1 Best Meal to UNCLOG Your Arteries (Backed by Science)

If you ask 10 people what the best heart-healthy diet is, you'll get 10 different answers. Somebody would say, "You've got to cut out carbohydrates, or you got to do keto or carnivore." And another person may say, "Well, you have to avoid meat and go vegan." And then there's Mediterranean and DASH and Paleo.

Why the Best Diet Is the One You Can Stick To

But after more than 10 years of practicing medicine and helping my patients use food as medicine, what I found was that prescribing a diet oftentimes is not that helpful because many people- not everyone, but many cannot stick to a very restrictive plan. And none of those diets matter if you can't stay on them. So, the way I see it, following a nutrition plan that's only 70% good but one we can do for the rest of our lives is much better than something that's 100% but we can only stick to for 6 months.

So the goal isn't to chase the next perfect diet, but to pick the highest-yield foods that keep showing up again and again across all studies and meta-analyses on heart disease. And make sure you incorporate them into your routine, whatever that routine may be. And as we go through these, I also want to go over foods that are sold as heart-healthy, but you need to be careful with.

And at the end of the article, I want to go over the best exercise and a good supplement that has really good evidence behind them to help you reverse plaques even faster.

How Arterial Plaque Forms

Now, before we get to the best foods, you need to understand how plaques form in the first place. Because if you understand that process, you'll be able to tailor which high-yield foods you need to lean into with more precision. Everyone's circumstances and risk are different, and what works for one person may not work for you.

So arterial plaque buildup is not a simple process. It's not just high cholesterol, and it's not just high sugars, high blood pressure, or inflammation. Plaque forms with a perfect storm of endothelial damage, which is just injury to the thin layer of cells that lines the inner surface of blood vessels, and then LDL particles that contain apoB slip through the vessel wall, and then inflammation oxidizes those particles. That triggers your immune system to step in and try to repair the damage, but instead it causes the plaque to grow even bigger, and the more oxidative stress in the environment, the more the cycle repeats.

So the high-yield foods that you need to incorporate into your regimen need to target all those mechanisms. Lower ApoB, reduce inflammation, and improve your nitric oxide, which lowers your blood pressure and protects the endothelium. And finally, you need to calm down that overreactive immune response.

Lycopene-Rich Foods

So if you look through major studies and meta-analyses on diets that help with atherosclerosis, one pattern emerges: foods rich in lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid mainly found in red and pink fruits and vegetables. So you get it in tomatoes and guava. Watermelon has a lot of lycopene, as do pink grapefruit and papayas.

And lycopene helps because it's an incredibly powerful antioxidant. Oxidative stress, a main driver of plaque formation, leads to cell damage. So lycopene can reverse that by targeting harmful reactive oxygen species. Studies also show that high carotenoid levels may slow the early stages of atherosclerosis progression. An observational study from Finland suggested that lycopene or processed tomato intake may reduce carotid atherosclerosis.

Phytosterols

Another recurring theme I see in these studies is phytosterols, natural plant compounds found in nuts and seeds, especially flaxseed and sesame seeds. And you can also find phytosterols in legumes and whole grains and in many fruits and vegetables like carrots and broccoli, and you can find them in avocados and in many leafy green vegetables.

So phytosterols look almost identical to cholesterol, and when you eat them, they compete with cholesterol for absorption in your intestines, which means less cholesterol makes it through and gets absorbed. But that's not where the magic happens. Most of the cholesterol in our blood doesn't come from the cholesterol we eat. Our liver produces most of it.

Here's how it works: the liver senses a drop in absorbed cholesterol. And because your liver tries to maintain its own cholesterol balance and homeostasis, it starts pulling more LDL particles out of the bloodstream. So over time, you basically get fewer LDLs carrying apoB moving through your arteries.

And that's important because LDL, and more precisely apoB, has been shown to cause heart disease. If you look at meta-analyses and if you look at the Mendelian randomization studies, it is one of the main drivers of atherosclerosis. It's not the only factor, but it's key to plaque development. Several meta-analyses show that eating more phytosterols can significantly reduce your LDL, with an average reduction of about 14 mg per deciliter.

Flavonoids

Okay, another food that is essential for plaque reversal is flavonoids, which are natural compounds found in fruits like berries, apples, and oranges. You can also find them in onions and leafy greens. And there are a lot of flavonoids in dark chocolate.

So, this is how they work. When plaque builds up in your blood vessels, it starts with LDL particles getting trapped and damaged in the inner lining of your blood vessels. And these LDL particles start getting oxidized, which makes the whole area very sticky. White blood cells called macrophages are drawn to that area and cause inflammation. And this whole process is what makes the plaque grow.

So this is where flavonoids come in. They lower that adhesion molecule expression. Basically, they make arterial walls less sticky, so fewer cells can attach; that, in turn, lowers inflammation and helps macrophages work more calmly, so they don't turn LDL into its damaged and oxidized form.

One especially important subset of flavonoids is catechins, which you can find in green and black tea. A meta-analysis of nine prospective studies showed that drinking three or more cups of green or black tea is associated with a 21% reduced risk of stroke compared with consuming less than one cup per day.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Another important and powerful nutrient is extra virgin olive oil. Now, this pops up across many studies, and high intake is associated with a significant reduction in major cardiovascular events like heart attacks. Olive oil is very high in polyphenols and monounsaturated fats, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They help smooth out the damaged endothelium, or arterial inner lining. On top of that, olive oil may also improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation. So mechanistically, you target multiple steps that lead to atherosclerosis.

Fatty Fish

Now another food that will help is fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines. These fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA, which are incredibly important for keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy. There are clinical studies that show that people eating fatty fish one to three times per week had a lower risk of heart disease and strokes.

And then we have the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, one of the largest and longest-running studies on heart disease, which found that higher DHA levels were associated with a 12% lower risk of carotid plaque progression. So this is the plaque that can lead to strokes. These omega-3 fatty acids calm the immune response that aggravates plaques, and they can also increase nitric oxide production, which stabilizes the plaque and makes it less likely to rupture and cause clots and downstream problems.

Foods Sold as Heart Healthy That You Need to Be Careful With

When it comes to atherosclerosis, it's not enough to eat the right foods; it's also important to limit certain foods, especially highly inflammatory ones. So, no surprise here, but we especially want to be careful with processed carbohydrates like pastries and cereals, and any foods full of sugar or fructose.

So, some of the most common offenders that I see- we're talking about foods that are promoted as heart-healthy, but they're actually harming you- are flavored yogurts. Many of them are packed with added sugar. So, it's much better to buy plain full-fat yogurt and add your own sweetener of choice.

Now, most people know that most breakfast cereals are basically dessert and processed sugar, but some alternatives masquerade as healthy and aren't much better. So, I'm talking about many breakfast bars or granola bars. Make sure you look at the ingredient labels, as many of those are still packed with sugar, but just with healthier packaging.

And another sneaky food that I always bring up is, well, it's not a food, but it's a drink, and it's juice. If you drink apple juice or orange juice, any type of juice, you're probably getting a lot of added sugars. But even if the label says there are no added sugars or that the product only has natural sugars, those sugars may still be absorbed in a highly concentrated form. And another problem is these juices don't come with the protective fiber that we would normally get if we're getting it from a fresh fruit.

So, as I mentioned before, fresh fruits are wonderful, and they're heart-healthy, but it's very easy to overconsume sugars and fructose in a fruit if you're getting it in liquid form.

Bonus: Exercise to Reverse Arterial Plaques

Now, as a bonus, here are some non-food-related things that will also help you speed up reversing your atherosclerosis. First, no surprise here, but exercise is extremely important for your heart health. But there's one type of exercise where we actually have evidence showing that it can reverse arterial plaques.

A randomized controlled study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology showed that just 6 months of supervised high-intensity interval training (HIIT) significantly reduced plaque volume. And what was especially amazing was that the plaque volume regression after 6 months of this exercise was slightly larger than what they observed with statin intervention.

Now, because atherosclerosis is a disease that develops over many years and decades, we don't know how that translates to actual clinical outcomes. But the initial results from the study are pretty remarkable.

Bonus: Aged Garlic Extract

Now, beyond exercise, there is one supplement that I want to highlight that actually has decent evidence in slowing the progression of coronary atherosclerosis, and that is aged garlic extract. So there was a double blind randomized controlled trial that showed that aged garlic extract can stabilize vulnerable plaques. And there was another randomized controlled trial that showed that the group that was randomized to take aged garlic extract for one year had a lower progression of coronary artery calcification and improved blood pressure.

Bonus: Sauna Therapy

Now, one more bonus tactic that I recommend to my patients that may help improve cardiovascular health is sauna therapy. Now, this is not something where we have direct evidence that shows plaque stabilization or regression with sauna, but there's plenty of indirect associations. So there are studies that show a link between sauna bathing and improvement in endothelial function. And there are meta-analyses like this one that show that sauna can help with blood pressure.

Now most of the evidence is based on observational and mechanistic data, but there is enough indirect data that supports its health benefits. Not just when it comes to heart disease, but it's also linked to a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality. So, based on the current imperfect evidence, I still think it's a worthwhile intervention to try if you have access to saunas.

All right, I hope this was helpful.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the best heart-healthy diet?

There is no single answer, because many people cannot stick to a very restrictive plan. A nutrition plan that is only 70% good, but one you can follow for the rest of your life, is much better than one that is 100% but only lasts 6 months.

How does arterial plaque form?

Plaque forms from a perfect storm of endothelial damage, LDL particles containing apoB slipping through the vessel wall, and inflammation oxidizing those particles. This triggers your immune system to step in, which instead causes the plaque to grow even bigger.

Which foods are rich in lycopene?

Lycopene is mainly found in red and pink fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, guava, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and papayas. It is a powerful antioxidant that targets harmful reactive oxygen species.

What are phytosterols and where can I find them?

Phytosterols are natural plant compounds found in nuts and seeds, especially flaxseed and sesame seeds, as well as legumes, whole grains, carrots, broccoli, avocados, and leafy green vegetables. They compete with cholesterol for absorption, and eating more of them can reduce LDL by an average of about 14 mg per deciliter.

Which foods are high in flavonoids?

Flavonoids are found in berries, apples, oranges, onions, leafy greens, and dark chocolate. Catechins, a subset of flavonoids, are found in green and black teas, and drinking three or more cups is associated with a 21% reduced risk of stroke compared to less than one cup per day.

Why is extra virgin olive oil good for the arteries?

High intake is associated with a significant reduction in major cardiovascular events like heart attacks. It is high in polyphenols and monounsaturated fats, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and it may also help with insulin sensitivity.

How often should I eat fatty fish?

Clinical studies show that people eating fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines one to three times per week had a lower risk of heart disease and strokes. Higher DHA levels were also associated with a 12% lower risk of carotid plaque progression.

Which foods are sold as heart-healthy but need caution?

Flavored yogurts, breakfast bars, granola bars, and juices can all be packed with sugar. Plain full-fat yogurt with your own sweetener is a better choice, and juices do not come with the protective fiber you would get from fresh fruit.

What exercise can help reverse arterial plaques?

Just 6 months of supervised high-intensity interval training (HIIT) showed a significant reduction in plaque volume, slightly larger than what was observed with statin intervention. Because atherosclerosis develops over many years, we do not yet know how this translates to clinical outcomes.

Is there a supplement that may slow coronary atherosclerosis?

Aged garlic extract has decent evidence. A double blind randomized controlled trial showed it can stabilize vulnerable plaques, and another showed a lower progression of coronary artery calcification and improved blood pressure after one year.

Does sauna therapy help heart health?

There is no direct evidence of plaque stabilization or regression, but studies link sauna bathing to improved endothelial function, and meta-analyses show it can help with blood pressure. It is also linked to a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality, so it is worth trying if you have access to a sauna.

Conclusion

The best approach is not to chase the next perfect diet, but to pick the highest-yield foods and make them part of your routine. Focus on lycopene-rich foods, phytosterols, flavonoids, extra virgin olive oil and fatty fish, which target the mechanisms behind plaque buildup. Be careful with foods sold as heart-healthy, such as flavored yogurts, breakfast bars, granola bars and juices.

For extra help, high-intensity interval training, aged garlic extract, and sauna therapy may help you reverse plaques even faster. Choose a plan you can follow for the rest of your life, because that matters more than a perfect plan you can only follow for a few months.