Top Foods That Drive Plaque Formation

Limit these foods to reduce your risk of heart disease.

In last week’s post, I shared that heart disease involves the progressive narrowing of the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. The narrowing is due to a buildup of fatty plaque (atherosclerosis) along the artery walls which are composed mostly of LDL-cholesterol and lipids.

As more plaque builds up and the arteries become more narrow, the lack of blood and oxygen to the heart (referred to as myocardial ischemia) can result in chest pain, heart attack, or stroke.

I also shared a list of the common factors that contribute to this plaque buildup in the arteries including:

• High blood pressure

• Elevated LDL-cholesterol

• Low HDL cholesterol

• Inflammation

• Insulin resistance and elevated blood sugars

• Poor diet

• Sedentary lifestyle

• Chronic stress

• Smoking

Today we’re going to turn our attention to the dietary contributors that promote plaque formation in the arteries and thus contribute to heart disease.

Limiting your intake of these foods will lead to improvements in lipid levels, inflammation, and ultimately help to keep the blood vessels healthy, flexible, and free from plaque so that blood and oxygen can flow freely to the heart.

Here are the specific food categories to limit that increase plaque buildup in the arteries and raise your risk of heart disease: