Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. These special blood vessels go all the way from your brain to the tip of your toes, which means that having healthy arteries is vital to your health.

Having arteries that are clogged increases your risk of heart attack and stroke, and some people have clogged arteries and don’t even know it. They don’t become aware of the condition until they develop symptoms like angina.

Fortunately, there are things that you can do to help protect your arteries from blockage, and having a healthy diet is a good place to start. These eight foods will help keep your arteries healthy and prevent future health issues.

1. The first food you should consider adding to your diet should be fish. Fish is full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids which are known to have a positive effect on blood cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that women who eat two or more servings of fatty fish such as herring, tuna, mackerel, and salmon per week have better cardiovascular health.

2. Citrus fruit such as oranges, grapefruit, and lemons, are known for reducing systolic blood pressure and stenosis of the arteries. Eating oranges and grapefruit in particular are high in viscous fiber and can protect your arteries from dangerous clogs.

3. Walnuts have shown to improve the flexibility of the arteries. Research shows that eating about eight shelled walnuts a day is better than olive oil at protecting arteries from the damage that can follow eating a meal high in saturated fat. If you enjoy eating nuts, focus on walnuts to protect your heart health.

4. If you haven’t tried flaxseed you should definitely consider adding these little seeds to your diet. These tiny seeds have tons of health benefits, and helping your heart is one of them. They are full of fiber, phytoestrogens, and omega-3 fatty acids that boost heart health. You can find them in ground form, cereals, and some types of bread.

5. Tumeric should be on your list of healthy foods too. There have been multiple studies that show that this spice helps protect your heart and also fights metabolic conditions that can play a role in the development of heart disease.

6. One study of Japanese adults found that drinking five or more cups of green tea a day reduced the risk of death from heart attack or struck by 26 percent, and lowered the risk of death from all causes by 16 percent.

7. Cinnamon is a natural antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory properties that make it good for cutting the risk of heart disease. This tasty spice improves glucose and lipids in people with Type 2 Diabetes and thus has a positive effect on cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.

8. Not only are pomegranates fun and tasty to eat, but they also have some heart healthy benefits. Studies show that pomegranates avert a number of pathological changes that are associated with cardiovascular disease. They reduce oxidative stress, support synthesis and activity of nitric oxide, and much more.

If you found this article helpful and plan to add some of these foods to your diet, be sure to share it with your friends and family so they can start keeping their hearts healthy too.