For example, drinking vinegar, lemonade and red wine can "soften blood vessels"; For another example, eating fish oil can "soften blood vessels".
In this article, we will comment on these three statements that can "soften blood vessels" to see if they are reliable.
People usually have the impression that "hard" things will be "soft" when soaked in acid.
According to this truth, if we can make more acidic substances in the blood, can we "soften" the "hardened" blood vessels?
Like vinegar and lemonade, they are all acidic liquids. So there is a saying that drinking vinegar and lemonade (hawthorn lemonade) can "soften blood vessels".
So, if we drink them, can we really make blood vessels "acidic"? Actually can't!
First of all, under normal circumstances, the ph value of human blood is stable in a narrow range of 7.35-7.45. We have a perfect mechanism to maintain the balance of blood pH, so that the pH of blood will not be easily affected by the pH of food. Once the blood ph value is lower than 7.35 or higher than 7.45, it belongs to acid-base imbalance, indicating that the body has a serious disorder.
Secondly, whether it is vinegar or lemonade, they will encounter gastric acid after entering the stomach. In fact, gastric acid is a more acidic liquid secreted by our own bodies. But in fact, everyone has not seen the signs that gastric acid can help us "soften blood vessels".
Therefore, it is not reliable to expect that drinking acidic liquid will help "soften blood vessels".
Wine and grape juice are rich in polyphenols, among which resveratrol claims to have anti-aging and cardiovascular protection effects. So many people are convinced that drinking red wine can "soften blood vessels".
Let's put aside the question of how much resveratrol in a glass of red wine can be absorbed and utilized by the human body. Let's talk about whether resveratrol really has cardiovascular protection.
If we trace the origin of the claim that resveratrol has cardiovascular protection, we can find a professor at the University of Connecticut. He has published hundreds of papers on the efficacy of resveratrol since the last century 1990. It can be said that resveratrol stepped onto the "altar" and he "contributed".
But unfortunately, in 20 12, a large number of research papers on the efficacy of resveratrol were exposed as suspected of "data fraud" and were withdrawn.
After this incident, some medical experts re-verified the cardiovascular protective effect of resveratrol, but found that this effect was not obvious.
Alcohol intake will increase the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, but this conclusion has been continuously verified in the medical field.
Therefore, the effect of drinking red wine to "soften blood vessels" is not clear, but the harm of alcohol to the body is certain.
Deep-sea fish oil has always been a best-selling product in the field of health products. A lot of publicity about deep-sea fish oil focuses on the protective effect of ω-3 unsaturated fatty acids rich in fish oil on cardiovascular system. The saying that eating fish oil can "soften blood vessels" comes from this.
In fact, omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids do occupy a place in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and their main function is to reduce the level of triglycerides. In addition to cholesterol, the increase of triglyceride level is also a clear cardiovascular risk factor in various blood lipid indexes.
"Hypertriglyceridemia and Cardiovascular Risk Management Expert Knowledge" mentioned that n-3 fatty acids can effectively reduce the level of triglycerides, with good safety. However, only high-purity n-3 fatty acids (2~4g/d) can effectively reduce triglycerides. The fish oil purity of most health care products is not enough, and the effect is not obvious!
The n-3 fatty acids here are actually what we call omega-3 fatty acids. From this point of view, eating health care products such as deep-sea fish oil may have certain health care effects, but it is still far from truly "softening blood vessels" and reversing arteriosclerosis.
Having said so much above, it actually boils down to one sentence: we can't expect to "soften blood vessels" simply by drinking a certain beverage or eating a certain food.
Cardiovascular protection has always been a systematic project, and at least four aspects should be considered at the same time:
First, regularly monitor and control various cardiovascular risk indicators. These indicators include: blood pressure, fasting and postprandial blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, blood uric acid and blood homocysteine.
In fact, arteriosclerosis itself is a manifestation of aging with age, and it is difficult for us to really reverse it. However, as long as the above indicators remain normal, the risk of arteriosclerosis developing into serious cardiovascular disease will be very low.
Second, we should establish a healthy eating pattern. The so-called "healthy eating pattern" can be achieved by eating more than one or two kinds of food. Instead, we need to balance the energy ratio of carbohydrate, protein and fat, diversify the intake of fresh vegetables and fruits, choose high-quality protein and unsaturated fatty acids, and adhere to the long-term eating habits by limiting salt, sugary foods and foods with high cholesterol.
In many previous videos, I have introduced the dietary patterns that protect the cardiovascular system. Interested friends can go and have a look.
Third, we should persist in physical exercise. Only when we combine a healthy diet with moderate exercise can we hope to delay the aging of the cardiovascular system. In sports, not only aerobic exercise such as jogging, brisk walking and cycling is advocated, but also moderate resistance training is suggested. It's best to exercise every day, and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise is enough at a time.
"Life lies in exercise" and "Exercise makes the cardiovascular system more energetic", which still makes sense!
Fourth, we should avoid bad living habits. Smoking, drinking, staying up late for a long time, psychological stress, irregular pace of life, etc. Are to be avoided as much as possible.
Finally, to sum up, those claims that eating a certain food or drinking a certain drink can "soften blood vessels" are mostly unreliable. Atherosclerosis is often difficult to reverse. What we can do well is to systematically reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.