle to be put under constant duress.
If we knew for sure the cholesterol buildup in the arteries would not get worse it is possible the body could find a way to offset the heart blood flow imbalance. Nevertheless, without some action on your part the chances are pretty good that a minor cholesterol buildup in arteries will continue to grow until it starts to impact almost every facet of everyday life.
A cholesterol buildup in arteries is know a plaque. Plaque consists of cholesterol, fibrous tissue, dead cells, and calcium. As arterial plaque grows, and matures, it hardens. The ensuing condition is known as atherosclerosis. This dangerous condition accounts for nearly three out of every four deaths from heart disease.
Five steps for reversing cholesterol buildup in arteries
Cholesterol buildup in the arteries can start as early as the age of 3 which likely means most (if not all) or us have at least some cholesterol lodged on the interior lining of our arteries. So in order to scrub our arteries clean we will need to take steps to both reduce cholesterol and saturated fat in our diets and do our best to prevent future deposits from forming. Here are a few ideas starting with the one that is most often overlooked.
*Neutralize blood homocysteine levels: Homocysteines are hostile amino acids produced by the body during the digestion of the proteins. The current theory is homocysteine amino acids chew up cells in the lining of the blood vessels, trigger blood clots, or produce debris that that blocks the arteries. A diet rich in folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 is suggested to minimize cholesterol buildup in the arteries as a result of homocysteine amino acids.
*Reduce saturated fat intake to less than 16 milligrams per day: Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol faster than any other type of fat and is primarily found in meat and full fat dairy products. A simple solution is to reduce the amount of meat and full fat dairy products (butter, milk, cheese) substituting fruits and vegetables instead.
*Don't slip in inactivity: Exercise increases good cholesterol (HDL), decreases bad cholesterol (LDL), and keeps our heart strong. The AMA suggests thirty minutes of doctor approved exercise daily, though even ten minutes will help.
*Eat more soluble fiber: Soluble fiber foods (oatmeal, oat bran, whole grain, apples, orange pulp) bind with cholesterol in the intestines and gets rid of it before it has a chance to cause cholesterol buildup in arteries.
*A natural cholesterol reduction supplement could help: Sometimes you may need that little bit of extra protection to keep cholesterol buildup in arteries from occurring, especially when you simply can't say no to burgers, fries, cheese, and dogs over the holiday weekend. Most natural cholesterol reduction supplements are considered to be affordable and very safe, containing natural ingredients such as plant sterols and policosanol.
