The Circulatory System

With heart disease being the number one cause of death in the western world, and with about one out of every three Americans dying from it, it is curious that we do not do more to prevent it.  It is equally sad that despite the commonality of the disease, it is usually very preventable.  Once again, the results of our ignorance and our apathy far outweigh the effects from aging and natural wear.  Our diets, obesity/excess weight, stress, and lack of exercise are literally killing us.

As a good rule of thumb--don't (as a way of life) make your heart work harder than it has to!  Exercise is necessary and is OK, but lots of things make your heart overworked.  Every extra pound of fat adds miles of blood vessels that the heart must pump through--increasing the work and decreasing its efficiency and possibly its life.  Toxins ingested into the body and not cleansed find their way into the bloodstream, causing inflammation and eventually plaque--increasing again the work on the heart as it tries to pump through "smaller tubes".  Excess salt causes the kidneys to have to retain more fluid in the body--again increasing blood volume and blood pressure--both of which increase the heart's work.  Obviously, combining any of these greatly worsens the effect!

Common concerns of the circulatory system

High cholesterol or triglycerides, high blood pressure, stress, poor circulation, heart disease

Fact:  Did you know that 1 out of 3 Americans die from heart disease?  Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans. Fact:  Almost half of the victims that die each year from heart attack are under age 65.

Functions of the circulatory system

Once the food that we intake has been broken down into basic nutrients that can be used, they must be delivered to every single living cell in the body.  Without nourishment and oxygen, the cell would obviously die.  The circulatory system is the transportation method to deliver nutrients and oxygen to the body's cells.

Equally important, when cells take the nutrients and oxygen and convert them into energy, waste products and toxins are produced that must be eliminated.  This is not completely unlike the metabolic process that a car experiences.  In the car, fuel and oxygen are combined to produce energy--and with the energy production comes waste products, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, & sulfur dioxide, among others.  All of these products are waste, and some are corrosive and harmful to the car.  The "more pure" the fuel, the less hazardous the waste by-products.  Our bodies are similar--the more pure the food that we intake, the less harmful by-products and toxins are there at the end.  The circulatory system is responsible for taking waste by-products from the body's cellular energy-production and taking them to the kidneys for removal.

Fact:  Although the average adult contains only 1.5 gallons of blood, the heart pumps an amazing 2000 gallons per day.  It does this through a network of blood vessels that total 60,000 miles in length!

How Does it Work?

At the center of the circulatory system lies a complex muscle that is about the size of a fist, and weighs about 9 ounces--the heart.  The heart is divided into four main chambers--and each side of the heart acts as its own separate pump.  The upper two chambers of the heart are called atria, and the lower two ventricles.  The right hand side of the heart is responsible for returning the oxygen-depleted blood to the lungs to expel carbon dioxide and to pick up new oxygen.  As the blood picks up oxygen, it turns into a bright red color.  The left side of the heart receives the newly oxygenated blood back from the lungs and pumps it throughout the body.  Thus, oxygen-poor blood enters the right atrium and moves through it to the right ventricle. From there blood is sent via the pulmonary arteries to the lungs so that it can pick up a fresh supply of oxygen. Once it has taken on a supply of oxygen, blood moves through the pulmonary veins first to the left atrium, and then to the left ventricle.

The heartbeat is sustained by the sinoatrial (SA) node, which functions as a pacemaker. A healthy heart has a regular beat, although the rate can vary depending on several factors including age, sex, physical activity and emotion.

Although most problems with the circulatory system are centered around the arteries--which in turn overload the heart--sometimes the heart itself is the target of disease.  Heart disease itself usually develops over a period of years, usually due to toxicity in the colon.  When we intake toxins, chemicals, food preservatives, and other harmful agents, it should be no surprise to us that these things eventually start to harm us on a cellular level.  Not only is it important to watch what we eat, but it is important to cleanse our colon and liver on a regular basis.  (Read more about cleansing in the Intestinal System.) It has been found that people with heart disease often have high levels of a destructive amino acid called homocysteine.  To bring down the levels of homocysteine, one can use Cardio Assurance, which includes L-Arginine, Vitamin B6, and Folic Acid--all ingredients that help lower homocysteine levels. The cells in the brain and the heart need more energy than other cells.  Sometimes, a supplement such as CoQ10 is used to increase energy at the cellular level.  CoQ10 does this by fueling production of ATP.  ATP, short for adenosine triphosphate, can be thought of as the raw materials needed for energy production.  Research also shows that CoQ10 gives cells the energy that it needs to repair itself. With some people, their heart tends to go into spasms.  Magnesium can help in this case.  It is used for over 400 enzyme reactions in the human body, but it is also an excellent anti-spasmodic.  Use either the Magnesium or Magnesium Complex.

The blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body are called arteries.  They are more elastic than veins, and often pulsate with the great force that the heart exerts while pumping.  The veins return blood from the cells back to the heart.  Connecting the arteries and veins are microscopic blood vessels known as capillaries.  Energy production for the cells takes place here, as well as the nutrients/oxygen-carbon dioxide transfer.  Capillaries have permeable walls that allow this to happen.

Many problems with the circulatory system develop in the blood vessels themselves--congested arteries or congested veins.   In the case of congested arteries, it is usually plaque in the arteries restricting the blood flow.  It is usually caused by toxins or heavy metals causing an inflammation of the artery lining, and the body reacting by laying down cholesterol as a patch.  High-Potency Grapine is an excellent antioxidant that can be used to prevent damage to the artery walls--decreasing inflammation and the need for cholesterol buildup. Mega-Chel, the key product for the circulatory system, works by providing the nutrition and antioxidants needed to reduce inflammation.  Many people have lowered their cholesterol significantly by taking the Mega-Chel program--many people seeing a 500-600% increase in circulation!  Another excellent product is the Ginkgo/Hawthorne combination.  Ginkgo increases peripheral circulation--especially in the brain.  Hawthorne acts as a good cardiac tonic and dilates the arteries as well.  For people over 50, it is an excellent maintenance herb combination. Congested veins also cause problems.  We know these problems by names such as spider veins, varicose veins, or hemorrhoids (varicosed rectal veins).  In particular, people who must stand up a lot and/or have sore legs, or have poor circulation in their legs may be more susceptible to this problem.  Vari-Gone contains Butcher's Broom and Horse Chestnut--herbs that tone up the veins, improve circulation, and may help prevent blood clots.  Vari-Gone is available in capsules or as a cream.

The blood itself is generally thought of to consist of four main components.  Red blood cells carry the oxygen; in fact, they carry about 99% of it.  The white blood cells are basically part of the immune system;  they provide defense against infectious agents.  Platelets are "disk-shaped" elements that become very active when blood clotting or repair is needed.  They come together to form the repair.  Liquid plasma helps repair damaged blood vessels by forming a protective mesh over the damaged area.  Plasma is mostly water, but it also contains proteins, salts, lipids, carbohydrates, and gases.

We hear a lot about cholesterol in terms of heart/circulatory problems.  What is it?  Cholesterol is a type of animal fat that is either manufactured by the liver or absorbed through the diet. Although most often it is described in villainous terms, it is actually necessary in some forms for good health. Cholesterol helps the body metabolize carbohydrates and manufacture its own vitamin D. It also is a prime supplier of certain essential hormones, and is used up by the liver in bile production.  Since 50% of cholesterol is used for bile production, low fat diets can actually raise blood cholesterol levels--since no cholesterol is being used to digest fat! Lots of refined sugar in our diets hurt the problem.  One of the liver's functions is to keep cholesterol from getting oxidized (sticky).  However, extra insulin (produced to handle high sugar intake) gets into the liver and prevents it from this task. Since the major lipids or fats are not soluble in blood, they are carried in the bloodstream by protein carriers called lipoproteins. These lipoproteins vary in size and are termed high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and a very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). All cholesterol is not responsible for heart disease. HDL and LDL mainly carry cholesterol and play opposite roles in the body. HDL's are the heaviest and have the greatest amount of protein. As they move through the body, they are able to collect cholesterol and transport it to the liver. There, the cholesterol is processed and then removed. Since it tends to clean up excess cholesterol, HDL has been called a scavenger. LDLs, on the other hand, take cholesterol from the liver to cells, where it is used for hormone synthesis. LDL is also a constituent of cell membranes, or arterial plaque deposits. High LDL levels can contribute to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). A ratio of at least one LDL to three HDL is desirable for circulatory system health. Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are chiefly responsible for a reduction of HDL levels. HDL levels can be raised through reducing dietary fats and cholesterol, increasing aerobic exercise, not smoking and maintaining ideal body weight. The American Heart Association reports that ideal cholesterol ranges are 130-190 mg / dl. Clinical studies have identified that cholesterol levels higher than 200 mg / dl are related to rapid increases in the incidence of cardiovascular disease. It has been estimated that one-half of American males exceed the limit. People with blood cholesterol levels higher than 265 mg / dl have four times the risk of developing heart disease than those with levels below 190 mg /dl.   Cutting back your intake of animal foods will cut back your intake of dietary cholesterol. Plants contain no dietary cholesterol.  Regular exercise can help as well by raising the HDL cholesterol levels. Another important consideration is increasing the ratio of polyunsaturated fats to saturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats lower cholesterol by increasing lipoprotein breakdown and removal, and lowering the synthesis of lipoproteins in the liver. Also, the essential fatty acid content, such as linoleic acid, is beneficial. It decreases platelet aggregation and serum cholesterol. Linoleic acid can't be manufactured in the body; safflower oil has a good content of linoleic acid. The Mega-Chel program has lowered cholesterol for many people--using nutrition to reduce inflammation in the arteries and getting the plaque released from the walls for eventual elimination.  Guggul Lipid and Fat Grabbers are two excellent products for keeping dietary cholesterol from reaching the bloodstream.  High Potency Grapine can be used to prevent damage to the walls of the arteries, and thus cholesterol buildup.  CholesterReg II also can be used to regulate tyglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels.

Key Products | Circulatory System Direct Aids Chart | Next Health Class

Note:  The notes on this class are copyrighted and may NOT be reproduced without the expressed, written consent of Healthy Sunshine, Inc.