Can this magic potion unclog blocked arteries naturally?

Hyderabad: A viral Facebook post is suggesting that drinking a tablespoon of a mixture of apple vinegar, lemon juice, ginger juice, and garlic juice before breakfast every day will "naturally" open "the veins of the heart" slowly.

It also claims that after drinking this magic potion, there will be no need for angioplasty or bypass surgery. It is potentially better than any medical treatment available.

Let's discuss angioplasty and bypass surgery briefly.

Basically, angioplasty is a procedure used to widen blocked or narrowed coronary arteries and a bypass surgery redirects blood around a section of a blocked or partially-blocked artery in your heart.

Any blockage in the coronary arteries in your heart may lead to a heart attack if ignored.

Fact Check

NewsMeter performed a keyword search to find whether there is any method to open blocked arteries naturally.

According to Healthline, "You may have read articles or heard reports promoting natural ways to unclog your arteries. For now, research doesn't support the use of specific foods to unclog arteries, though small studies in animals show promise for the future."

It also suggested ways to prevent the deposit of plaque in the arteries such as losing weight, exercising more, or eating less food high in saturated fat. "These are all steps you can take to reduce plaques, but these steps won't remove existing plaques. Focus on promoting better heart health by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Healthy habits will help prevent additional plaque from forming," it added.

NewsMeter contacted our expert, Dr. Manoj K. Agarwala, MD DM, director Cath lab at Apollo Hospitals, and found that the viral claim is not true.

There are no medications or diet that can open blocked arteries. Medicines and lifestyle will prevent further progression of blockages. Severe blockage in important arteries will require bypass or stent.