Chest pain, dizziness, heart palpitations, sweating and shortness of breath are symptoms you experience when an artery closes and your blood no longer flows normally. It may then be only a matter of time before you experience a heart attack or stroke, unless you make it a priority to receive medical attention. Even with medicines, angioplasty and stents available, though, you must change your diet. Consult your doctor to discuss in detail what foods may cause an artery to close.
Plaque
Plaque is the substance that fills your arteries and blocks blood flow, a characteristic of atherosclerosis. Plaque is made from cholesterol, fat, calcium and other chemicals in your blood. The interior walls of your arteries are normally smooth but become inflamed as plaque builds up. A layer of cells inside the blood vessels called the endothelium regulates certain chemicals, such as nitric oxide, to enable blood flow. Yet plaque irritates and inhibits the function of the endothelium, causing blood vessels to narrow and increasing the risk of blood clot formation, which leads to the blockage of blood flow.
Animal Products
Eating animal products, such as meat and dairy, can cause your arteries to close. Animal products contain saturated fat, an unhealthy fat that increases your LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol, and encourages formation of plaque. Saturated fat impairs the function of the endothelium, increases inflammation and reduces blood flow, according to research by scientists at The Heart Research Institute in Sydney, Australia and published in the "Journal of the American College of Cardiology" in August 2006. The American Heart Association recommends that you limit the amount of saturated fats you eat each day to less than 7 percent of total calories.
Processed Foods
Eating processed foods that contain trans fats can also close your arteries. Manufacturers use this industrial fat to increase the shelf life of foods. What was once thought of as harmless is now known to clog your arteries, increasing your risk of heart disease even more than saturated fat does. Scientists at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts found that higher intake of trans fats adversely affects endothelial function, increases inflammation and is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, according to research published in the "Journal of Nutrition" in March 2005. The types of processed foods with trans fats include margarine, breads, crackers, cookies, cakes, icing, microwave popcorn and other snack food items.
Fried Foods
Fried foods that use saturated or trans fats can close your arteries, as well. Butter, margarine and oils containing saturated and trans fats are popular among restaurants. Trans fats are hydrogenated vegetable oils that last longer and cost less than polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Fried onion rings, french fries, zucchini and other popular fried fast foods quickly clog your arteries. Cities throughout the United States have banned the use of trans fats in restaurants. MSNBC announced in December 2006 that The New York City Board of Health voted and unanimously banned artery-clogging artificial trans fats at restaurants.
References
- Cleveland Clinic; Coronary Artery Disease Treament Guide; September 2009
- National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute; Coronary Artery Disease; May 2011
- Harvard School of Public Health; Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, in with the Good; 2010
- "Journal of the American College of Cardiology"; Consumption of Saturated Fat Impairs the Anti-Inflammatory Properties of High-Density Lipoproteins and Endothelial Function; Stephen Nicholls, et al.; August 15, 2006
- American Heart Association; Saturated Fats; October 29, 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Trans Fats 101 November 3, 2010
