There are a series of
nutrients that decrease cholesterol and saturated fat in the blood and arteries. These are
lecithin, vitamin E and
vitamin C, and
niacin. These nutrients function efficiently in
cleaning the arteries when taken in whole food. Lecithin is found in most
legumes, particularly in soybeans. Both soybeans and mung
beans are recommended by numerous researches and mainly by Chinese medicine for
cleansing arteries, although nearly all beans, peas, and lentils are helpful. This is partly because legumes are a good source of choline, a lipotrophic agent that controls
fat metabolism; choline is also a main component of lecithin.
When heat symptoms occur with
arterial problems, the cooling qualities of soy and mung bean sprouts are useful. These sprouts are usually found in grocery stores and markets with well-stocked produce.
Sprouts are also an excellent source of
vitamin C, as well as cabbage, parsley, bell peppers, and citrus. Eating the white insides of peppers, the core of cabbage, and a little of the pulp and inner peel of citrus provides
bioflavonoids, which act synergetically with
vitamin C to strengthen blood vessel walls.
Plant
fiber, especially the one found in whole grains, helps to
reduce fat in the blood and avoid hardening of the arteries. This is why many people have started to include
extra fiber in the
diet in the form of bran.
Too much isolated
bran, however, can be unhealthy in other respects. Eating the whole grain with all of its fiber and other nutrients intact shows better results than eating the bran alone. Most useful for
cleansing the arteries are the grains with a slightly bitter flavor: rye, quinoa, amaranth, and oats, but all other whole grains are useful for this purpose. Unprocessed
grains are also an exceptional source of niacin, and they all hold the freshest type of
vitamin E in their oils.
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