Atherosclerosis is a condition where the inner walls of your arteries become damaged and clogged with a hardened substance known as plaque. This buildup narrows the arteries and restricts the normal flow of blood, leading to poor circulation and increasing your risk of heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots.
What’s Really Going On?
Your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood through your arteries to keep your body alive and functioning. But when the inner lining of those arteries becomes inflamed or damaged—often due to stress, poor diet, smoking, and other factors—tiny cracks or lesions start to form.
In response, your body sends LDL cholesterol to these areas like a sort of biological bandage. However, if the underlying causes aren’t addressed, the arteries continue to deteriorate. Over time, plaque forms—a hardened mix of scar tissue (fibrin), calcium, cholesterol, and other debris.
This plaque hardens like bone, narrowing the arteries even more and obstructing blood flow. If a major coronary artery becomes completely blocked, it can lead to a heart attack—and even death.
Symptoms of Blocked Arteries
You might feel pressure or pain in your chest—especially during physical activity or emotional stress—that eases when you rest. This kind of discomfort often stems from high blood pressure and poor blood flow to and from the heart.
Other warning signs include pain or swelling on the left side of the body, such as the left shoulder or arm. You may also find it harder to breathe, especially while walking, because your arteries aren’t delivering enough oxygen.
In some people, there are no symptoms at all. Plaque can silently build up for decades before causing a major blockage. If left untreated, it can thicken and greatly increase your risk of heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, or even death.
6 Vitamins That Can Help Clear Your Arteries
In this section, we’ll cover six vitamins that may help clear your arteries and improve blood flow. You’ll also learn simple lifestyle changes to address the root causes of arterial blockages.
1. Vitamin K2 (MK-7)
Vitamin K2 is one of the most crucial nutrients for preventing and reversing plaque buildup. It activates a protein (MGP) that stops calcium from settling in your blood vessels and redirects it to your bones—where it belongs.
You can start with a daily supplement of 200 mcg of Vitamin K2 (MK-7). Natural sources include sauerkraut, natto (fermented soybeans), and beef liver.
2. Krill Oil (Astaxanthin)
Whether you’re looking to clear clogged arteries or protect them, krill oil is one of the most powerful supplements available. It’s rich in astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant that fights inflammation and oxidative damage in the arteries, keeping blood flowing freely and helping to maintain stable blood pressure.
Take 1,000 to 4,000 mg of krill oil daily in capsule form.
3. Vitamin E (Tocotrienols)
Vitamin E is essential for heart and vascular health. A deficiency can raise blood pressure, putting extra stress on artery walls and increasing the risk of plaque buildup.
To help keep arteries clear, take up to 300 mg of tocotrienols daily. These are more powerful than the tocopherols found in standard Vitamin E supplements.
You can also boost your intake through foods like sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, avocados, olive oil, Swiss chard, and leafy greens.
4. Aged Garlic Extract (Allicin)
Garlic is one of the most healing foods on the planet. It contains allicin, a natural sulfur compound that helps reduce arterial calcification. Eating raw garlic daily can help control blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and slow down the hardening of arteries.
If the taste of raw garlic isn’t for you, opt for up to 2,400 mg of aged garlic extract per day.
5. Vitamin C (Whole Complex)
Vitamin C is vital for building strong, flexible arteries. It strengthens collagen in artery walls, helping maintain normal blood flow. It’s best to get it from whole plant foods like leafy greens, vegetables, berries, and fruits.
Eat foods high in vitamin C such as cabbage, sauerkraut, strawberries, bell peppers, and cruciferous vegetables. Avoid cheap “ascorbic acid” supplements that only offer a fraction of the true vitamin C complex. Instead, choose whole-fruit powders like acerola cherry or rose hips.
6. Evening Primrose Oil (GLA)
Extracted from the seeds of the evening primrose plant, this oil is rich in GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), a healthy fat that helps heal arterial walls by reducing inflammation and moving plaque to the liver for removal.
Take between 3,000 and 4,000 mg daily. It’s also commonly used by women to ease PMS and menopause symptoms.
What Causes Arteries to Get Clogged?
- Too much processed food — Sugar, refined grains, and white flour inflame artery walls and promote plaque formation.
- Chronic emotional stress — This raises cortisol, a hormone that tightens arteries and increases blood pressure.
- Excessive omega-6 vegetable oils — Corn, soybean, cottonseed, canola, and margarine are highly inflammatory.
- Low-quality calcium supplements — Poorly absorbed forms can linger in the blood and turn into calcified plaque.
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- Smoking, vaping, or pollution exposure — These deplete Vitamin C and reduce artery flexibility.
How to Naturally Clear Your Arteries
- Cut out processed foods like sugar, cereal, bread, soda, cookies, pastries, pasta, and candy.
- Eat high-quality proteins like wild-caught salmon, sardines, grass-fed beef, organic pork, and antioxidant-rich plant foods like sunflower seeds, nuts, celery, tomatoes, arugula, garlic, avocados, and leafy greens.
- Take 200 mcg of Vitamin K2 (MK-7) and 500 mcg of Vitamin D3 daily. These work together to move calcium into bones and prevent it from hardening your arteries.
- Take long nature walks alone for at least an hour daily to lower stress and boost oxygen levels in your bloodstream.
- Ditch inflammatory omega-6 oils and cook with extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil instead. Get healthy omega-3 fats from cod liver oil, wild fatty fish, walnuts, and seafood.
- Use nutritional yeast (2–3 tablespoons per day) to load up on B vitamins—especially niacin, which helps dilate blood vessels and prevent clots or blockages.
Making small, consistent changes to your diet and lifestyle can go a long way toward protecting your arteries and boosting your long-term heart health.