'Softening blood vessels' has lied to the Chinese people for decades. What mature vinegar, fungus and red wine are all nonsense
What is the most terrible disease in the world? Many people may say that it is cancer, but do you know that cardiovascular disease is as terrible as it is.
On June 23, the "China Cardiovascular Health and Disease Report (2021)" was officially released. The report pointed out that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among Chinese residents, surpassing tumors , and the prevalence rate continues to rise.
It is estimated that there are 330 million existing cardiovascular disease patients in China, of which:
Hypertension 245 million
Lower extremity arterial disease 45.3 million
13 million strokes
Coronary heart disease 11.39 million
Heart failure 8.9 million
……
For cardiovascular disease, what is its "root cause"? How to eat and drink can prevent blood vessels from hardening? Uncle Jiu is here to tell you today.
1. The "hardening" of blood vessels is the root cause of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases
In fact, the culprit of many cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases is " hardening of blood vessels ", which is medically called atherosclerosis .
When everyone is born, arteries are elastic and have smooth inner walls. However, with age, the blood vessels are affected by diseases or living habits, and gradually lose their elasticity and are no longer smooth, which is arteriosclerosis.
During this process, if the inner wall of the artery is damaged, lipids continue to accumulate, fibrous tissue hyperplasia and calcium deposition, vascular plaques will form, yellow atherosclerosis, known as atherosclerosis .
Atherosclerosis is related to age, as well as genetics, gender, region, environment and other factors. Atherosclerosis is severe to a certain extent, which may cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as carotid plaque, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and cerebral infarction, resulting in serious consequences.
In the face of atherosclerosis, some people treat it scientifically, and some people do not take the usual path.
2. If you insist on drinking vinegar every day, how will your body change after half a year?
Mr. Liu is 50 years old this year. At the beginning of the year, he often felt dizzy and did not improve. Helpless, had to go to the hospital for treatment.
When he arrived at the outpatient clinic, the doctor gave him a head CT and neck ultrasound examination list based on his symptoms, and the report came out, indicating carotid plaque .
This result made Mr. Liu very nervous, because his mother died of a cerebral infarction.
After returning home, he began searching for information on ways to soften blood vessels. Finally, he found a simple principle - drinking vinegar, vinegar is acid, can dissolve fat and calcium in blood vessels, soften blood vessels.
If Mr. Liu found a treasure, he immediately went to the supermarket to buy a few bottles of vinegar, endured the sour taste, and drank a small cup every day.
Unconsciously, half a year later , Mr. Liu decided to go to the hospital for a re-examination and check the " results ". However, the re-examination results surprised Mr. Liu - the vascular plaque not only did not shrink, but increased, and the stomach pain gradually increased, which was suspected by the doctor to be a gastric ulcer.
He couldn't understand, many people said that drinking vinegar can soften blood vessels, why is it useless to himself ?
So, can vinegar really soften blood vessels?
Xiao Pingxi , chief physician of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shaw Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, explained that the main component of vinegar is acetic acid, which will be digested and absorbed after entering the stomach and intestines, and will not directly enter the blood vessels , so it cannot exert an acidic effect.
In addition, the mechanism of vascular sclerosis is very complex. Generally, on the basis of long-term lipid metabolism disorders, fibrosis, calcinosis or atheromatous changes appear. Vinegar alone will not work at all. Therefore, "drinking vinegar to soften blood vessels" has no scientific basis. Instead, it will stimulate gastric acid secretion, produce uncomfortable symptoms, and even aggravate gastric ulcers.
The treatment of atherosclerosis
In fact, it is almost impossible to reverse atherosclerosis only by "eating" , and adherence to treatment is the key.
The treatment of atherosclerosis is mainly divided into three steps:
The first step is to control the "three highs" through drugsAt the same time, improve the lifestyle, quit smoking, drinking and other bad habits, inhibit the further development of plaque, and protect the arterial intima.
The second step is to take lipid-lowering drugs, reduce plaque volume, stabilize plaque and prevent plaque rupture.
The third step is to take antiplatelet drugs if the plaque is very unstable to reduce the risk of thrombosis.
Here is a brief introduction to commonly used drugs.
For lipid-lowering drugs with high low-density lipoprotein , one is statin , such as atorva, rosuva, pitava, prava, etc.; the other is cholesterol absorption inhibitor , such as ezetimibe.
Lipid-lowering drugs for high triglycerides include fibrates , such as clofibrate, bezafibrate, and fenofibrate.
Antiplatelet drugs include aspirin, clopidogrel, and ticagrelor.
However, no matter what kind of drug it is, the patient must strictly follow the doctor's advice and do not change or stop the drug on their own, otherwise the efficacy may be affected.
3. To prevent vascular disease, it is better to start with "eat"
To prevent vascular disease, diet is very important. According to the " 2021 Diet Guidelines for Improving Cardiovascular Health", Jiu Shusummarizes the following points for you.
1. Eat more fruits and vegetables
Eat more fruits and vegetables. Different fruits and vegetables have different nutrients. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can protect the cardiovascular system and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is recommended to choose fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables , especially dark fruits and vegetables , which are often rich in nutrients.
2. Go for whole grains
Studies have found that a diet rich in whole grains is good for cardiovascular health, and the dietary fiber in it can also prevent constipation and protect gut health.
According to the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", whole grains refer to "the endosperm, germ, bran, etc., which have not been refined, or have been milled, pulverized, tableted, etc., but still retained. Grains with natural nutrients.”
Brown rice, oatmeal, buckwheat, rye, corn, sorghum, millet, barley, and highland barley that are common in life are considered whole grains.
3. Choose healthy protein
Eat healthy proteins such as plant protein, fish and seafood, milk and dairy products, and unprocessed lean meats.
4. Choose unsaturated fatty acids
Studies have found that excessive intake of saturated fatty acids is harmful to cardiovascular health. It is recommended to choose unsaturated fatty acids as much as possible , such as liquid vegetable oils such as tea oil, soybean oil, corn oil, and sunflower oil, and reduce the use of animal oils.
5. Choose unprocessed or low-processed foods
Excessive processing of food will not only lose nutrients, but may also produce harmful substances. Long-term consumption is not conducive to health, such as causing overweight or metabolic disorders. It is recommended to choose unprocessed or low-processed foods. In addition, sugar-sweetened beverages and sugar-sweetened foods, high-salt foods, and alcoholic beverages should also be reduced.
References:
[1] China Cardiovascular Health and Disease Report Writing Group. Summary of China Cardiovascular Health and Disease Report 2021. Chinese Journal of Circulation, 2022, 36: 553-578
[2] Can drinking vinegar soften blood vessels? Watch out for the opposite! .Health Times. 2020-08-04
[3] Cardiovascular Healthy Diet Guide released, 10 suggestions for you to eat a good heart! .Medical Cardiovascular Channel. 2021-11-25
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