12 Foods You Need to Avoid at All Costs If You Want to Unclog Your Arteries

When it comes to heart health, you probably know that eating right and avoiding fatty foods is a great way to start. But in practice, taking the healthiest attitudes can be more complicated than it seems. Several common foods in our daily lives, even those that are otherwise good for health, can cause serious damage to the heart. Therefore, it is important to know what should be avoided and why.

We, from awesome.club, we want you to stay well-informed at all times about what it takes to maintain heart health. In this sense, we prepared a post with all the foods that should be avoided by those who need to clean their arteries.

The red meat we are referring to is that which has a red color when raw, such as beef or lamb. As you can imagine, it’s not the best option for your heart. One study revealed that people who consumed red meat daily had high levels of trimethylamine N-oxide, a chemical linked to heart disease. Others researchers found a link between frequent consumption of red meat and the risk of suffering heart attacks or strokes.

Vegetables and canned soups seem to be a practical way to add healthy foods to your daily diet, but such foods are often high in salt, especially when sold in a sauce or broth. Too much salt raises blood pressure, which reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the heart and can cause a heart attack. In addition, the preservatives used in products of this type can cause various health problems. A compound very present in soups, monosodium glutamate, has already been cited as a triggering factor for heart palpitations.

Frozen meals, the kind we often eat in front of the TV, are practical, cheap and often low in calories. However, many of these dishes are high in sodium, which is widely used to flavor foods and as a preservative. The daily dose recommended by the Ministry of Health is around 2,000 milligrams a day, but many frozen dishes can send up to half of that into your body in a single meal.

It is worth remembering that most of this sodium is present precisely in the salt we consume, whether in the form of frozen foods, other foods — such as canned and sausages, which we will talk about below — or that pinch of salt that you put in your food.

Sausages that are tanned or preserved in salt, such as salami, mortadella and sausage, usually have a lot of saturated fat, having the ability to increase cholesterol levels in the body. In excess, such products can cause blood vessels to develop fatty deposits and increase the risk of heart disease. Although there are options with less fat, in most cases, cured meats and sausages are not good for heart health due to the high levels of salt.

In general, desserts should be eaten in moderation, but baked goods such as pies, empanadas, cakes and the like can be especially problematic due to trans fats. One study found a relationship between heart disease and trans fatty acids. Many baked goods are flavored with sugar, which can stress the heart when consumed in excess. The sugar in these foods may also contain glucose-6-phosphate, which has the unhealthy ability to reduce heart function, even causing heart failure.

Ice cream cholesterol levels are often very high. Half a cup of vanilla ice cream, for example, contains over four grams of saturated fat. That’s more than a quarter of the recommended daily allowance for an adult. And the tastier the taste, in general, the higher the concentration of fats.

In general, fried foods are unhealthy because the frying process creates trans fats. A 4-ounce serving of fried chicken can have as much cholesterol as 11 slices of bacon. On the other hand, a grilled chicken breast can be a great source of protein in the diet of those wanting to lose weight.

One study pointed out that frequent consumption of sodas and sugary drinks can increase the risk of heart disease. Not even dietary options or light are good alternatives. Other research claims that people who regularly consume this type of product are more likely to suffer from Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) and heart problems.

No, we are not talking about sprinkling a little grated Parmesan over your macaroni sauce, but about a dish originating in the United States and Canada known as Mac and Cheese and which, precisely because it is delicious, has become increasingly popular in Brazilian. This dish has generous doses of fat in the form of butter, milk and various cheeses. With that, it becomes a delicacy full of saturated fats and salt, not to mention the high calorie content, which pose a risk to the heart. Because of this, try making substitutions when preparing the recipe: using skimmed milk or less fatty cheeses are good examples. Or go back to the good old macaroni à sugo sprinkled with grated parmesan.

Even foods that have some health benefits can be harmful to your arteries. Although the liver is rich in iron, excessive consumption can cause an increase in cholesterol levels. Furthermore, half of the fats found in a serving of liver are saturated. Finally, the dish is usually prepared fried and, as we mentioned earlier, the way it is cooked can increase heart problems.

Just because a certain food isn’t especially salty doesn’t mean it’s low in sodium. Ricotta usually has high levels of the substance, which can raise blood pressure. Some scholars claim that this fact is enough to oppose the healthy characteristics of the food, such as the high calcium content.

People may have clogged arteries as early as age 20. Patients with this condition have different symptoms, but some of them are more common.

Chest pains, commonly known as angina. Lower back pain can stem from reduced blood flow, which can lead to painful hernias. Studies show that people with chronic back pain are more likely to have clogged arteries. Clogged arteries can also cause difficulty breathing. This, in turn, causes feelings of fatigue and malaise. According to research, people with these symptoms may have high-risk heart disease.

Which of the foods mentioned above are your favorites? Do you know other ways to maintain heart health? Comment!