Heart Health: What Is Atherosclerosis? Know How Vitamin K Helps Keep Your Heart Healthy

Heart diseases are no longer restricted to any particular age group. And, there are many reasons behind it. Some of the common conditions that put people at risk of heart disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even habits like excessive smoking. Sometimes, obesity and unhealthy eating patterns may also lead to heart disease. However, is there a way that heart disease can be prevented? Yes, of course. Mostly, it's in your hands to keep your heart healthy with a good lifestyle, and clean eating habits. Including regular exercise in your routine will also help you in this regard. Nutritionist Anjali Mukerjee shares some important points related to a heart condition called atherosclerosis. Do see her Instagram video to know more about it in detail.

In the video, Anjali says, “So, there are more than 100 million heart patients in our country and therefore I thought I'll give you some tips on this topic. So, we'll talk about arterial stiffness or hardening of the arteries, a condition that can also be termed atherosclerosis.”

Explaining atherosclerosis in the caption, Anjali states, “Atherosclerosis is the term given for the medical condition where the arteries harden due to a build-up of plaque in the inner lining of an artery, which in turn causes obstruction in the flow of blood.”

Now, what is plaque? Anjali tells, “Plaque, in this case, refers to calcium deposit, along with fats which increase as we age. Certain risk factors may include high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity, physical activity, and eating saturated fats.”

However, there is a way one can combat this cardiovascular disease, Anjali says.

She then goes on to discuss vitamin K. As per her explanation, research shows that when you take vitamin K over a period of three months, that is 12 weeks, it reduces the deposition of calcium in the arteries. So, it reduces the calcification of arteries and thereby prevents further degeneration of the arteries. So, vitamin K2 is a great nutrient to take on a regular basis.

Anjali says that you cannot take vitamin K alone. Of course, you have to combine it with a healthy lifestyle, exercise, and all the fibre-rich and good protein vegetables. But vitamin K2 is an important nutrient to help reduce arterial stiffness, she adds.