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"You young people don't know that there are a lot of treasures hidden in celery leaves!" 62-year-old Aunt Qi is always enthusiastic when she preaches to people at the vegetable market. Ever since she discovered the amazing benefits of celery leaves, she has seen it as a "dredging agent" in her daily diet. She often says that since eating celery leaves, her blood pressure and cholesterol levels have improved significantly.
Celery leaves, which are often considered waste in many households, are actually rich in a variety of cardiovascular-beneficial nutrients.
Celery leaves are very rich in vitamin K, an important element that helps blood clot and maintain the health of blood vessels. Celery leaves are also rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin C and vitamin A, which help scavenge free radicals in the body and reduce oxidative stress, thereby protecting blood vessels from damage.
What's more, celery leaves also contain a compound called osteoline, which has been shown to help lower blood pressure. Osteine helps to relax the musculature around the blood vessels, causing them to dilate and promote a smoother flow of blood.
Celery leaves also contain dietary fiber, which not only helps regulate intestinal function, but also lowers blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) – the so-called "bad cholesterol" – which is the main culprit in the formation of clogged blood vessels.
Aunt Qi often explains to her neighbors that while these benefits of celery leaves are impressive, they are not enough on its own. To truly protect cardiovascular health, a comprehensive healthy diet and lifestyle modifications are also needed.
She shares her tips, such as how to incorporate celery leaves into everyday dishes, not just soups, salads, or stir-fries to ensure a certain amount of celery leaves are consumed every day.
Aunt Qi's passion and her experience of improving her health has inspired many people to start taking their eating habits seriously and also to explore the health benefits of other natural ingredients. Many times, health is not unattainable, it may be hidden in the common ingredients we consume every day, waiting to be discovered and utilized.
In the process of keeping your blood vessels healthy, it's just as important to control those foods that can be taxing your blood vessels, in addition to adding foods that are good for your cardiovascular benefits, like celery leaves. Doctors often warn that in order to avoid clogged blood vessels and related cardiovascular diseases, we need to strictly control the intake of three types of foods: foods high in saturated fat, foods high in salt, and foods high in sugar.
Saturated fats are mainly found in the animal foods we love to eat, such as whole milk, butter, and the tempting-looking white fat of pork and beef.
Eating too much of these saturated fats directly puts a "rising button" on your blood cholesterol, especially the unwelcome bad cholesterol, which is called LDL.
If the bad cholesterol is too high, it will slowly accumulate on the walls of your blood vessels, and over time, the elasticity of the blood vessels will decrease all of a sudden, and the amount of blood flowing will also decrease, which is arteriosclerosis. If it is allowed to develop, it is not a trivial matter, and it may lead to heart disease and even myocardial infarction.
Let's talk about high-salt foods, which are also a scourge. If you eat too salty, the water in your body will not want to go, and if you have more water left in your body, your blood volume will naturally go up, and as a result, your blood pressure will increase. Long-term high blood pressure is a big problem for the heart and brain, and it is easy to cause heart disease and stroke.
Moreover, high salt is also a challenge for our kidneys. The kidneys are responsible for maintaining the balance of water and salt and blood pressure in our body, and if the kidneys are impaired, the blood pressure management system of the whole body will be affected, further increasing the cardiovascular pressure. So, let's really pay attention to these two bad guys - saturated fat and high salt, and don't let them mess with it.
The harm of high-sugar foods is not only to cause weight gain or diabetes, but also to increase the damage of vascular endothelial cells and accelerate the progression of atherosclerosis. A diet high in sugar can also cause insulin resistance, which can not only develop into type 2 diabetes, but also lead to a systemic inflammatory state, which is also a factor that accelerates the development of cardiovascular disease.
In daily life, Sister Qin obviously felt the improvement of her physical health by adjusting her eating habits. She reduced her intake of red meat in favor of fish and poultry; She also reduced the use of salt in cooking, experimenting with a variety of herbs and spices to add flavor to her food; When it comes to dessert choices, she tries to choose fresh fruits and avoid using too much sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Through these simple but effective adjustments, Sister Qin has not only improved her cardiovascular health, but also become an active member of the community to promote a healthy lifestyle.
In order to further enhance her support for cardiovascular health, Qin also began to explore other healthy foods and supplements to ensure that her diet was more comprehensive and balanced. She learned that in addition to dietary adjustments, certain superfoods and supplements can provide additional support for cardiovascular health.
She increased her intake of these beneficial fats by eating more deep-sea fish such as salmon and mackerel, as well as adding some flaxseeds and walnuts to her daily diet.
Sister Qin also started taking regular vitamin and mineral supplements for cardiovascular health, such as vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium. Vitamin D and calcium help keep blood vessels healthy and blood pressure stable, while magnesium is essential for the heart's electrophysiological activity to help maintain a normal heart rate and prevent arrhythmias.
She also realized that adequate antioxidant intake was essential to fight inflammation and protect blood vessels. As a result, she incorporates a lot of antioxidant-rich foods into her diet, such as berries, pomegranates, green tea, and dark chocolate. These foods not only enrich her diet, but also provide her body with a strong natural defense.
In terms of lifestyle adjustments, Sister Qin is committed to maintaining regular physical activity, such as walking, swimming and tai chi, which are age-appropriate activities that can help her maintain good cardiovascular function.
She also recognises that mental health is just as important as physical health, so she regularly participates in organized activities and maintains a good social life with friends and family, which greatly improves her quality of life and psychological well-being. (All names have been changed)
What do you think about clogged blood vessels? Welcome to discuss in the comment area!
[1] Lin Xueqi. Correlation between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and brain tissue hypoperfusion in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis, Nerve Injury and Functional Reconstruction, 2024-06-12