Top 7 Vitamins to Unclog Your Arteries and Boost Blood Flow

Top 7 Vitamins to Unclog Your Arteries and Boost Blood Flow

Atherosclerosis is a condition that occurs when the inner walls of the arteries become damaged and blocked. This happens because a hard substance called plaque builds up in the arteries. As plaque accumulates, it narrows the arteries, restricting blood flow. This condition can reduce circulation and increase the risk of severe heart problems, such as heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots.

Here’s what’s happening in your arteries.

Your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood through your arteries to keep your body alive and healthy. If we look closer at the inside walls of your arteries, we can see what goes wrong. The inner layers of cells can become inflamed and damaged, leading to small cracks or lesions. This damage can happen due to stress, a poor diet, smoking, and other reasons.

LDL cholesterol builds up around these cracks like a band-aid to help fix them. Cholesterol is not the enemy; it tries to heal and repair damaged tissues. However, your arteries may get damaged if you don’t change your lifestyle.

This ongoing damage can lead to plaque buildup, a mix of scar tissue, hardened calcium, cholesterol, and other waste. These materials can combine to form a thick, rigid substance that clogs your arteries and blocks blood flow. If the main coronary artery gets blocked completely, it can cause a heart attack and possibly lead to death.

Signs and Symptoms of Clogged Arteries

Feeling pressure or pain in your chest could be due to emotional stress or exercise. This pain usually goes away when you relax.

Your pressure might come from high blood pressure and poor blood circulation to and from your heart. Another sign of clogged arteries is pain or swelling on the left side of your body, like your left shoulder or arm.

You might find breathing hard, especially when walking because insufficient oxygen gets through your arteries. Some people do not show symptoms; plaque can build up in the arteries for years without notice until a blockage happens.

If plaque in your arteries is not treated, it can get thicker, increasing your risk of a heart attack, stroke, blood clot, or even death, regardless of your age.

Here are 7 Vitamins to Unclog Your Arteries and Boost Blood Flow

1. Vitamin K2 (Mk-7)

Vitamin K2 is crucial for keeping your arteries clear and preventing plaque buildup.

When your arteries get clogged, they become stiff and hard because of excess calcium. Vitamin K2 helps activate a protein called MGP, which prevents calcium from accumulating in your blood vessels. Instead, it directs calcium to your bones, where it should be.

You can take a daily supplement of 200mcg of Vitamin K2 (Mk-7), or you can get it from foods like sauerkraut, natto, beef liver, and European cheeses such as Swiss, camembert, parmigiana, and Munster.

2. Krill Oil

Krill oil is a powerful supplement that can help keep your arteries clear and your heart healthy. It comes from Antarctic krill and is known for its bright red color, which is due to astaxanthin, a strong antioxidant that is 6000 times more effective than Vitamin C. Astaxanthin protects your heart and arteries from inflammation and damage, which helps blood flow freely and keeps blood pressure stable.

You can take 1000 to 4000 mg of krill oil daily in gel capsules. Krill oil helps lubricate your joints and reduce pain and swelling.

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3. Vitamin E (Tocotrienols)

Vitamin E is crucial for keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy. If you don’t get enough Vitamin E in your diet, you might experience chest pain (angina) because your heart isn’t receiving enough oxygen and may start to cramp. A lack of Vitamin E can also raise your blood pressure, which stresses your arteries and increases the risk of damage and plaque buildup.

To help heal or unclog your arteries, consider taking up to 300 mg of Vitamin E (tocotrienols) each day. Tocotrienols are a part of the Vitamin E family and are 50 times more effective than the usual forms of Vitamin E in supplements. They are great at reducing inflammation and breaking down scar tissue that may narrow your arteries.

You can also eat foods high in Vitamin E, such as sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, avocados, olive oil, Swiss chard, and leafy green vegetables.

4. Aged Garlic Extract

Garlic is one of the healthiest foods because it contains allicin, an intense natural sulfur that gives it a pungent taste.

Studies show that aged garlic extract calcification can help lower calcium buildup in the arteries.

I recommend eating raw garlic every day to help control your blood pressure, reduce high blood sugar, and prevent artery calcification.

If you don’t like the taste of garlic, you can take up to 2400 mg of aged garlic extract each day to help keep your arteries clean.

5. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that we need to get from our diet. Plant-based foods like salad greens, vegetables, berries, and fruits are good sources.

Research shows that people with gum disease have a higher risk of heart problems. The harmful bacteria that cause gum bleeding can also affect the arteries, leading to inflammation and thickening of the artery walls.

Vitamin C helps strengthen collagen in your arteries, keeping them flexible and allowing blood to flow normally. This helps prevent harmful bacteria from settling in.

To boost your Vitamin C and antioxidant levels, eat foods like cabbage, sauerkraut, strawberries, bell peppers, and cruciferous vegetables.

Avoid over-the-counter ‘ascorbic acid’ supplements, as they contain only 5% of the complete Vitamin C complex. If you supplement, use whole fruit powders like acerola cherry, rose hips, or camu.

6. Evening Primrose Oil (GLA)  

Evening primrose oil comes from the seeds of the star flower plant and contains a good type of fat called GLA (gamma-linolenic acid). Studies show that GLA can help heal artery linings by reducing inflammation. It also helps remove excess plaque from arteries to the liver. Women often use it to prevent symptoms of PMS and menopause, making it a great health booster.  

You can take 3000-4000 mg of Evening Primrose Oil each day (with at least 8% GLA).

7. Niacin

Niacin, or vitamin B-3, is a nutrient in foods like liver, chicken, tuna, and salmon. It is also available as a supplement.

People take niacin supplements to help manage cholesterol levels. These supplements can raise good cholesterol (HDL) by more than 30 percent. Niacin may also help lower triglycerides, which are fats that can increase the risk of heart disease.

However, niacin can cause skin flushing, a prickly feeling, and stomach issues like nausea.

The recommended daily intake of niacin is 16 mg for men, 14 mg for most women, 17 mg for breastfeeding women, and 18 mg for pregnant women.

People should not exceed the recommended dose without talking to a healthcare provider first.

Causes Of Clogged Arteries

Let’s examine the fundamental factors that might initially lead to the blockage of your arteries.)

6 Causes Of Clogged Arteries (Atherosclerosis)

Eating too many refined foods, such as sugar and processed grains, causes inflammation in the artery walls, which can lead to a buildup of plaque over time.

High levels of emotional stress can cause arterial plaque. Stress increases a hormone called cortisol, which narrows your arteries and raises your blood pressure.

Eating too many omega-6 vegetable oils, such as corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil, rapeseed oil, margarine, and processed olive oil, can lead to inflammation in your arteries.

A common issue is that people use calcium carbonate supplements to strengthen their bones. However, the body does not absorb this mineral well. Instead, it can end up in the bloodstream and lead to the formation of calcium plaque in the arteries.

Drinking alcohol harms the liver and increases a hormone called estrogen. This hormone can weaken the walls of arteries and make them more likely to build up plaque.

Smoking, vaping, and breathing pollutants can reduce vitamin C levels and make our arteries less flexible.

How To Unclog Your Arteries

Let’s look at six steps to clear your arteries and improve blood circulation.

Cut processed foods out of your diet. This includes sugar, cereals, bread, soda, biscuits, pastries, pasta, and sweets.

Choose healthy, high-quality proteins like wild salmon, sardines, grass-fed beef, organic pork, and European raw cheeses.

Eat plenty of plant-based foods high in antioxidants to help reduce inflammation in your arteries. Good options include sunflower seeds, walnuts, celery, tomatoes, arugula, bell peppers, garlic, avocados, and leafy greens.

Take 200 mcg of Vitamin K2 (Mk-7) and 500 mcg (20,000 ius) of Vitamin D3. These vitamins help move calcium into your bones and keep it from building up in your arteries.

Take long walks in nature for at least one hour each day. This low-stress exercise will help you breathe fresh air and bring more oxygen into your blood.

Trees and plants release essential oils called phytoncides into the air. These oils can lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and lower the risk of heart attack.

Remove all inflammatory omega-6 vegetable oils from your diet. This includes margarine, soy, canola, cottonseed, and corn oils. Instead, use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or avocado oil for cooking.

Eat heart-healthy omega-3 fats from sources like virgin cod liver oil, wild-caught oily fish, walnuts, and shellfish. These foods can help reduce inflammation and heal the inner walls of your arteries.

Eat 2-3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast each day. This will provide you with B vitamins, especially niacin. Niacin helps open your blood vessels and can prevent blockages or blood clots.

If you want to test the health of your arteries, talk to your doctor and ask for a CAC test, which stands for coronary artery calcium.