Author: Zhou Zhanfan (Beijing Shunyi District Hospital)
Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health is too important, myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction are terrible!
Because of this, the heart, blood vessels, etc. have become the hardest hit areas for health rumors. Today, the irritable little doctor will come together to get rid of it.
Rumour 1: There is garbage in the blood vessels, eating more fungus, onion, eggplant, and tomatoes can excrete toxins
There is no waste and no toxins in the blood vessels.
The so-called vascular wastes and toxins actually refer to the metabolic wastes produced by cells during metabolism, which are normal products of human activities and are equipped with a set of sophisticated processing procedures. .
Flowing blood can transport metabolic wastes to specific excretory organs, then metabolized and broken down by the liver and kidneys, and finally excreted.
Therefore, general metabolites will not block blood vessels, and the main killer of blood vessel blockage is increased blood lipids.
Since there are no garbage and toxins in the blood vessels, the statement that “eat more fungus, onions, eggplants, and tomatoes can excrete toxins” is self-defeating. However, eating more vegetables and fruits, reducing fat intake, and maintaining a balanced diet are good for improving blood lipids, and are naturally good for blood vessels. Of course, it is not limited to fungus, onions, eggplants, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables are also possible.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
Rumor 2: The blood vessels become hard and easy to break, so the blood vessels should be softened regularly
Vinegar (soaking everything) and red wine are the “top cards” in the softening blood vessel world.
But the grumpy little doctor wants to say, neither of these products will work!
Vinegar softens eggshells, but it’s harder to soften blood vessels than vinegar.
After acetic acid enters the small intestine, most of it is neutralized by alkaline substances in the small intestine[1], and very little acetic acid can enter the bloodstream.
Even if a small amount of acetic acid enters the blood, it will be quickly metabolized by the liver, and it will not soften the blood vessels at all.
Conversely, drinking a lot of vinegar in one sitting can damage the esophagus.
Red wine contains a much touted “magic ingredient” called resveratrol, which protects blood vessels.
This is true, but there is a premise: most of the research on resveratrol protecting blood vessels is at the level of animal experiments and cellular molecules [2].
Also, wine is very low in resveratrol, only about 5 mg per 1,000 ml [3].
You should know that the dose of resveratrol used in clinical trials on cardiovascular protection is 150 mg per day [2], which means that you need to drink 30 liters of wine per day (60 bottles of wine) 500ml), it is possible to protect blood vessels. Can you drink it? Anyway, the irritable little doctor is not good.
Once the blood vessels are hardened, it is difficult to recover[4], which is an irreversible natural law, like wrinkles on the face. What we need to do is to slow down the rate at which the blood vessels harden.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
Rumour 3: Patting, massaging, and acupuncture can unclog blood vessels
Freezing three feet is not a day’s cold, and the blockage of blood vessels is also a long process. It is impossible to make the blood vessels unblocked all at once. Some situations are also very dangerous.
For example, in the case of a venous thrombosis in the lower extremity, massaging the leg may cause the thrombus to dislodge. Small emboli will travel with the blood and visit all over the body. If an important blood vessel (such as lung or brain blood vessels) is blocked, it may cause ischemia in key areas, and the consequences will be very serious (such as pulmonary embolism, cerebral infarction).
Rumour 4: I have a blood vessel on my arm/leg that feels a little hard to the touch, is it hardened blood vessels? Want to eat something?
Our hands are neither X-rays nor CTs. It is unlikely that hardening of the arteries can be found by touching them. We still need some medical examinations, such as chest X-rays, color Doppler ultrasound of neck blood vessels, and blood vessels. Enhanced CT angiography, etc. If the report shows “intimal thickening”, “calcification”, “plaque” and other words, it means vascular sclerosis.
If it is hardening of the arteries, what should I eat?
We should pay attention to a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet, such as eating less animal offal, lard, crab roe, roe, butter, etc.
Eat more foods rich in vitamin C and plant protein foods, maintain a bland diet, and limit the intake of alcohol, salt, and sugar [4].
Rumor 5: Certain supplements and foods can “clean” blood vessels
Blood lipids are one of the main killers that threaten the health of blood vessels, and the main reason for elevated blood lipids is the problem of lipid metabolism.
It is obviously impossible to solve the problems of endocrine and metabolism through health products or foods that claim to be able to reduce lipids.
As for some people, after eating celery, carrots, bitter gourd and other foods, they feel more relaxed and their stomachs are smaller, because after eating these foods, the intake of lipids will be relatively reduce. But in fact, this does not fundamentally solve the problem of lipid metabolism.
The point is that supplements are not a substitute for medicines. If you only eat health products and give up regular treatment, it will aggravate blood lipid disorders and increase the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke.
Therefore, it is better to listen to the doctor’s advice and eat lipid-lowering drugs for any health care products and food.
Rumour 6: Taking medicine can clear blood clots
Unfortunately, one of the most commonly used lipid-lowering drugs, statins, can only reduce the volume of plaque, but cannot completely remove the thrombus.
Medications used to treat coronary heart disease usually reduce the formation of blood clots, but they do not completely clear the blood clots. Blind use of drugs may increase the burden on the liver and kidneys, so do not listen to rumors and take drugs indiscriminately. Still the same sentence, if you have something to go to the doctor, take the medicine according to the doctor’s order.
There are still many rumors about blood vessels. The easiest way to identify them is to use simple and effective remedies that can quickly restore health. Like “getting rich overnight”, it is basically impossible. To protect blood vessels, it is still necessary to quit smoking and drinking, reduce oil and salt, and control weight.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
References
[1] Wan Jun, Tian Zhong, Yao Boyu, et al. The role of intestinal alkaline phosphatase in the intestinal mucosal barrier [J]. World Chinese Journal of Digestion, 27(23):1441 -1445.
[2] Yu Li, Li Guoda, Fang Lingyan, et al. Cardiovascular protective mechanism and clinical research progress of resveratrol[J]. Chinese Journal of Cardiovascular Disease, 2016(1):76 -79.
[3] Bao Huimei. Discussion on the influencing factors of resveratrol content in wine[J]. China Brewing, 2011, 000(007): 164-167.
[4] Ge Junbo, Xu Yongjian. Internal Medicine [M]. 8th Edition. Beijing: People’s Medical Publishing House, 2013.
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