Having high cholesterol means living with a greater risk of heart attack. For every 1 percent increase in the amount of cholesterol in the average American’s blood, there is about a 2 percent increase in the risk of a heart attack; conversely, every 1 percent reduction from the average cholesterol level reduces the risk by about 2 percent.
Elevated cholesterol (anything above 150) promotes atherosclerosis—the buildup of cholesterol, fat, and cells in the arteries that feed the heart muscle. Incidentally, while the average cholesterol level in the U.S. is 210, the average vegetarian’s cholesterol level is 161 and the average vegan’s cholesterol level is 133. People with cholesterol levels below 150 virtually never have heart attacks, while nearly one-third of meat-eaters will die from one.
Heart researchers have found that a low-fat vegan diet is the best diet for lowering cholesterol levels. Plant foods contain no cholesterol, whereas meat, eggs, and dairy products contain large amounts of cholesterol and saturated fats, which can cause arteries to become hard and clogged. Plus, the high fiber content of a vegetarian diet helps eliminate excess cholesterol from the digestive tract. (Meat, dairy products, and eggs have no fiber at all.)
Dr. William Castelli, director of the famous Framingham Heart Study (the longest-running clinical study in medical history), says about heart disease, “If Americans adopted a vegetarian diet, the whole thing would disappear.” He states that Americans have been “brainwashed to eat meat.”
Even if you’ve been diagnosed with atherosclerosis, there’s still hope. Dr. Dean Ornish has demonstrated that the disease can be reversed without exposure to drugs and their often dangerous side effects.
In a landmark study, he put a group of patients on a low-fat vegetarian diet and prescribed moderate exercise. Within a year, the plaques that had been growing in their hearts for decades actually started to dissolve. Patients’ chest pains disappeared, and their cholesterol levels dropped.
Nearly 80 percent of people with severely clogged arteries who follow the Ornish program for at least a year are able to avoid bypass surgery and angioplasty. Says Dr. Ornish, “I don’t understand why asking people to eat a well-balanced vegetarian diet is considered drastic, while it’s medically conservative to cut people open or put them on powerful cholesterol-lowering drugs for the rest of their lives.”
Although eating fish has been promoted because it contains omega-3 fatty acids, fish flesh is often contaminated with dangerous levels of toxins such as mercury and PCBs. (To get the benefits of omega-3s without being exposed to the toxins in fish, eat ground flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, walnuts, and vegetarian DHA capsules.)
When you choose vegetarian foods, you naturally and safely lower your risk of heart disease and other serious illnesses. Order a free copy of PETA’s“Vegetarian/Vegan Starter Kit”and start on your way to a healthier heart!
Plant foods contain no cholesterol, whereas meat, eggs, and dairy products contain large amounts of cholesterol and saturated fats, which can cause arteries to become hard and clogged. Plus, the high fiber content of a vegetarian diet helps eliminate excess cholesterol from the digestive tract.
There is now evidence from the PREDIMED study that atherosclerosis is reversed by adding nuts to a Mediterranean diet that already had 30% of energy as fat. CAD was also reversed in a clinical case using a vegan diet with added nuts, but the fat content was not reported.
It is possible to stabilize and partially reverse plaque in your arteries. Taking cholesterol lowering medications and following a healthy lifestyle with heart healthy diet and physical exercise is the best way to start regressing plaques.
There is no easy way to unclog an artery once plaque has built up. However, dietary choices, exercise, and avoiding smoking can improve cardiovascular health and stop blockages from worsening. In some cases, medication or surgery may be necessary.
1. Fish. Fatty or oily fish such as salmon and tuna are a great source of omega-3 fats, compounds which have been shown in studies to reduce the amount of plaque which sticks in your arteries. These healthy fats also have anti-inflammatory properties which can help with many aspects of your overall health.
Plant-based diets can play a significant role in reducing blocked arteries, study says. Vegetarian and vegan diets are linked to lower levels of cholesterol and fats in your blood, according to an analysis of all the evidence from randomized trials published since 1982.
In a British study of health-conscious individuals, both dietary cholesterol and egg consumption significantly increased coronary risk. In animal models, dietary cholesterol causes atherosclerosis[7–9]. A single jumbo (65 g) egg yolk contains 237 mg of cholesterol.
Optimal Vitamin K2 intake is crucial to avoid the calcium plaque buildup of atherosclerosis, thus keeping the risk and rate of calcification as low as possible. Matrix GLA protein (MGP)—found in the tissues of the heart, kidneys, and lungs—plays a dominant role in vascular calcium metabolism.
Vitamin D3 (a cholecalciferol) is a vitamin that helps your body absorb calcium. This vitamin works alongside Vitamin K2 to help pull calcium deposits from your arteries.
Making plaque disappear is not possible, but with lifestyle changes and medication they can shrink and stabilize. Doctors especially want to target the softer plaques before they rupture.
This juice also has nutrients, including vitamin C, which strengthens blood vessels and can improve blood flow in that way. Pomegranate juice also has nitrate, which can widen blood vessels and facilitate blood flow.
Chelation therapy is hyped as a way to clean out the arteries by dissolving cholesterol-filled plaque. This is based on wishful thinking, not science. Apple cider vinegar is a terrific ingredient in foods, sauces, and dressings. It isn't medicine.
From a broad perspective, eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich foods (think: veggies, low-glycemic fruits, nuts, seeds, fish, olive oil), scaling way back on sugar, and swapping out refined grains like bread for small quantities of whole grains like quinoa is a smart idea.
Like taking a warm bath, drinking a hot cup of water increases blood circulation through arteries and veins. More efficient blood flow can have benefits ranging from improved blood pressure to decreased risk of heart disease.
You can't reverse atherosclerosis, but certain medications, dietary changes, and surgery can help to slow its progression and reduce your risk of complications. Atherosclerosis, more commonly known as hardening of the arteries, is a serious condition.
A diet emphasizing intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and fish is recommended to decrease ASCVD risk factors. Replacement of saturated fat with dietary monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) reduces ASCVD risk.
Compared with people eating an omnivorous diet, those following a vegetarian or vegan diet experienced average drops in levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B of 7%, 10% and 14%, respectively, from levels measured at the start of the study.
CONCLUSIONS: A plant-based diet improves vascular endothelial function in PaD patients following 4 months of dietary intervention. This dietary intervention can result in decreased serum cholesterol and inflammatory biomarkers, which may further enhance vascular endothelial function.
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