Support the health of your endothelium with Dietary and Lifestyle Strategies

Do you know why endothelial health is so important? You can’t see it, yet your endothelium is crucial for your health, especially your cardiovascular system.

Read on to learn about your endothelium and how you can help yours remain in tip top condition.

What is the Endothelium?

Simply put, the endothelium refers to the single layer of cells on the inside of your blood and lymph vessels, and your heart. Even though the layer is extremely thin, all the endothelium in your body together weights a staggering 1kg. The barrier between your brain and your blood is also comprised of tightly packed endothelial cells lining the capillaries surrounding your brain.

Because the endothelial lining is only one cell thick, it’s easily damaged. Yet at the same time it’s incredibly important for health. Different subtypes of epithelial cells exist, depending on their location and roles. Let’s have a look at some of their functions now.

What is the Role of the Endothelium?

Endothelial cells allow substances like oxygen, fluids, electrolytes, and nutrients to pass through into your bloodstream, while preventing the passage of undesirable molecules. The endothelium therefore helps keep your body in balance. Furthermore, it assists the movement of certain types of white blood cells from your blood into your tissues, helping your immune system function optimally.

Endothelial cells assist with the formation of new blood vessels when they’re needed, for example following injury.

The endothelium plays a key role in regulating the diameter of blood vessels. Ideally the muscles surrounding the vessels should be relaxed. This means plenty of space inside them to allow blood to flow freely. If the muscles contract and the blood vessel diameter decreases, blood pressure will rise. This in turn means your heart must put in extra effort to push blood around your body. Your endothelial cells control the muscles in your blood vessels by secreting a chemical called nitric oxide. This causes the muscles to relax.

The endothelium also produces a substance called endothelin, to constrict blood vessels when needed. The balance between endothelin and nitric oxide production is crucial.

The nitric oxide produced by endothelial cells in turn helps reduce inflammation, helping the endothelium to stay healthy. It influences the blood’s clotting process, too, helping to prevent clots blocking blood vessels. All this means an inability to produce nitric oxide tends towards high blood pressure and circulatory issues.

Finally, the inner endothelial surface of your blood vessels should be smooth. If not, it becomes easier for plaques to form. These narrow the diameter of blood vessels, pushing up blood pressure, and can eventually cause a blockage, resulting in a stroke or heart attack. Endothelial cells help maintain this smooth healthy lining.

What is Endothelial Dysfunction?

Damage to the endothelium is known as endothelial dysfunction. This condition is believed to contribute to cardiovascular issues, especially atherosclerosis. Once the smooth inner lining of the blood vessels becomes roughened, cholesterol, minerals and other fats tend to accumulate on the walls, leading to plaque formation.

Conversely, if cholesterol in your bloodstream becomes damaged by oxidation owing to a lack of protective plant antioxidants in the diet, this can spark off inflammation, damaging your endothelial cells.

Notably, nitric oxide production decreases when endothelial health suffers.

How to Support Your Endothelial Health

Ensure you’re consuming plenty of plants to ensure a good intake of protective antioxidants. Of particular benefit are the pigments in pomegranates, grapes, berries, apples, and green tea. These have been found in research to boost nitric oxide production by improving endothelial cell function (1).
On the flipside, sugar consumption, stress, smoking, and processed foods can all increase oxidative stress. Sugar is particularly damaging as elevated sugar in the blood can directly damage endothelial cells.
Vitamin C can not only help protect blood vessels from oxidative damage, but guards against oxidation of cholesterol in your blood.
Omega 3, a type of essential fat, helps support endothelial health, and reduces inflammation (2). These oils are found in oily fish, like salmon, mackerel and sardines, some nuts and seeds, or as a supplement.
Vitamin D can help endothelial cells produce nitric oxide by reducing the oxidative stress and inflammation adversely affecting their function (3).
Research has discovered insufficient magnesium can promote endothelial dysfunction (4). A huge number of individuals in the UK are low in this essential mineral. It’s found in leafy greens, nuts and seeds, and legumes.
It’s well-known the composition of the bacteria in the gut microbiome influences the level of inflammation throughout the body. However, the role of the oral microbiome is particularly relevant to endothelial function. A healthy population of bacteria in the mouth produces additional nitric oxide from nitrates naturally present in certain plant foods, helping vasodilation and supporting endothelial cells. However, an unhealthy oral microbiome releases chemicals contributing to inflammation and damage in the endothelial cells (5).

Help and Support for a Healthy Endothelium

Because poor endothelial function can contribute towards a wide range of health issues, a whole-body approach will yield the most effective strategies for supporting the endothelium. We recommend you start with an Integrative Health Assessment, an in-depth look at your diet, nutritional status, past health, and lifestyle, to help empower you with actionable strategies to help you reach your health goals.

If on the other hand you feel ready to start your journey alone, you might be interested in our Multivitamin Test, a convenient finger-prick test you can do at home. This will reveal your levels of nutrients such as vitamin D and magnesium, alongside inflammation markers and cholesterol. The choice is yours.