The root causes of hardening of the arteries can be traced to three things – high levels of bad cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking. These three factors eventually damage the inner lining of the arteries, otherwise known as the endothelium. What happens then is that certain substances in the blood, such as fat, cholesterol, calcium, and many others, pool in the arterial walls instead of passing through them.

Because these substances have difficulty passing through the arterial walls, eating foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol will only worsen the situation. There will be an accumulation of these substances in the arterial walls. Eventually, there will be hardening and narrowing of the walls of the arteries. When this happen, blood will not flow through in an easy manner, and when there\’s not enough blood circulating in the body, the different parts of the body are deprived of oxygen needed to sustain bodily functions. Not only that, since blood flow is now impeded following the narrowing and hardening of the arteries, strokes and heart attacks are very much likely to occur.

Treating atherosclerosis becomes easier when you understand the root causes of hardening of the arteries. It is very usual for all three factors (high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and smoking) to be present in a single case, but non smokers cannot be too complacent to think that they will not develop atherosclerosis because if they are used to eating foods rich in high cholesterol or saturated fat, atherosclerosis is more often than not a consequence.

Needless to say, there are control measures for atherosclerosis. You may even be able to reverse the situation if you follow strictly the steps that lead to its reversal. And what might these be, you ask? First, and the most obvious if you are a smoker, stop smoking. Remember, the lining of your arterial walls are already damaged and you wouldn\’t want to add more injury to it by smoking. Now, this may not be very easy, especially if you have been smoking for many years already, but if you have a very strong support system, commitment, and dedication, you should be able to make it through your goal and eventually kick the bad habit out.

You should start eating healthier meals, too. Your daily menu should include fiber-rich vegetables and other food items that contain a good amount of fiber. Foods with flavonoids and fruits with high levels of antioxidants have plenty of heart-benefits. Cocoa and pomegranate in particular have been identified to improve heart health and reverse atherosclerosis.

The body dealing with hardening of the arteries should get plenty of exercise. A sedentary lifestyle is never good, unless you have a medical condition that requires complete bed rest. Exercise should be done daily or at least every other day. It does not mean that you have to hit the gym everyday for this. Walking instead of driving your car to your office is a form of exercise, so is using the stairs instead of the elevator when distributing Memos to your co-workers.

Yes, you can prevent atherosclerosis, and you can reverse it, too, by beginning to understand the causes of hardening of the arteries.

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Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: causes of hardening of the arteries,hardening of the arteries,high blood pressure,arterial walls