Cardiovascular diseases are important killers threatening health.
In our daily life, we can hear a lot of folk remedies for softening cardiovascular diseases and preventing heart diseases, such as red wine, onions, vinegar, etc.
Are these foods really amazing? Can how keep blood vessels young?
Today, Dr. Clove will come to talk to you about the correct maintenance of blood vessels.
Drink some red wine in moderation?
Because red wine has special colors and ingredients (such as resveratrol), many people think it has many health preserving effects, one of which is softening blood vessels.
In fact, the resveratrol content in red wine is not high, and drinking a little every day cannot effectively resist oxidation and arteriosclerosis.
On the contrary, 12% ~ 15% alcohol in red wine cannot be ignored. Many authoritative organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), have clearly opposed the use of alcohol to protect blood vessels or hearts.
Is vinegar-soaked food a secret recipe?
If eggs, peanuts, soybeans… and even blood vessels are directly soaked in mature vinegar, they will indeed soften, because acetic acid in vinegar can change protein and other components in food.
But eating these foods is of little use in softening our blood vessels:
- After eating these foods, acetic acid will be neutralized by alkaline digestive juice in the small intestine. There is very little acetic acid that can be absorbed into the blood and will soon be cleaned up by the liver.
Therefore, eating these foods cannot soften blood vessels, and drinking a lot of vinegar may harm the esophagus.
Is it good to eat more onions and garlic?
Onion and garlic are vegetables with good nutrition. Many people think that they can soften blood vessels, mainly because of special irritating ingredients: sulfur-containing compounds.
These sulfur-containing compounds do show many pharmacological effects in animal experimental studies, such as antioxidation, cholesterol reduction, anticancer, etc.
But in real life, it is impossible for us to eat as much as in the study.
If eaten cooked, onion and garlic will lose serious sulfur-containing compounds. If you eat raw food, you can’t stand too much stomach and intestines.
Auricularia auricula is a blood vessel scavenger?
Edible fungi such as Auricularia auricula are called “scavengers” among the people.
This effect is mainly aimed at the intestinal tract, because Auricularia auricula is rich in dietary fiber and has the effect of relaxing bowels.
For blood vessels, dietary fiber cannot directly enter the blood and cannot contact blood vessels at all, so it has no effect of softening and cleaning blood vessels.
Can vegetarian diet soften blood vessels?
The subtext of this statement is that animal foods such as meat, milk and eggs are the main culprits of arteriosclerosis, but this is not true.
Eating more vegetables and fruits is indeed good for blood vessels, but you should also eat a proper amount of fish, eggs and milk.
Reasonable eating of fish, eggs and milk is not only harmless to blood vessels, but also a necessary guarantee for health because it is rich in high-quality protein, calcium, iron, zinc and various vitamins.
What is really good for blood vessels is
In fact, once blood vessels age and harden, it is difficult to return to youth and softness. Both food and medicine only prevent or delay their further aging and hardening.
If you want blood vessels to age slowly, the correct way is…
1. Please stop smoking and limit alcohol first.
Nicotine brought by smoking and alcohol in drinks can not only directly enter blood and vascular cells and harm blood vessels, but also indirectly harm blood vessels by interfering with blood lipid, blood and blood sugar.
Smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and quitting smoking can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It is reported that people who quit smoking for more than 4 years have a 54% lower risk of cardiovascular diseases than those who continue to smoke.
As for all kinds of alcohol, although a small amount of alcohol will not increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, it is still recommended that everyone drink as little or no alcohol as possible (the daily amount of alcohol should not exceed 20g for men and 15g for women).
2. Weight control to avoid obesity
Excess energy and obesity caused by it are one of the important factors leading to angiosclerosis and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
In order to protect blood vessels and heart, obese people had better lose weight, while those with appropriate weight should avoid getting fat.
3. Eat a balanced diet and exercise moderately
Reasonable diet and exercise can not only help maintain a healthy weight, but also directly reduce the risk of angiosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.
A balanced diet means suitable energy, less sodium, trans fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, added sugar and other components harmful to blood vessels, and more potassium, unsaturated fatty acids, whole grains (coarse grains), vegetables and fruits and other components beneficial to blood vessel health.
Increasing exercise can improve metabolic indexes such as blood pressure, blood lipid and blood sugar, promote blood circulation, and reduce the risks of angiosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.
4. [Four Highs] Population Should Be Actively Treated
Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and hyperuric acid are the most direct and important factors leading to increased risk of angiosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, and directly increase the risk of cardiovascular accidents such as myocardial infarction and stroke.
If there are physical problems in this area, antihypertensive drugs, lipid-regulating drugs, hypoglycemic drugs and other drugs should be used according to the doctor’s advice to control these metabolic abnormalities.
In short, balancing diet, increasing exercise, maintaining a suitable weight and healthy lifestyle, and taking the medicine according to the doctor’s advice are the wise measures to protect blood vessels and heart.