Three Vegetables That May Prevent Cholesterol Plaque Buildup

It has long been said that food is medicine and we are what we eat. Medical science continues to bring forth results from research that indicates this to be true. SO many of us have been conditioned to take prescription meds but what if we could eat our way to better health? Now it is being reported that one of the issues that many aging adults deal with can be prevented by drinking certain juices. Plaque buildup in the arteries was in decades gone by referred to as hardening of the arteries. In truth what is happening is that cholesterol is building up inside of the artery walls and blocking the flow of blood. I often heard this disease associated with people who were age 80 or older, so I assumed it was a natural progression of aging. Some individuals who have blocked arteries have to have stents inserted and others have had dangerous bypass surgery to remove blockages. ,The truth is that arteries do not have to become clogged just because we are getting older. According to Live Strong there are three juices that can play a part in keeping your artery walls plague free and may prevent unnecessary medical procedures. These are Grape Juice, Orange Juice and Pomegranate Juice. If you deal with high cholesterol these drinks might just be of some benefit for you.

Medical News Today says that Pomegranate Juice has more antioxidants than most other fruits and has three times more antioxidants than green tea or red wine. This is great news for those who do not drink and don't want to begin using wine to keep their arteries clean. Pomegranate juice has more of the antioxidants known as polyphenols, which are plant compounds that assist your body in fighting cell damage and disease. There need to be additional and larger research studies in order to determine the full extent of the health benefits of pomegranate juice, but what is known is promising. Studies thus far appear to indicate that the juice from pomegranates do help in preventing plaque buildup in the arteries and also aids in improving blood flow.

In a study reported in The American Heart Association journal "Circulation," research indicated that purple grape juice was found to help the participants' blood vessels to dilate more fully. This resulted in preventing "bad" LDL cholesterol from attaching to the artery walls. Again additional research is needed, but these results are promising as they indicate that drinking grape juice daily on a regular basis could be beneficial to in reducing plaque in the arteries. Grape juice has also been shown to prevent damage to blood vessels, and lower blood pressure and decreases blood clots.

I grew up where most everyone had a glass of orange juice for breakfast. We were told it was part of a healthy diet. Not long ago a nurse told my husband that OJ had no benefits except lots of sugar but that simply is not true. According to Dr. Phillip Chua from the Cebu Doctors' Hospital's Cardiovascular Center, consuming orange juice every day appears to increase the levels of "good," HDL, cholesterol. This is wonderful news because HDL cholesterol can sweep plaque out of your arteries. The higher your HDL level is, the better off you will be health wise. Again more research is necessary, but this sounds promising.Orange juice also may reduce inflammation and prevent kidney stones.

Drinking grape, orange, and pomegranate juice is certainly preferable to invasive surgery, but these juices can be loaded with sugar and calories. Type II Diabetics, especially need to watch their sugar intake. If you purchase these items ready made from the store, they each have about 120 calories per 8 ounce glass. Each glass would equal 2 servings of fruit for the day, but if you drank all three that would add 360 calories to your daily diet. A better alternative would be using a juicer and making your own. This would also increase your levels of fiber and have less calories and sugar.

If you must drink these juices from the grocery store, consider various ways to do so. You might try a half glass of each a day, or have an entire glass of only one of these every day. If you decide to drink the full two servings of each daily, then you should have an exercise plan in place and cut out calories somewhere else in your diet, unless you do want to gain weight. Diabetics and those with other health issues should always check with their health care providers and keep up with their blood glucose levels. Keep in mind that drinking these juices is not a cure all. Medical science indicates that a healthy diet and regular exercise are also important to our health.