How much do you know about your vascular health? You’ve probably heard big, scary words like atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis bantered around, but do you know what they mean and how they might affect you? Let’s take a deep dive into your vascular system and how hydrogen water may help to improve your vascular health.
Your vascular system
Also known as your circulatory system, your vascular system is comprised of the arteries and veins that carry blood throughout the body. Vascular diseases that block or weaken these blood vessels restrict blood flow and this can cause illness or even death.
Atherosclerosis and Arteriosclerosis
There are a number of diseases that can affect the vascular system. The most common is atherosclerosis, or the buildup of plaque along the inner walls of arteries. This buildup narrows the pathway that blood can travel and eventually leads to the thickening and hardening of arterial walls that is also known as arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis restricts and blocks the flow of blood within the arteries and can lead to organ damage, a heart attack, or stroke.
What causes the buildup of plaque? There are a number of factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity that can lead to atherosclerosis and eventually arteriosclerosis. The buildup of plaque within the arteries is a slow, progressive process that health experts think could start as early as childhood.
Maintaining your vascular health
The best ways to prevent atherosclerosis and keep your vascular system healthy are to make lifestyle changes that improve your overall health, such as quitting smoking, eating nutritious foods, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular exercise.
Another way to prevent the buildup of plaque within your arteries is to drink hydrogen-infused water. Hydrogen is a potent anti-oxidant that can help to neutralize the free radicals, or Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) that cause inflammation and lead to plaque buildup. Two recent studies looked specifically at the effect of hydrogen water consumption on atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis.
This study, published in 2008, used staining dyes to measure plaque buildup in mice with atherosclerosis and found significant reductions after the mice had consumed hydrogen water for a period of 16 weeks. These findings were confirmed by another study, published just last year, that found that the molecular hydrogen in hydrogen water neutralized ROSs and reduced the vascular aging within the arteries that indicates atherosclerosis.
Your vascular system is critical to your overall health. Keep it healthy by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and drinking plenty of hydrogen-infused water.
